The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-03-06
DESTRUCTION OF BISON.
An Industry that Might Have Earhed
&25, 100000 Annually stupidity
Wiped Out-A Stern Lesson.

In the settlement of the West much
was done to which, let us hope, the
historians of the future will be little
| blind. The brave and somewhat terri
bic men who crossed the Alleghanies
into then apparently illimitable will
derness developed aud transmitted to
their children certain disregard for
the rights of the natives, brute and hui
man, with whom they came into con-
tact which has only now begun to dis
appear. A sad and bitter lesson had
to be learned by the Western people
before they were able to appreciate the
sentiment which should have ayailed to
make the progress of civilization less
unciviized. This lesson was sternly
enforced when they suddenly realized
hive years ago that of the uncounted
millions of buffalo which had roamed
the prairies at any time prior to 1870 in
dense herds, covering acres on acres
of land, scarcely a thousand were left
An Industry that might easily have
earned $25,000,000 annually to the
Northwestern and Southwestern see
tions had been literally destroyed and
destroyed in way as stupid as it was
brutal. No event resulting. from West
ern settlement is more shocking OF
more unfortunate than the extermina-
tion of the American bison.
In a recent publication issued from
the Government Printing Office, Super.
intendent Hornaday, of the Geological
Park, has given an exhaustive account
of this magnificent animal, certainly
the noblest ruminant that has ever trod
the earth, of his habits, his haunts, his
place in American zoology, and of the
wicked manner of his taking Off 1t is
highly interesting book. but it can
only be read with an ever-increasino
sense of pain and shame 1t is rea-
sonable estimate that the great SOUTH
ern herd of buffalo contained in 1870
5000. 900 animals, and the northern
herd about twice as many. In fifteen
years all these majestic beasts have
been killed, and by methods the cpl
tome of meanness. The Indian buf- |
falo chase was great sport, full of ex-
element, sufficiently touched with risk |
and danger, and open to no objection. |
So long as the white hunter confined |
himself to the Indian methods. even |
though he used a far deadlier and more |
certain weapon, he could have made |
no such impression on the species as |
menaced its destruction. The chase |
gave its object at least a chance of |
escape. But the white hunters were
too desperately greedy to be satisfied
with honorable sport.
1t was the ''still-hunt' that exter-
minated the buffalo. 1t was taken at
n nn, of II 1ica Il o.,
by tens of thousands. The buffalo WAS
stupid. He could not understand a
rifle-shot. He was dependent too, up
on the leader of his band, and did moth
ing except what the old COW suggested.
lie hunter approaching the herd to lee
ward, had only to get stand where
he was out of sight, and he could 90
ahead and slaughter the cattle as fast
as he could drop cartridges into his
rifle. The buffalo would hear a noise
they could not locate, see a little puff
of white smoke they could not under
stand, and would watch each other
drop to the earth without the slightest
of the cause. Ia this
way Il few thousand hunters in a dozen
years were enabled to destroy forever
an animal of the highest economic
value to the country. To-day there
are less than 700 wild buffalo in exist
ence.
Mr. Hornaday makes some very val
liable suggestions. He points out the
danger of the utter extinction of the
species by crossing and in-breedings,
and urges that steps should be imme-
ilateiy taken for the protection and
care OF the little band of 200 COWS now
IN the Yellowstone Park. Experiments
in breeding buffalo bulls to domestic
COWS have been highly successful, and
are now going on 10 an extent which
ustiheS the fear that in ano-her score
Of years the genuine buffalo will not
exist at ;il. Congress should keep ever
in view the lesson of the great crime
which has made it necessary. SIM
liar sport has reduced the bands of
elk, moose, caribou and other bic
game that was once so plentiful in our
forests, mountains and plains to a pitt
ful few. 1t now threatens our seal,
walrus and other marine and fur-bear-
ing animals. Its result is inevitable
unless Congress strikes such blow at
it as will break it up forever-N Y.
Tribune