The new North-west., 1888-04-13
ga LITTLE BIT OF MONTANA"
How Art has Captured Nature and 1mpaied 1t
For the World to View.
From the Washington Star.

From the Washington Star.
A little bit of Montana-a small square
patch from the widest part of the wild
West-has been transferred to the national
museum. 1t is SO little that Montana will
never miss 1t, but enough to enable one who
has the faintest glimmer OF Imagination to
see it all for himself-:he hummocky prairie,
The bunch grass, the sage brush aud the
buffalo. 1t Is as though 3 little group OF
buffalo tha: bave come to pool to drink had
been suddenly struck motionless by some
magic spell each in natural attitude, and
then the section of prairie, pool, buffalo and
all bad been carefully cut out and brought
to the national museum. All this is in
huge glass case, the largest ever made for
the museum, exposing to view what is re-
garded as triumph Of the taxidermfst's art.
The pool of water is typical alkaline
water hole. such as are found on the great
northern range of bison, and are resorted TO
for water by wild animals in the fall when
the small streams are dry. The pool is in
depression in the dry bed of coulee or
small creek. A small mound that rises be-
side the creek has been partially washed
away by the water, leaving crumbilng
bank, which shows the strata of the earth,
very thin layer of vegetable soil, beneath
stratum of grayish earth, and layer OF
gravel, from which protrude fossil bone or
two. The whole bank shows the marks of
erosion by water. Near by the pool
small section of the bank had fallen. A
buffalo trail passes by the pool in front.
This is q narrow path, we'll beaten down,
depressed and bare Of grass. Such paths
were made by herds Of buffalo all over their
pasture region as they travelled down water
courses in single file, searching for water.
In the grass, some distance from the pool,
lie the bleaching skulls Of two buffalo who
had fallen victims to hunters who had cruel
ly lain in wait to get shot at the animals
as they came to drink. Such relics, strewn
all over the plains, tell the story of the ex'
termination of the Am erican bison. About
the pool and the sloping mound grow the low
buffalo grass, tufts Of tall bunch grass and
sage brush, and species of prickly pear
The pool is clear and tranquil. About its
edges is white deposit of alkali. These
are scenic accessories to the buffalo group
but they have an interest almost equal te
that of the buffalo themselves, for they form
really and literally a genuine bit of thu
West. The homesick Montana cowboy, ia
from his wild haunts, can here gaze upo1
his native sod again. For the sod, the eartf
that forms the face Of the bank, the sag
brush and all were brought from Montana
all except the pool. The pool is ghastl!
delusion, and very perfect in its way. ON
sees plant growing beneath the water, ant
in the soft, oozy bottom near the edge, ar
the deep prints made by the forefeet of bi!
buffalo bull. About the soft, moist eartl
around the pool and in the buffalo trail ar
the foot tracks of the buffalo that hav
trampled around the pool, some of thos
nearest the edge having filed with water.
The group comprises six buffaloes. In from
of the pool as if just going to drink is th'
huge buffalo bull, the giant of his race, th
last one that was secured by the Smithson
| ian party IN 1901, auu tAo oue hat
believed to be the largest specimen OF whicl
there is authentic record. Near by is Gov
eight years old, creature that would b
considered of great dimensions in any othe
company than that Of the big bull. Near tn
cow is sucking calf four months old. Upo!
the top of the mound is "spike" bull, tw'
and half years old. Descending the moun
away from the pool is young COW of thre
years old on one side ard on the other
male calf year and 4 half old. All tn
the members of the group are disposed il
natural attitudes. The young COW is snufiin
at bunch Of sage brush; the old bull an
cow are turning their heads in the same di
rection, apparently SIS if alarmed by some
thing approaching; the others, having slaket
their thirst, appear to be moving cententedl
away. The four months old calf was CAP
tured alive and broupht to this city. 1t live
for some days in the Smithsonian grounds
but pined for its prairie home and fiEall
died. 1t is around the great bull that th
romance and main interest of the grou
centers.