, 1874-03-07
THE BISON.

When 1t Disappeared from Illinois.
Andrc'1 sh'sn!an ~ TIC {chfcaao) Hlusiyattd Jorna
!; That member Of tho bovine family to, which
the American Indians and the early, pioncers
gave tho name OF buffalo, but which s not tho
genuine buffalo (1os bubalus) Of Zoology, but
the bison, il HOW III Il fair way OF enrly cxtiuc-
ton. 9enr by year tho Indians aud the hunters OF
tho Western mountains and plains arc DESTROYING
these animals by thousands, mud in worry foW
years tile bison will ba among tho many extinct
q1atlruped Tribes Of this continent. therefore,
whasoyor taot Ter or history eau be- aaccrtained in
reference to this peculiar and once-nulnorors
donizon q our American wilds, before he ahull
have entirely Disappeared. should he carefully
recorded for preservation.
In conversation, q few days ngo, with Capt,
Leonard O. Hugnnin, one Of Chcagos oldeAt
res'denta still surviving .-he cnmo Aere from,
Oswego, N. Y. in 1885, ,-he Informed tho wrltor.
that among bis priyate records that woro lost in
the Great Fire, were tho memoranda Of many
historical facts and Indian traditions, which ho
had obtained from Billy Caldwell, the secona..
Head Chiof Of tho pottawattamios, then over GO,
years old;, aud that. among tlcho memoranda,
was one important fact for natural history that;
he distinctly remembers, namely: that III 1888,
in the course Of an intorviow with tho old Chiof,,
tho latter informed him tint seventy years.
previous to = TINT time-that T., is, in; 17C3--
there was the. severest snow-storm and tho
heaviest fall Of gnow that had eynr been known
east of the Mississippi River; that, throughout
the region now known as the State Of Illinois,.
tile Huow was from Ia to 16 feat deep; aud Tint:
among other disastrous effects Of TINT yisitationi
~ thia region, wns the total destruction Of tho
bison, which, although up to that time Us plent-;
fnl bore as wero tho trees Of tle forest, porsleh
by Wholesale by being overwhelmed in the anow,s
or by starvation.
11e said that aome of the alk and door also
perishod in that storm, bnt TINT many Of these,
taking refuge in the TIMBER. subslRted upon
tho browse Of tho hazol-btush and other shrub
berry until the snow melted and f1oel them from,
their temporary embnrgo. 90 "H".
Capt Hugunin, i'll confirmation OF the correct
ness Of Billy Caldwells htatemont, also informed
q stage trip from Chicago. to Galena, bis atteu-;
throughout the prpiries, Which Ind but recontiyj
burned over, great fields or, yards, OF
bleacnod , boncH; aud ,tthat, on inquiring,
Keeper Of tavern in this Vicinity and of othor
pioneer ,sottlora and Indians. he was aasurcti
TINT. tho bones wore those of the "bufYaioos;"
TINT these bone-yardB, some Of which were ten
acres In extent, wore tho Qolgotla OF the bison;
Which, gathered in vast groups; during a great!
snow-storm many ycars previops,, wore literally
imprisoned iu tile dcep SNOW, aud there diod hi
multitudoa.
Taking together tho tradition Of Billy cald-.
we'll, aud those boue-yard evidences throughout
tho Kanlakoe, Illinois, Fox, and Rock iliyor;
amateur zoologist and ornithologist Of no mean;
order, came to the conclusion that 1t ie only q
little oyor century ago since tho bison wore nD
plentiful betweon tho Mississtpni River mi, Lako,
the Missouri River aud tho Rocky Mountains Il
that tue American buffalo on this sido Of tho
mississippi River was completely destroyed by d
tremendous snow-storm III the winter OF 1868 :,
and that III 1910 tho oBsoouE remains OF the aui-'
mails wero still to be found throughout Northern
Illinois. posaibly q careful survey might fluid
some Of these romaina u tho same localities even
at thus day,