The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-07-08
Killing the Buffalo.

The Indians method of killing buff
falo is much more exciting and spec
tacular, but much less destructive
than the white mans, says cores
pondent in Montana. A civil engi-
neer engaged in the railroad con
struction work, at whose camp /
stopped a few nights ago, gave me an
account of an Indian hunt he wit
messed from the door of his own log
cabin one day last winter. 1t was
the great annual hunt of the Crows.
The Indians had their scouts out for
weeks in the region north of the Vel
lowstone. massing the small scattered
herds into one large body by meth
cd similar to that used in rounding
up cattle. Having got together a
herd of perhaps five thousand, they
began to push them forward slowly
toward the Yellowstone Valley, not
stampeding the animals but forming
a semi.circIe of horsemen around
nearly twenty miles of country. and
showing themselves here and there to
keep the animals from straying off
and move them forward in the de-
sired direction. Couriers were sent
to the Crow village, and soon the
whole tribe was in motion for small
piece of bottom land on the river,
half surrounded by an amphitheatre
of hills. Beyond the hill -tops the
}squaws, children, and old men were
stationed, with some of the ponies
and with red blankets. The most
skilful hunters posted themselves,
mounted, by the river side. About
noon the great herd, urged on by the
scouts, came laundering down the
hills into the bottom. Then the PEG.
pie on the hills closed up their line
behind them. and the hunters dashed
into the herd and began the slaugh-
ter. Whenever the animals would
stampede toward the hills they would
be driven back by the squaws waving
the red blankets. The hunters rode
to and fro, with wonderful skill
evading the charges of wounded bulls.
and carrying on the slaughter with
little more trouble than they would
have had in drove of cattle. When
their ponies were exhausted they
rode up the hills and got fresh ones
from the squaws. After two or three
hours of this kind of work the chief
gave signal, the line on the hills
opened gap, and the survivors of
the herd were allowed to escape.
About FIVE hundred animals were
killed in all. The tepees were set up
and the village feasted for month,
while the squaws skinned the dead
beasts, tanned hides, and dried the
meat.
feel no sympathy with the senti-
mentalism that laments the rapid ex-
termination of the buffalo. A good
fat OK is a much more valuable ami
NAL any day than the largest buffalo
bull. The pastures which now sup
port two or three million head of
buffalo will support an equal number
of cattle, which, as better friends of
man. have better right to them than
the ugly wild beast that has little to
us worth having beside his skin. His
meat, can attest, is vastly inferior
to an ordinary roast or steak. Let
the buffalo go-the faster the better
and let the grassy hills and plains of
Montana and Wyoming be covered
with herds of good, honest, civilized
cattle. When the buffalo disappears
Indian savagery will disappear. too.
The Indian will have to lay down
the rifle and take up the plough. He
will never work as long as he can
hunt and draw Government rations.