Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-03-15
THE LAST BUFFALO.

| THE LAST BUFFALO.
A Question In Which Every Resident oil
Montana IL Interested.
It is quite difficult to find the man in
Montana who didn't kill the last buf.
falo. We encountered the first one who
did away down in the corner of the
Territory on the little Missouri river.
He was q stockman. and came along
where we were camped one night on
the way to his ranch.
"Are you fellers huntin'?" he
asked.
PARTLY" Briar replied.
Expect to find any buffaloes?"
"Well. no. They're all gone. aren't
theyY'
"That's what Twas working up n
the Sweet Grass Mountains year ago
an one day l struck . buffalo and
run him bout four miles and killed
him. He was the last wild buffalo
there was"
A few days later while we were driv.
ing along near the Powder river one
afternoon q cowboy came riding across
the range from toward little bunch
of stock. and when he came within
about forty yards stopped his pony and
called out:
"Say, you might as well 60 back
you won't git none."
Wont get what?"
"Buffaloes; plugged the last one
with my six-shooter up on the Milk
river two years ago!" Aud he rode
back again.
At Miles City.we got into CONVERSE
ton with man who kept . harness
shop.
Its too bad. "he said. ''that the
buffalo has become extinct"
Eyes. it is"
"But it's q fact though-the last
one has gone-I got him myself cut n
the Bad Lands last spring. Ey'ry
body said it was the last one of the
last herd"
When we were near Billings a mar
got in to ride to town with US. He
said he was an old hunter. and soon
started on the subject of buffaloeA
when l was up on the Saskatche-
wan a year ago there were lot Of
English hunters got after the last band
of buffalocs. an thought they cleaned
'em out"
"Didn't thcyP'
Zone of 'em got away-a monstrous
big 'un."
"Do you suppose that one is up In
the Saskatchewan country yet?"
There yet3" and he looked at us
with q plying expression. didn't
say l was there? No, sir. he amt
there yeti sneaked up on him an
give it to MIN in the righteye. Ev'ry-
body round here knows me as old
Pizen Brown. the man that killed the
last buffalo on earth.
We afterwards went down from
Livingston to Cinnabar on the train.
On the trip l occupied scat with .
minister from Helena, and asked him
If he could account for the fact that
the people of his Territory were 80
anxious to have it thought that each
had killed the last buffalo.
al don't know why it is" he re-
piled. 1T does seem as if most Of
them are willing to make liars Of
themselves for the sake of this dis
tinction."
"Is it known where the last buffalo
was killed. anyhow"
20, yes. there is no question about
it whatever. and that makes It al the
more inexplicable why mon should tell
. story Of which it il 20 easy to prove
the falsity. Yes. the last buffalo was
killed up ON the F,athead river. ]
was mp there with = small party Of
prominent Helena gentlemen on .
deer hunt Last summer. They were
all out except myself ono day when
they ran across the last herd Of bL1a-
loes about mile from camp. They
managed to kill them al except one.
and what did that one do but eoaas
boiling right into camp on tie run ]
picked mp gun and shot il through
the heart Yes. cir. Tn the msa who
killed The Last buAalo myself II Va
10 sort Of . scrubby buffalo, buE !
dropped Il Just the Same I'm sure !
don't know Why people win 60 rght
|on lying about this question vhsa
thsy must know that I'm the maA
|vho did Il ~ II CsrrufA - Cbieees
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