Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-10-09
COMMUNICATIONS.
Items Of Interest from al
paris of the County by
the HeraId's Corps
Of Orraspond-
9uts.
Boarding the Buffalo in His Home.

The powder River country, ia Mon
tana, is the Andes of North America.
In travelling Northwest from Dead
wood you pass through the fertile and
beautiful valley Of the SpeaIfish: then
entering abruptly into the wild, arid
and dreary region of the BelleSass'.he,
or North branch of the cheyenne
river.
Seventy-fve miles out fran the
Black Hills you are very happy to
find yourself in a comparatively level
country. capable of agriculture; you
have scarcely time, however, to prac-
tice your eyes on long range before
you immerge into the miniature An
des before mentioned: there seems to
be no regularity in its relief form; enc
party in camp, twenty rods from an
other syOuId be unconscious of tn. il
nearness unless some sOund might
reach them in its tOrtuous course thrO'
the hills. In passing over this cOun-
try I often wondered how General
custer was fortunate enough to find
a space sufi GENTLY large for battle
field; and, in a subsequent visit to the
scene of this brave mans last struggle
with the warlike Sioux 1 found that,
to perpendicularIze the hills on one
side, and bridge the stream on the
other would have made an addition to
be appreciated by the cOntending par
ties.
The Powder River country is wild,
romantic. and probaIeiy would be
picturesque if one could get a scene
large enough for a prospect.
1t was in this desolate place that my
brother and myself took a little hunt
ing excursion:
1t was but one half hour before the
sun kissed the horizon, 10 leave the
earth. peOpled almost exclusively
with the animal creation in their wild
and undOmesticated state, wrupt in
iqs nocturnal repose. that we mounted
our steeds and, with two trusty
Sharp's rifles. started in pursuit of
herd of buffalo that passed in close
proximity to our camp. This animal.
when unmOIested, is peaceable, quiet
and dociie, hut. when aroused, he is
vicious, wild and untiring: being ia
miliar with his nature we did not fol-
low directly in their wake. but took a
circuitous route and headed them two
miles from camp; on reaching the
herd we separated, and threw my
self behind one of the tUmAH and
opened on them with fOrty-fve cali
bre; they were now moving along in
their awkward, sluggish manner,
now and then cropping the tall but
sparee grass that grows in the whole
Yellowstone basin: I could hear the
sharp and quickly repeated reports Of
my partners rife and felt confident
that every shot meant a dead buffalo.
It was now twilight and we sliced
steak from the nearest buffalo and r.
turned to camp.
Early the next morning, we pro
ceeded to the scene Of carnage. perpe-
trated tbeevening previous. to remove
the pelts of tie slain; but. in this task
unlike the use Of the rife we proved a
failure, or so aeaF one that all our en-
thusiastic expectations Of wealth be
came a Thing Of the past; and my
partners grand house and well stocked
farm in the Yellowstone valley de-
creased to a wagon cover; AID gay pal
atiaI resideace in Oregon Became a
5x8 tent.
We labOred hard FROM early morn
t7uu nightfall; biiabeEed our hands
made sad havoc GA the knees Of our
trousers as we Wore q eiteh sufficient
lly capaciOes for a Kearney canal
around each carcass; our moral de
meanor was not of the most ehaste
character as we bowed over, and FRO
nounced many imprecatory resolution