, 1873-12-26

IntiiscrimlMnto slaughter OF nufsn-
loes ON thu rlutns-'rho Animals
NGz.r1y All Gono--Vnlno OF Hides
DctcrtOrnttnH ~ I1untcrs ON tho
pIniMS-COlt Weather.
From tho Dcnrcr Nces, Dee.'2i.
Tho blffaloos of tho plains hRvo mot thetr
fato Encroacliug civilization has Honlod thoir
doom ; and tho inortlinato greed Of man has
awopt them from tho faco OF Tho onrth. Whore
yonrs ago tho mammoth hortla Of bison roamea
lie plains, md woro h1ntod BY tho Indians as
nucossty demanded, now lio tho bcachinR boneH
OF millions Of those noblo unimals, sacrificed
simply for tiloir hitlos. For tho past two years
tic work Of destruction and nns
6uifaloos to form what was Of 80, ono
time considered modorato-sizod nord. Millions
Of thcHe ani1nas rangad the plains, their nat'i-
ral hoinos looding upon tho rich grasHos. To-
section of laud and cat tho foo4 bare.. Hunting
parties arc to DO met all over tue plains III tho
vicinity Ut tho Republican, aud also IN the aouth-
eru portion Of tho Torrltory, WHO slaughter n-
ascrln1instoly every hotd upon wlilet they como.
eco cords OF w,ito bones piled up at various stu
Hons in the buffalo country, awaiting transpor-
ta,ion East, where they outor into q thousand
aud ono articles Of commerce and trade. Dc-
pidcs tho bones aro thousands OF hides,
commercial marts OF the East, whero
they aro tnnncd md placed upon. tho
markets.. Thpso bones and hides aro tho frlltB
Of tho huntsman's labors, IN killing tho iloblo
OF tho slaih bufraloos is seldom used, although
In fow Instances 1t Is cut up md shipped to
Eastorn pnokcrs, whcrc 1t ia disposed of US mesa
beef at largely enhanced prices: =
Wo yesterday mot h1r. John 4. IosBig, hrothor
to Gen. Lcsalg, tho Buryoyor. Gonoral, who has
boon out on tlo plains several monthB running
correction lines anl townshippng tho eassern
portion Of tho Territory. No informs ,s that tho
obstruction OF buffalo Is almost norodbo.. Dur
ing the perambulatlons Of this party thsy;haa IN
opportunity Of forming opinions nj to tho slaught.
or OF tho bison on.the plains. On tho south fork
Of the Republican they casne upon QUO spot
whore were counted G,5O0 oarcaBses OF buffalo
from Which tho bides only had boon stripped,
ON the plains. Only short distance farther OH
Ihundreds more of caroassos wero discovered.
and, in fact, the plains wore literally dotted with
purifying buffalo carcasses. On tho nckarce
nopublican, the camps Of buffalo hunters wero
OF frequent occurrence. hlr. LoBsig estimates
that ttoie aro ut loask 2.000 ll,lntors in campa
along there, waiting for tho buffalo, He can,o
across one party Of sixteen who stated that they
NOR, the hldes Of which only welo uttl-
ICED, If sixteon lllL :ara can kill this
many animals, how great must bo
the slaughter Iuron The broad e1tant Of tho
alone. Mr.~1cssig HayB there arc no bufra,oss
to bo seon on The plaus, except dend 0nen, and
that hunt as much as they may, tho eportBnlon
cannot at present find any game.
The value of the hit1ga has deterioratod CON-
aidorably, owing to tho grcat increaso of the
ARTICLES IN tho narlfet Heretofore they were
worth 80 develed at tho railway stations
while now distinction Is .nado as to tho size
Fad paid for accordingly. The hides Of bulls
bring but 81, those OF cows GO cents, and calyoH
4O couts. At these rates oven the hunters Say it
pays very well. But oven at these low1ateH tho
huntors will have to scratch to mako tileir grub.
For Alr. LosBg says the buffalo arc nowhere 10
bo found. Tnoy EaY they aro waiting for the
bufraloes, but they will hive to wait q long time,
Thcfo are but lew to breed from, and. even II
the animals arc not completely ennihilatod,. it
vii be many years before they rcgaiu oven titlle
of their numbers Of the past two years, befuro
tho indiscriminato slaughter began.
Mr.. LeHaig hnd fourteen nlon III Ills surveying
party, About tho 27th Of November the cold
weather began, and the snow fell to gent
depth. Tho ravinea we're nit driltea full aud on
tho level the SNOW Nas quite deep. Icing in q
timberIoss country, the party depended upon
buffalo chips for fuel. but Tho suow coming on,
RECOURSE to this article was cut OF, aud they had
to thiuk Of returning. Ono night tho woatllor
was no cold TINT barrel full OF wntor frozo
solid lilo party loft tho Republican about the
10Th of December, and reached Eel Trail Oh
friday night, from which point they came to
Dan rnr ty rnI1