Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-03-29
THE LAST BISON GONE.
COMMERCIAL NIMRODS HAVE
RUINED THE BEST OF AMER
ICAN SPORTS.

RUINED THE BEST OF AMER
ICAN SPORTS.
DIR. Wm. +. Carver, the great r.
fle.shot, IN an interview with a
representative of the Kansas City
Times, told the following interest
ing story of the bison, now an al
most extinct species on the west
ern plains, and how they we're
formerly hunted By the Indians,
then by the whites:
"Beiore the INVASION Of civillza-
ton the Indian relied almost Ell
tirely upon the bison FOR his sub
sistence. The red man, although
daring in his attempts to kill game,
was yet the complete slave OF the
medicine man. How did he rule
them ? will tell you. When the
Indians supply of buffalo meat be-
gan to give out or the season came
to Law in the winter rations the
medicine man was notified, and he
ordered a buffalo dance. II the
tribe was a large one the festivities
would often last for weeks, and all
sorts of can cans would be INDUCED
in. At the close OF the feast
the medicine man would gather all
kinds of herbs, roots leaves and
grasses and retire to bis tent.
Exactly what his process OF pre-
pairing the medicine was no white
man has ever found out; but the
faith IN him was so strong that
even the most powerful chief would
not be followed by dozen braves
if the medicine was wrong. From
time to time the mecicine man
would come to the door Of the tent
aud announce to the waiting chiefs
what the mixture indicated.
Upon the final announcement
that the medicine was right the
whole camp would be broken up
and the tribe won id start in full
force upon the hunt. A few sharp
sighted old scouts would be in the
van and keep the trike posted as
to the location and number OF bison
by riding in circles in different
sizes and points of intersections
Whena suita BILE herd was found the
warriors would stop, mount their
favorite hunting horses and pre-
pare for the slaughter. The bow
was made of hickory wood, about
ionr feet long, covered with q paste
made of the boiled sihews of bl'
son, and st fl enough to serve as a
jumping pole. Notwithstanding
this strength, the Indian would
bend the bow almost double before
sending the arrow to the winds. II
was strung with the cord which
runs from the top ofa bison's hump
to his TAIL this cord being first
wrapped with small strings OF Sill
ews. The arrow was from thirty
to thlrty.six inches in length, al
most the size Of a lead pencil, tip
ped with several feathers, and hav'
ing the familiar flint head tied on
the front end. From the head
grooves are cut in the arrow so as
to let the blood flow freely. The
great warriors sometimes had ar
rows made of bone, and in later
days The white men taught the In
dians to use steel arrow heads.
"Iaving killed as many bison at
possible, the hunters seek some
cool place for rest and the squaw'
take charge of The game. They
skin the animals. cut the flesh into
strips and hang them in the sun tC
dry. When the meat became crlsI
enough to break it was placed in g
rawhide pouch, covered all ovel
with talIOw and put away for win
ter use. In that condition the meal
is very good to eat, bnt wher
broiled for a time it absorbs the
water and returns to its former siz'
and tastes almost like fresh meat
The squaws also tan the hides ol
dress them up to be traded. Th'
fur dealers would get them for
few pieces of common jewelry
worth possibly 80 cents.
"As the Indians hunted them
the race of bison would probably
have lasted forever, but about l06'
the white men turned their stten
ton to the shaggy mOsters OF tn
plains. Large Eastern firms or
ganized hunting parties and pal'
the shooters $3.50 for each blsol
where he lay dead on the plains
| then went to Southern Nebraski
and became a professional hunter
The bison consisted of two larg
divisions, the one living IN tn
south and the other in the north
Their only common feeding groun'
was along the Republican rige
and it's branches in Nebraska. Th
Indians were well aware of tina
fact, and hostile tribes have ha
many fight for that territory. !
was not until 1873 that the GOV
ernment put an end to this b
sending the Pawnees south an
the Sioux to their northern resel
vations. Prior to that time we la
to do all of our hunting at the ris
OF being scalped at any time.
/ "Our favOrite gun was an arm
model of the Springfield rifle, Al
caliber, and loaded with ninet
grains of powder. The white