Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-06-04
NO MORE HERDS OF BISON.

]
Plains.
Less than nine years ago this spot,
writes Miles City. Montana, CORES
pendent 10 The New York Sun, was
covered with the tepees and lodges of
| Sitting Bulls warriors, then at war
with the United States. In those
days this region was the very heart Of
the buffalo country. | remember &C
companyiug the military expedition
of 1877 up the Yellowstone river to
the mouth OF Tongue river, and en-
countering on the iurney more buff
falo than it would be possible intelli.
gently to describe on paper. Figures
carry but little idea Of the vast num
Der of animals, and were / 70 say that
one herd we passed through, travelling
| for three days without being out of
sight of bison during daylight, num-
bersd far up into the hundred thouse
ands. it would perhaps be falling short
of the real number of buifaloes that
actually composed that mighty mass.
When VIC had passed through tins
herd at the close of the third day,
about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the
scouts reported another tremendous
herd in the distance, coming directly
toward us at full speed Quickly our
party sought the protection of the
neighboring buttes. while "A few of us
climbed a rocky eminence on the open
praiie and awaited with interest the
approach of the rushing mass. On
they came, helter-skelter pell,mell,
and when the leaders reached the
mound or hIllock upon which we were
perched the great herd divided into
two parts and swept by us like the
wind, half on either side. We gazed
in wonder and awe at the sea Of black
shaggy life rolling like pillows at our
! feet. Far as the eye could see was On
ocean of buffaloes, surging and sway
ing like the waves, while the awful
rumbling sound and shaking of the
earth made our heads little dizzy.
All that afternoon the animals kept
up their fight, and it was not until
the sun sank behind the tall noun
teins that their numbers began to les
sen, and left us free TO escape from
our temporary prison.
The herd which we travelled through
for three days was not in motion, but
was encountered IN small, scattered
bands, and lined every foot of the
road we travelled. Nevertheless, it
was one single herd, as it was contin-
uous, though broken; but the last
herd, which was moving at high
speed, was packed so thick that be-
lieve it contained fully as many ami
mails as the first herd They flew by
us for several hours on a dead run,
and the horizon of our sight was
bounded by nothing but the dark,
black hides OF the noble animal them
selves.
Ia 1877 the plains and prairies OF
of Montana were the home of the buff
alo. As long as the Iniians remain.
ed hostile and at war with the white;
Just so long was the salvation of the
buffalo assured. When the Indians
were captured and corralled upon res
ervations it left the bison to the
mercy of white pot~hunters and dead
ii rspeating rifles, and the two together
have done the business for them.
In 1915 the buffalo ranges extend
ed as far east as Illinois, Minnesota,
and Iowa; IN short, the Mississippi
rivc- marked the eastern boundary OF
their grazing grounds.
The buff Aloes were all right Hntil
about seven years ago, when the In
dams were conquered, which opened
up the country aud let the hide-hunt-
efs in. 1t took about seven years, be-
ginning with 1870, TO exterminate the
buffalo along the line of the Union
Pacific railroad, which in the good
Iold times could have been blackening
the Platte river bottom for miles
These poor silly beasts were so easily
killed. aud, from their abundance,
offered so rich a reward to the hide.
hunter. that every idle fellow in that
pat of the country could make good
wages by butchering them. The
Union Pacific railroad split the herds
in half. and left moiety to the north
and a moiety TO the south. Those in
Texas were soon used up by sports
men and professional hunters; but the
great northern herd fled TO Wyoming
and Montana, where Sitting Bull and
his followers took charge of and
protected them until Uncle Sans sol.
diers began chasing him around the
country as well as the bison. From
| 1875 to 1880 fully 1.000,O 900 Of these
brutes were killed by soldiers and
other white men. ] heard Of one en-
terprising pot hunter on the Yellow
stone who actually had Calling gun
TO help the slaughter along He en-
ployed no less than thirty SINNERS to
tear the bides from the poor animals
as soon As they dropped, and each
skinner received 81 for every hide he
brought in at night. The skinned
carcssses. as well as numberless I'M
skinned. were left to rot where they
Zen. In short, the manipulation OF the
artillery Kept ahead of his employees
aud provided then. with more than
they could attend TO
In those days the hide-hunters be
gan to pay attention to other brutes