Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-05-03
INTERESTING EXHIBIT.
a Magnificent Group Of Bison In . Case
at tho Ma tt0nal Museum.

American buffalo has just been COM
pleted at the National Museum. TIT
buffalo were collected in various parts
Of Montana by the Smithsonian ex.
petition in 1885. the expedition sem
out by Prof Baird, and in which he
took so much interest The group was
mounted by Taxidermist W. T. Hor-
naday. and the surroundings which he
designed are extremely realistic.
The most striking member OF the
group is an adult bull eleven years
old. who ate his last morsel of sage
brush on the 9th of December. 1886.
That day was to be the last day OF the
hunt The wagons were being load.
ed tor the start home and while wait.
ing for the start Prof H ornaday and
two or three cowboys started out fol
their last hunt. This bull with
COW and a calf. was found,
and Prof Hornaday immedi'
ately gave chase to the bull. overlook
him. and shot him from the saddle,
breakinSs his shoulder. The bull fell.
recovered his feet and started to run.
but soon stopped and stood at bay.
and was sketched in this position by
Prof Hornaday and killed.
The sketch was printed in maya
zine article describing the hunt, and
the bull has been mounted in almost
the same position in which he stood at
bay. The bull is very muscular. but
not fat. and the pelage is of extra
ordinary length and fineness He is
believed to he the largest bull ever
measured and recorded. He is 5 feet
8 inches high at the shoulders to the
skin. and to the top of the hair 6 feet
His weight is estimated at 1.6OO
pounds.
Next to this big bull in the case is an
Swear old cow killed in November.
She is feet 10 inches high. Near by
is another younger COW, killed in
October On a little hillock which
overhangs the imitation pool of water
stands fine young spike" bull p
years old. killed in October The
name spike" applies to male bufta-
loes until they are years old. because
until that age is reached the tip of
their horns is straight, not curved as
in adults
The other members of the group are
ycarling calf. killed in October. and
a sucking calf that was taken alive and
brought here when the expedition re.
<,,~ ~
the interesting things to be seen
around the museum. and became q
great favorite with the visitors, especi-
ally the children. But the climate
WAS too much for him. and one day
Sandy" lay down and sighed his
young life out. His spirit is now in a
land where there are no Buffalo Bills.
but Sandy is in the case with the rest
of the buffaloes. looking just as ''cute"
as he did when he was Juggling ut his
rope and eating grass in the Smithson-
ian grounds.
The case is very handsome one.
probably the largest glass case in this
country. and the surroundings of the
group inside the case are very real
istic.
The scene represents typical aka
line ''water-holc" on the great north
ern buffalo range. such as are resorted
to by wild animals and also by man.
The time indicated is the month Of
November. when the small streams
are all dry and only these holes Of
water remain. In front of the hole
passes typical buffalo trail. such as
were made by herds of buffalo all
over the great pasture region as they
Travelled down water courses. single
file. in search of water
The ground is covered with '.bunch.
grass or brown selge. buffalo grass.
sage brush and prickly pear. all
brought from Montana and arranged
in the case with the greatest fidelity
to nature.
On the east side of the case lies the
skull of a defunct bull buffalo. and
across on the other side is the skull OF
COW. lying just as they were when
found by the members of the buffalo
expedition. In the center of the case
is pool of water. once part of a
stream. of which the buffaloes were
in search. At one side of this is 8
small hillock. one side of which ha.
been cut sharply away by the water.
which has uncovered some fossil
bones-the remains of long-dead buff
faloes The animals are contentedly
grouped around. the spike" buffalo
standing on top If the hillock.
The twenty-five specimens killed
and preserved by the Smithsonian ex
pediiion were the last of the grea
northern herd. excepting those in tn,
National Park. and were taken so tina
they might be preserved in the inter
est of science. instead of being total
~ destroyed by cowboys and hide
hunters The species is now practi
cally extinct
The group is by far the largest an,
Handsomely ever counted. and i
would be almost impossible to dupli
cate it at any cost. - HdshinQto,
Critic.