Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-11-10

In riding over tho green turf Of tho
open country. one sees everywhere white
objects which so reflect the strong sun.
shine that they almost dazzle tho eye.
These are the bleaching skulls OF the
batfalocs that used to roam in thou
sands through this region. Every one
has read how, only fifty years ago, mil
lions of butTalocs wandered over nearly
half of the United States; now there are
10 great herds except in the Territory
OF Montana, and from that territory
more than hundred thousand skins
have been sent to the East in n year.
For nearly every skin that is sent away,
about half ton of fine meat il left to
decay on the prairie. 1t is n reckless
waste of animal life, and am sorry to
say that our government does very little
10 stop it. Within ten years there will
be no more great herds of buffaloes in
the United States. Small bands of them
will linger hidden away in valleys, but
by the time some boys who read this
have lived to be old men the American
bison will probably be seen only where
it is kept as 4 curiosity; just as the one
little band of aur0chs-the last descend
ants of the wild cattle which used to
roam over all Europe-is kept by the
Emperor of Russia. Still, even now. at
times. single buffaloes or small bands
of them will wander back here to their
old grazing-grounds. Last summer
party Of haymakers saw u band of q
dozen or more in remote valley behind
the peak. And q few days later. one
of our neighbors at the nearest ranch,
beyond tho mountains, was sitting in
the doorway of his snug homo one
morning, after an early breakfast. when.
to his astOnlshmcnt, g.eat buffalo bull
came trotting easily along within
hundred yards Of the door. He would
hardly have been more surprised had
an elephant or rhinoceros happened
in for morning call; for he had never
seen buffalo, nor had he ever expect-
ell to see one at his own ranch. But
his surprise left him breath enough to
shout. "A buffalo! buffalo" The
house was full of men just in from the
work of gathering beet-cattle for ship
ment; and at the startling word, every
man seized the nearest rifle or pistol or
shotgun, and dashed away to join the
chase only one or two stopping hastily
to throw saddle on a horse. As soon
as the chase began, the big beast ran
swiftly into the thicket along the creek,
and was able to keep out OF sight for
some time. Tho chase was long and
exciting, but the butlalo's pursuers were
too many for him, Some followed up
his trail, while others watched the out
skirts of the thickct; and at last one of
the best marksmen among them, CATCH
ing sight of the big black body, took
quick line aim and brought the buffalo
down with single bullet; so all the in.
habitants of the ranch were feasted
with butlao-meat as long as 1t could be
kept from spelling But where the
great herds range. there is no such ex-
element about killing them.
One day young fellow from the
East, listening to the yarns Of an old
bufalo-hunter. said, as the hunter finish.
cd his story:
ut must be very exciting sport,
joint"
well. I'll tell you how 1t is," said
John. ats about rs exciting as II you
were to 90 out into tho corral and shoot
dozen Of those old dairy-cows with q
pistol. "-AJred Terry Bacon, IN 81.
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