The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-02-13
THE BUFFALO,.
THEY CHASE HIN OVER. THE
PLAINS IN KANsAs. =

special Correspondence Nep York World.
The ordinary weight ef a full grown
ooll buffalo is about 1900 to 1900
pounds TheJ do not, however, yield
1oe same proportion of available neat
as the tame bovine, their skin. being
heavier, bones larger, and for.qaart.rs
more massive and weighty. I h.ve
seen bulls, old fellows, with horns fpl;
sef sxripkIee,s that would incline the
scales nearly 1850 pounds, but .th.y
were ususnally large, and could; readily
b dbtinsaDhed in slsrgs herd.
The buffalo ars now rapidly moving
south for. tho warner airs Of Texas and
Arkansas. In consequence tho WITCH
lta market is doing bat little shipping
compared with what vas done six
years ago. About that time I remem.
Der noticing piece Of ground contain.
ing over SIX acres covered With layers
Of dry hides Awaiting shipment.
These were al brought in by the tovns-
people and . few nsiehboring home.
ste 'ders. By the FIRST Of May the
huoting season will open again. Al
tho weather in this part Of the sfate 10
most delightful at that seassn If the
year great rush Of pleasure parties Is
expected. RriIroads will accordingly
get up exeursioas to the buffalo
grounds from all parts Of the East 1t /.
real triaiOg expense to the excursion.
ist. Hunting, of course, can be made
as expensive as any one may please.
1t depends entirely on the definition
tke hunter may put to the words "se.
o<ssities" and 'luxuries" A.party, of
ten persons with moderate means, max.
ing Wichita starting point, can OBJ.
tain full outfit, arms, amunition; pro.
visions, bedding, wagons, ..ddls.sorsss
and all at an expense to the psrty .of
not over $50 per day, OF say= SEQ 10.
a five days trip. And each ems dfths
party will have time enough to get is
tired and rugged as he may please.
He can experience the STRING sxcite.
,ment of chase on horseback, and
again, crawling on hands and knses
almost into the midst of an unsuspest-
ing herd. The arms most in uss ne
needle.guns and Spencer rifu. The
former are to be preferred for nstin"
bunting on account Of their long saags
ssd heavy bail, and the latter for hunt
ing on horseback because of their hold.
log several cartridges at once, snd be.
ing easily handled.
It was my good fortune the other
day to vit.ess the passage of herd Of
buttalos, larger, perhaps, than any
seen for years past 10 Kansas. I was
then on my way to the "front"", that is,
to the extreme western end of tho
Atchison, Thpska and Santa Fs Rail-
road. As construction train CARED
us, consisting of nothing but fat cars,
re had perfect view of ell sides. The
prairie was perfectly level, and our sle-
vated position on the piles of lumber
aud boxes, With which the car was
loaded, enabled Us to see the slightest
moving object for miles around. We
bad gradually been nearing what at
drst seemed to be nothing but = long,
wa.y, black line moving in a, ,southerly
direction, but as the miles few rapidly
by-for We had made Z late start aud
were making up time-it assumed
more distinct proportions, and 6nelly
took the shape Of an immense drove of
buffalo, packed together in so dense a
mass that their gait was was no faster
than that Of a man walking lsissrely
along.
Approaching to within 100 yards Of
the flank Of the column, the engine
visited down brakes and We stopped.
A few old bulls, the fankers, of the
herd, glared savagely ut US n We moved
slowly BY them. One huge fellow,
with monstrous head, nearly hidden
under masses Of thick, sand.matted
hair, We thought would charge u. His
tail curlsd like that Of 4 pig. He sav-
sgely paved the ground and, with
head erect, finally moved toward the
locomotive. The engineer, always
ready for little fan, purpesely closed
the steam escape.pipes 50 that no sound
could be heard. Suddenly, when the
shaggy monster drew hin.elf up. a to
select the exact point for the attack,
the valves were opened to their fullest
extent, the whistle sent forth . most
I.nearthly' sereeeb, tho boil violently
rang, snd Z cloud of smoke went up
through tho smokestaek. - The sfect
WAS indsscribable. Down went the
buffalo on his hsuuhe5, liserslly ssarsd
of his feet, aud into such a maze Of
bswildsrmsnt did hs seem 70 havs been
threwn that, before he could 'reeovs,
himself, one of the track.lsyers had
had time to approach sufheisntly near
to give him = fatal shot. : A. great
many buffaloes were killed during the
:heur 1t took the herd to pass. It wss
only necessary to Ere a gun in. the di-
rection Of the mass to secure = victim,
for If not killed outright, the wounded
victim was quickly trampled uoder foot
by his myriad companions. How many
buffalo psssrd over tho line Of rail in
this heard it va, imposslble to estimate.
The herd itself was 1T least ten miles
long and two wide, and must have num-
bersd millions.