The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-01-07
Upton. IOWA, JANUARY = 1875

for the meat, only the hams aAd
shoulders are brought IN, and ship
ments are usually made in that shape
the hide nearly always being left or
TO the end Of the journey. The lead.
ing markets for buffalo meat s.in the
rough" are st. Louis, Chicago and
indianapolis, whence it is reshipped
in cleaner and more artistic condition
to cities of the seaboard. At Kansas
City, too, large quantities are cured
and packed for Eastern use, and some
successful experiments have been
made il shipping direct to New York
and Philadelphia in refrigerator cars.
The price in the towns along the
middle and eastern division Of the
Kansas Pacific ranges from $50 to
$50 per ton in bulk, and the local
dealers retail at six to eight cents
per pound. The settlers adjacent to
the stamping ground Of the buffalo
procure meat enough in days hunt
ing to last them through the winter;
and many poor homestead in the
valley Of the Arkansas has kept the
wolf from the door on this article Of
diet alone for months at a time.
The flesh of the buffalo is not such
as gods would delight to feed upon;
nor would poets find it particularly
conducive to the cultivation of sweet
and tender imagery. 1t is prosalc
sort of meat at best, having a
droughty kind of coarseness about it,
and unless very young and tender,
flavor that only very hungry man
would call appetizing. 1t is very
nutritious, however, and when prop
erly dried, the difference between it
and "ierked' beef is not perceplible
to the ordinary palate. But dog
scents the dissimilarity at single
sniff. and will eat none OF it. The
Indians rarely eat it ia fresh state,
but dry it In small slices, usually in
the sun, and serve it up with dried
plums and pnlverized acorns. In
some Of the more luxurious tribes
gravy, in which crushed grasshoppers
form a governing ingredient, is added
as a variety, ON important iestal oc-
casious.
4 correspondent, writing II the
.sgreat American bison.' thinks it
must be some satisfaction to him to
know that he is subserving several
good purposes in the social economy
Of the nation. But he doesn't look
nowadays as though he took satisfac-
tion in anything. He has lost his
traditional spirit and haughtiness.
He 10 longer lords it over the
prairics, but, on the contrary, skulks
in tie ravines like runaway slave.
and never shows fight while there is
a chance 10 flee. He has been crowd
ed ou. Of nearly all Kansas; the In
dian Territory is no longer a safe
habita ion for him; and Colorado Of
fers him no refuge. Turn which
way he will, p.tiless destruction stares
him in the face, and urg him sor-
rowfully forward. He is on his last
legs, and he acts as if he realized it.
He is not a handsome or talented
brute, but lie has good blood in his
veins, and deserves better fate.
Just how much longer he will endure
cannot be accurately con njectured,
but as we say on the border concern
ing the Indian, ''his paper is matnr-
ing fast" The locomotive and the
homesteader have been at his heels
for several Years past, and they will
still pursue him on and on to the
wes' ward till some rare and radiant
sentiment-monger shall immortalize
the last Of his species in a venerable
bullet-scarred bull. standing Oh the
summit OF Mount Diablo, and gazing
silently and mournfully out through
the Golden Gate over the blue sweep
of the Pacific.