Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-03-17

Fe-has reduced the southern nerd
10 a mere remnant of its sformer mag.
Hitude. While they are now mass
ed principally south of the Canadian
river, in Northern Texas, where fol
a time they may enjoy comparative
immunity from the white hunter,
they are still also scattered irregu-
larIy aud sparsely over the western
third of Kansas and along the east
ern border OF Colorado. The whole
area occupied by the southern herd,
which ranged but few years since
from the Staked Plains to the Platte,
and from Eastern Kansas to the
Rocky Mountains, does not embrace
a region larger than the present
State of Kansas.
The northern herd has suffered a
like reduction in its range. As late
as III 1850, it extended, in the Unit
ed States, from the Platte to the
British boundary, and from the
Rocky Mountains to the pIa ms of
the Upper Mississippi and the Red
River of the North, beside spread
ing far northward into the British
possessions. South of the northern
boundary of the United State it is
now limited to the region drained
by the principal southern tributaries
of the Yellowstone-the Big Horn,
Tongue, and Powder rivers-and to
narrow belt extending thence
northWard, across the Yellowstone,
the MHsselshell, the Missouri and
Mix rivers, widening somewhat to
the northward.
The vast restriction in its range
that the bison has suffered, especial
ly when it is remembered that this
restriction has taken place mainly
within the last fifty years, and chief
ly within the | st twenty-five years,
is certainly a striking fact; yet, by
this statement the destruction of life
thus implied is by no means impress
ively indicated. The Buffalo, as is
we'll known, is, like other bovine
creatures, eminently gregarious,
roaming always in herds, which usu.
ally number thousands, and some
times millions of individuals. Some
writers speak of having seen mil
lions of buffaioes in sight at once;
others have described the plains as
literally blackeDed with them in ev-
cry direction as far as the eye could
reach. Others still speak OF meet
ing with herds several miles broad;
others of travelling through continu-
Gus bands for days together. 1t was
not uncommon in former days for
emigrant trains to be detained for
hours by the passage of large herds
across their route, while in later
times the same experience has often
befallen the trains on the Kansas
railways. It is not to be inferred,
of course, that the habitat of the
buffalo was ever wholly covered by
dense herds; but the whole region
above indicated as its habitat was
roamed over by them, and all parts
more or less frequently, visited, the
greater part of it annually.
The Indians have of course shar-
ed largely in the work, of destruc-
tion, since the tribes that have lived
within or near its range have depend
ed largely upon these animals for
Subsistence, their flesh furnishing
them with the chief part of their
food, and their skins with clothing,
beds and lodge-coverings. Though
far less wasteful of the buffalo than
the white man, the Indian often in
dulges in needless slaughter, gener-
ally killing far more than be needs
or can use. When buffaloes are
plentifnl, the Indians commonly Sc
leet only the choicest parts, and
during the season when they kill for
their skins they rarely save any por-
tion of the meat. Catlin relates an
incident that came under his notice
in May, 1892, near the mouth of the
Teton river, which forcibly illus
trates their improvidence. A party
of FIVE or six hundred mounted Sioux
Indians crossed the river at midday,
for an attack upon s herd of buffa-
loes in sight on the other side. AT
ter spending a few hours among
them, they recrossed the river at
and came into the Fur
Company's fort with fourteen ham
dred fresh buffalo tongues, which
were thrown down in mass, and
for which they required bat few
gallons of whisky-not skin nor a
pound of meat, besides the tongues,
being saved =
But the wanton, or at least reck-
less and almost useless, destruction
of the buffalo by the Indians is
scarcely comparable to that of the
white man, whose contact with the
buffalo has brought constantly in
creasing rate Of fatality to the DOOM
ed beasts. About a century age, the
white hunter, in what is now the
State of Kentucky, first met with the
buffalo, since which time his exter-
mination has progressed with mar
velous rapidity. At the beginning
of the present century, this usefNi
animal had already been exterIninat-
ed east Of the Mississippi river. in
great part, too, wantonly. West of
the Mississippi they continued 20 re-
cede before advancing settlements,
when, about 1920, their destruction,
became greatly accelerated by the
trade in robes, which about this
time began to assume considerable
From this. date onward
till within the Last few years, the de.
struction of the bpFaloes for their
skins has done more than all other
Influences to hasten their extirpation
1.-The slaughter for this object alone
causing the destruction of hundreds
of thousands each year. Through
out much of this time the number
ofirobes actually purchased Of the
Indians has exceeded one hundred
annually, while as many
more has been used by the Indians
themselves. When 1t is remember
ed that the skins are in good condi.
tion during only one-third of the
year-the portion of the year, too,
when the smallest number are taken
= and that good robes are furnished
l.