Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-06-16
dQurtcster Qailp Spp,
From the New York Tribune
HORACE GREELEYs OVERLAND JOURNEY.
THE HOME OF THE BUFFALO.
pIAIION IT, IIhL ; EAh IAFIsL9o,
CLEAR CREEK, May %, 1859.


CLEAR CREEK, May %, 1859.
We rose early from our wagon-bcd this
morning, had breakfast at six, and soon babe
adieu to Pipe Creek, with its fringe Of low
elms and cottonwoods, such as thinly streak
all the streams we have passed to-day, that
are large enough to protect timber from prai-
rie fires. Very soon, we were off the sand
stone upon limestone again, which has been
the only rock visible for the last forty miles,
improved, but l think not equal to that of
Eastern Kansas The face of the country is
slightly rolling-in one place level prairie
eleven miles wide-but even this is cut and
washed out by shallow water-courses, proba-
bly, dry a good part of each Summer We
have crossed many streams to-day, all making
South for SOlomon's Fork, which has through
out been from two to six miles from us on our
left, its narrow belt of timber constantly send
ing out longer or shorter spurs up the creek
which feeds it ON either side. The route has
been from so to 200 feet above the bed of the
Fork, keeping out Of all bottoms and marshes
but continually cut by water-courses, often
with abrupt banks and miry beds, in one of
which only were we stalled until an extra
span of mules was sent from the other wagon
to our aid. (The express wagons always go
i'll pairs for reciprocal aid and security
] presume all the timber we have passed
through since we left the Republican Fork at
the Junction, land we are now 10 miles from
it by our route, and perhaps 100 in straight
llne) would not form a belt half mile wide,
with but few white oaks to render it of any
value except for fuel. A low, long-lmbed
twisty elm, forms three fourths ofall the wood
we have seen this side of the Junction the
residue is mainly Cottonwood. The streams
are usually clear, except where riled by recent
showers, and springs are not infrequent. If
well timbered this country would be rather
inviting. 1t is largely covered with the dead
stalks of the wild sunfower, which is said to
indicate good soil for corn. The sunfower
plant has not started this season.
On rising our first ridge this morning, herd
of buffalo was seen grazing on the prairie some
three miles toward the solomon; soon more
were visible; then others. AT length, a herd
of perhaps hundred appeared on the north
the only one we saw on that side Of our road
during the day They were heading down the
valley of a small creek toward the Solomon
Just then. the tents and wagons Of a body of
encamped Pixies Peakers appeared just across
that stream two men running across the prai |
RE on foot to get shot at the buffalo; another |
mounting a horse with like intent. The herd |
passed on a long, awkward gallop north of the |
tents and struck southwest across our road |
some forty rods ahead of US. A Sharp's rifle |
was leveled and fred Mt them by one of our par |
ty, but seemed rather to hasten than arrest !
their progress. But one old bull shambed |
along behind in n knock-kneed fashion (hav-
ing probably been famed by some former par
tyl and he was fired at twice by our maris-
men as he attempted to cross the road-once
when only fifteen rods distant. They thought
they wounded him fatally, but he vanished
from our sight behind a low hill, and their has
ty search for him proved unsuccessful.
Nearly all day, the buffalo in greater or less
numbers were visible among the bottoms of
Solomon on our right-usually two to three
miles distant AT length, about five P. NJ,
we reached the crest of a 'diyide," whence we
looked doYn on the valley of creek running
to the Solomon some three miles distant and !
saw the whole region from half a mile to three |
miles south ofour road, and TOR an extent of at I
least four miles east and west, fairly alive with
buffalo There certainly were not less than
ten thousand of them; | believe there were
many more. Some were feeding, others lying |
down, others paving up the earth, rolling on
it. &c. The novel spectacle was too tempting |
Tor our sportsmen. The wagons were stop |
ped, and two men walked quietly toward |
the center of the front of the herd. Favor |
ed by a watercourse, they crept up to with |
in fifty rods of the buffalo, and fired eight |
or ten shots into the herd, with no visible |
treated as they advanced, but the great body |
of the herd was no more disturbed or CON |
scious of danger than if q couple Of mosquitoes |
had alighted among them After an hour Of |
this frutless effort, the hunters gave 1t up, al
leginp that their rifle was so foul and badly /
SIGHTED as to be worthless. They rejOined us,
and we came away, leaving nine tenths OF the |
yast herd exactly where we found them And |
there they doubtless are sleeping at this mo
ment about three miles from us.
We are near the heart Of the buffalo region.
The stages from the West that met US here
this evening report the sight of millions within
tbe last two days. Their trails checker the
nrairie in every direction. A company OF Pike
peakers killed thirteen near this point few
DAYS since Eight were killed yesterday at the
next station West Of this, by simply stamped
ing a heard and driving them over high
creek-0ank, where so many broke their necks
Buffalo meat is hanging or lying all around
us and a calf two or three months old IS tied
10 a stake lust beside our wagons. He was
taken nv rushing a heard up steep creek
hank. which SO many could not possibly climb
st once; this one was picked out IN the melee,
as most worth having, and taken with rope
Though fast tied and with a short tether, he Is
true game and makes at whoever goes near
him with desperate intent to butt the Sntruder
over We met or passed to-day TWO parties OF
Pixies HeakerS WHO Hstu ISePSCufNiy lNSV 'Aii ~
oxen or steers, stampeded last night by herds
of buffalo. The mules at the express stations
have to be carefully watched to preserve them
from a similar catastrophe-to their owners.
do not like the flesh of this wild OK. 1t is
touqh and not Juicy. Of course, remember
that our cookery is of the most unsophstlca-
ted pattern-carrying us back to the age OF the
bui'dnQ of the Pyramids, at least-but l
wouId much rather see an immense herd OF
-. tlanrn fagtf Ifn 81 n hRn
The heritage hereabout is nearly all the
ehort fine grass known as the Buffalo grass,
and is closely fed down; we are far beyond
the stakes of the land-surveyors-bey the
usnal haunts of white men. The Santa Re
trail is far behind u.s. the California is consid-
erably South Very probably, the Buffalo on
Solomop's Fork were never hunted by white
men till this spring. Should one Of those
herds take a fancy for man-hunt, our rifle
mon would find even the Express wagons no
Though our road is hardly two months old,
vet we PASSED two graves on it to-day. One
is that Of an infant, born in a tent OF the wife
of one of the station-masters on her way to
his most. and which lived but a day; the other
that of a Missourian on his way to Pixies
Peak. who was accidentally shot in taking
rifle from his wagon. His party seems to
have been singulary unfortunate campo or
two further on, a hurricane overlook them
and tore their six wagons into oyenwoou
they were able to make but three passable
wagons out of the remains. Their loss IN
other property was serious and they sustain
ed much bodily harm. One more OF them
was buried in n camp or two further on.
Those whom we meet here coming down