Page 13 - Sorrow of the Earth: Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull and the Tragedy of Show Business

swindler of the worst kind. In those days, any nincompoop could found a city,

become a general, a businessman, a governor or President of the United
States; and perhaps this is still the case. John Burke had sensed the coming of
the vast machinery of a culture of spectacle, and was now press officer to
Buffalo Bill—his publicity agent. He was the greatest and the wackiest
publicity agent. Thanks to a perfect match between the man and his times, the
former journalist, broker and one-time leader of a troupe of acrobats became
the inventor of show business.