The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-10-03 00:00:00

Sh-Ammil

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are much more limited than those further west, as the
term is generally confined to the more northerly region;
yet a few apply it to the sandhills following the course
of the River Platte. This, however, lean error, as they
make an excellent pasturage, being covered with the
buffalo grass, which is very nutritive. Where these
hills approach the river they give a nice exhibition of
an axiom in natural philosophy. Though they may be
200 feet high and apparently dry as granite, yet by
digging down a short distance they will be found quite
moist. This is caused by the fact that the sand absorbs
the water and draws it near the summit by capillary
attraction.

" From the time the tourist leaves Sidney until he
reaches North Platte, a distance of 123 miles, he will
meet with no towns nor will he encounter any change
in the landscape. It is so level, apparently, that you
can see the telegraph poles in the perspective until
they emerge into one unbroken line. The houses are
few, and such as are seen are ' dug-outs," made of sod,
and used by herders. They are far more primitive in
appearance than log cabins, and so low that one has to
stoup to enter the door. A residence is often made by
digging into a bank, so that one has neither roofing nor
building to do, and thus secures a domicile that the
fiercest prairie wind cannot blow down, while it isat the
same time warm and comfortable. A hole through the
bank suffices for a chimney. These houses are generally
occupied by homesteaders, and nearly all the poorer
country people, owing to the cost and scarcity of
timber, but, in a few years, they are supplanted by
the white cottages, an indicative of the pleasant rural
home. The town of North Platte, situated on the
river of the same name, is the most important in the
large area of country extending from Cheyenne to
Kearney Junction. It has a population of about 800,
but is rapidly increasing, owing to the establishment
of inachineahoros there by the railroad company, and
its being selected by the Government as the point
from which all freighting is to be done to the Red
Cloud Agency in Dakota. It is also a garrison town,
some two three companies of cavalry being generally
stationed there.

"While stopping there, I had the pleasure of parti-
cipating in`; a buffalo hunt, which lasted three days.
Few sports are more exciting. This noble animal will
Boon, however, be among the fauna of the past, for the
• pot-hunters' and civilisation are rapidly pursuing it
to decimation. It is estimated that the 'hide hunters'
of Kansas, Texas, Colorado, and Southern Nebraska
kill 50,000 each year for the skins alone; that the In-
dians kill three times that number, and that perhaps
10,000 more are killed by sportsmen and those pioneers
who depend on buffalo for their winter meat; thus
we have the enormous figure of 210.000 as the annual
slaughter. But this evca will not represent the grand
total, for many calves are captured to be sold to mena-
geries, museums, and to private gentlemen who desire
such pets. I cannot approach a summary of the
latter, but I think that from 5,000 to 10,000 would
be an approximate estimate though slow one. I have
known instances where a hundred of these creatures
were caught in a day by being run down, and not
more than one-tenth were alive the next, for, though
apparently strong, they cannot endure much hardship.
By giving the figures in round numbers we may esti-
mate that a quarter of a million bison are destroyed
annually, and that, I think, will not be far from the
exact number. At this rate of destruction they can-
not last long, so the present generation will probably
witness the decimation of the animal most charac-
teristic of the fauna of North America—one with
which the history of our plains, pioneers, and trappers
is most closely blended."