The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-03-30
SLAUGHTER OF BUFFALOEs.
Threatened Extinction of the Entire Spe-
cies-A Wanton Waste of Valuable Raw
Ma

Threatened Extinction of the Entire Spe-
cies-A wanton Waste of Valuable Raw
Material.
Denver Cor. Chicago Tribune.l
Buffalo products have figured largely
in the commerce of the new West during
the past six or seven years. From 1869
to 1874it is estimated that 80, 900 buffaloes
per year were killed along the lines of
the Union Pacific and Kansas Pacific
railroads making in five years over a
quarter of million. About one-third of
these were taken for their robes, another
third for meat, and the remainder shot
down for the mere sport of the thing,
their carcasses being left to rot on the
plains. Where they are saved for meat,
generally only the hind quarters cut off
together, called "saddles the hide
left on to preserve the meat-are taken
Sometimes the hump, which the Indians
consider quite delicious, is also pre-
served. The amount of meat saved from
each buffalo is from $50 to 200 pounds
about one-sixth of the entire animal
The saddles are worth from three to five
cents per pound Mt stations on the plains.
When taken to Denver and other mar
kets in Colorado, il brings two or three
cents more per pound, and retails from
the butchers block Mt from 10 to Is
cents. The green hides, when marketed
at Greeley or Julesburg, bring from
81. 80 to So, according to size and condi-
ton. The following table will show the
results of the slaughter Of every $4,000
buffaloes
l6 SEQ hides average 81 each 4 AZ. 500
3,300OoO pounds meat, at cents. ........ $4,000
Total ....................... .slsl, 800
80 1000 hides, average 49, observation-disclosures $1,000
20000,O0O pounds meat, at cents ....... 100000
Total $685.. 900
Thus it will be seen that the total
value of each years slaughter of buffaloes,
along the Pacific railroad, if marketed,
would be over 81, 900, 900, scarcely one
fifth of which is ever utilized.
There used to be bands of hunters liv-
ing i'll "dug-outs, who hunted buffaloes
solely for their hides. They were pro-
fessionally known as "skinners. A
party of three or five could kill and strip
the hide from seventy-five to 100 buffaloes
per day, if the animals happened to be
thick enough. What contrast to this
wanton waste is offered by the Indians,
who never kill without making use of the
greater portion of the animal. 1t has
been their food, clothing, shelter and
fuel. They used the hides dressed ON
one side for robes, dressed on both sides
for tent-covers ate the brains, liver,
heart and rump as delcacies drank the
blood dried the meat for food made
the bones serve for knives, forks and
spoons; and the dried ordure for their
warm winter-fires.
Tanneres for dressing robes have
been established at Greeley, and the
hunters of the Platte and Republican
find a ready sale for all the hides they
can gather up. The robe, taken off with
head and every part of the skin carefully
saved and stuffed, forms the most priced
possession for cabinet, and often sells
Mt from 500 to $500. Dried buffalo
hams and Clipped meats go into Eastern
markets as delicacies. Even the bones,
which heretofore have been left to whiten
the plains, are gathered up and shipped
to the glue factories at Philadelphia,
Boston and Jersey City. AS sample of
what is now being done in this way, /
have obtained from the General Freight
Agent of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe railroad the following statement of
buffalo product shipped during the past
five yaars