The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-02-05
IndIscrimInate Slaughter Of BuaaIo on
the Plains.


The bufaloes Of the plains have met their
fate. Encroaching civilization has sealed
their doom, and the iuOrdinate greed OF
man has swept them from the face of the
earth. Where years ago the mammoth
herds of bison rOamed the plains, and were
hunted by the Indians as necessity demand
ed, now lie the bleaching bones of millions
Of these noble animals, sacrificed simply for
their hides. For the past two years the
work of destruction and annihilation has
gone forward, and to-day there are not
enough bufIaloes to form what was at one
time considered a moderate-siZed herd.
Millions OF these ANIMALS ranged the plains,
their natural home, feeding upon the rich
grasses. To-day there are not enough to
Craze en- q quarter section Of land and eat
the feed bare. Hunting parties arc to be
met oil over the plains in the vicinity Of the
Republican, and also in the southern portion
Of the Territory, who slaughter indiscrim-
inately every herd upon which they come.
The traveller over the Kansas Pacihc Road
may see cords of white bones piled up at
various stations in the buffalo country,
awaiting transportation East, where they
enter into O thousand and one articles of
commerce and trade. Besides the bones are
thousands Of hides, rough dried, ready to
be sent to the commercial maTts of the
East, where they are tanned and placed on
the markets. These bones and hides are the
fruits Of the huntsman's labors, in killing
the noble game of the plains. The meat
from the carcass of the slain buffalo is sell
dom used, although in few instances it is
cut up and shipped to Eastern packers,
where it is disposed OF as mess beef, at
largely enhanced prices.
We yesterday met Mr. John A. Lessig,
brother Of General Lessig, the Surveyor
General, who has been out on the plains sew
eral months, running correction lines and
townshipping the eastern portion of the
Territory. BE informs US the destruction Of
the buffalo is almost Incredible. During the
FORMULATION Of this party, they had an
opportunity of forming opinions as to the
slaughter of tho bison on the plains. On the
south fork Of the Republican they came upon
one spot where were counted six THOUSAND
FIVE hundred carcases of buffalo from which
the hides only had been stripped. The
meat was not touched, and was left to rot
on the plains. Only short distance further
on hundreds OF more carcases were found,
and, in fact, the plains were literally dotted
with purifying buffalo caTcasses. On the
Rikaree river, which lies between the two
forks of the Republican, the camps Of buff
falo hunters were frequently seen. Mr..
Lessig estimates that there are at least two
thousand hunters in camps along there,
waiting for the buffalo. He came across
one party of sixteen who stated that they
had killed twenty-eight thousand buifaloes
during the past summer, the hides of which
only were utilized. If sixteen hunters can
kill this many animals, how great must be
Al kl,a l,roo6 ~ he
bison rangel Evidently millions of the ami
mails must have been killed during the past
summer alone Mr.. Lessig says there are no
buffaloes to be seen on the plains, except
dead ones, and that hunt as much as they
may, the spoFtsmen cannot at present find
any game.
The value of the hides has deteriorated
considerably, owing to the great increase of
the article in the market. Heretofore they
were worth three dollars delivered at the
railway stations, while now distinction is
made 70 the size and paid for accordingly.
The hides Of bulls being but one dollar,
those Of COWS sixty cents, and calves forty
cents. At these rates even the hunters say
It pays very we'll. But even at these low
rates the hunters will have to scratch to
make their grub, for Mr.. Lessig says the
bufTal0es are nowhere to be found.
They say they are waiting for buffaloes, but
they viii have to wait long time. There
are but few to breed from, and, even if the
animals are not completely annililated, it
will be many years before they regain even
q 1.-THE OF their numbers of the past two
years, before the indiscriminate slaughter
begun.
Mr.. Lessig had fourteen men in his sur
vnvinor marty Aboft the 9th of NOvOnl-
Der the cold weather began, and the snow
fell to a great depth. The rsvines were
drifted full, and on the level the snow was
quite deep. Being in tlmberless country,
the party depended upon buffalo chips for
fuel, but the snow coming on, recourse to this
article was cut of, and they had to think Of
returning. One night the weather was so
cold that a barrel full Of water froze solid I
The party left the Republican about the
tenth Of December, and reached Eel Trail
on Friday night, from which point they
came to Denver by rail sacer Ne,ss, Dc
Gender 81.