Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-12
THE EXTINCTION OF THE BISON.
DR.. Carver Tells How the Great Herds
Were Wiped Out.

From Interview in Kansas City Times.
AS the Indians hunted them, the race OF
bison would probably have lasted forever, but
about 1866 the white men turned their atten-
ton to the shaggy monsters of the plains.
Large eastern firms organized hunting parties
and paid the shooters q. so for each bison where
ne lay dead on the plains. then went to south
ern Nebraska and became professional hunter.
The bison consisted Of two large divisions, the
one living IN the south and the other in the
north. Their only common feeding ground was
along the Republican river and its branches in
Nebraska. The Indians were well aware of that
fact, and hostile tribes have had many fight
for that territory. 1t was not until 1878 that
the government put an end to this by sending
the Pawnees south and the Sioux to their north
ern reservations. Prior to that time we had to
do all our hunting at the risk Of being scalped
at any time.
''Our favorite gun was an army model of the
Springfield rifle, 45-caliber and loaded with
ninety grains of powder. The whites patterned
after the Indians and hunted on horseback
Having wagons to haul our game, we did not
care TO circle them as the Indians did When
herd was located we would mount our best
horses and as quietly as possible approach the
herd from the leeward side. As soon as they
saw Us the fun would begin. Although of low
build, the bison viii make a very interesting
race with horse for 10 miles. We would
press up on the right flank of the herd and
ride so close to the animals that our guns
would touch the side when fired. The most
deadly shot was to fire quartering through
the lungs so that the animal would bleed to
death. In this way we would follow the herd
as long as our horses could stand it. On one OF
these runs i killed 113 bison, none of which
were more than 100 yards apart In riding
back an awful sight was presented to the eye.
The trail was marked by dead and dying ami
mails. An occasional big bull would have 9
broken back so he could only get up on his fore
legs, and nothing could look more furious than
his shaking head. with coai-biack eyes giaring
IN death stare from his shaggy front. We re-
ceiyed our pay for the animals dead on the
plains. and wagons followed us up, quartered
the animals and shipped the saddle and tallow
to eastern markets.
about 1871 the hide hunting began. Prior
to this time little or no attention was paid to
the skins, but when the demand for them
created high price the meat was allowed to
rot upon the plains, and this magnificent race
was extinguished simply that extrayagant tastes
might be satisfied. With the improvements
in firearms an entirely different mode of hunt
ing was adopted. The Springfield army gun
was superseded by Sharp 5O-caiiber and
loaded with 10 grains of powder. The hunter
used his horse only in finding a herd. This
done, he would go to the leeward side so that
the scent of the powder and report would not
reach the animals, and find suitable
them. / have killed them at a distance OF
a mile. Hunting in this way we had to be very
particular, and watch the herd closely. Like a
herd OF cattle, the bison always on the GO
and are apt to walk out of rife range in a short
time. In moving. however. they always have q
leader. and the trick was to Kill any one tina,
started TO lead the others off By thus killing
the leaders. We could often shoot for an hour
from behind one elump of grass, and when they
had moved out of range, the SINNERS would
come up, cut the hide in the ordinary way for
skinning. tie the animals head to a stake
hitch a team OF horses to the hide. and JERK
IL of. No one viii ever know what i'm.
mense numbers Of bison were killed by these
hide hunters, but to my certain knowledge
3,cOO,0cO hides were shipped from the bank,
Of the Trenchman river IN one winter. The
hide-hunters, by system of fires, kept the
bison from the streams until many Of them
persisted and thousands of others were easily
killed At the close of that winter a man could
go along the banks of the Frenchman for fifty
miles by simply jumping from the carcass Of
one bison to that of another. Considering
facts of this kind, il is not surprising that .
small tame herd and few old circus animals
represent the great herds which. less than a
quarter Of a century ago. blackened miles OF
prairies as thunder-eloud darkens the sky