The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-10-23
THE BUFFALO CHIP.
It Has Done Much Good i'm Ita Time, but
Its Usefulness IL About Gone.

It Has Done Much Good I'm Its Time, but
It's Usefulness IL About Gone.
Forest and Stream.
No object seen by the traveller over the
plains is more humble and more unob-
"trusivo than the buffalo chip. It's creator
was the greatest, the most striking feature
of the old prairie, but the relic which he
left behind and which has so long survived
him Is tho least It's dull in color and in
conspicuous In size and shape. Like
itself beneath its taller neighbors.
the tufts OF bunch grass or the scraggy
sage brush. 1t shuns observation, simulat-
ing the stones. bits OF wood and Jumps of
dirt which surround It. No one would
suspect that so InconsDicuous an object has
been q benefactor to humanity. Yet it has
saved many q life. has given food and
warmth. sustenance and strength TO many
o suffering mortal. This il has done mod
estly. quietly. Tie buffalo chip makes no
boasts. but in time of need its lovely quail
tives shine forth like good deed In o
naughty world.
The buffalo chip has done much good.
yet IL cannot always be relied on to exert
its beneficent powers for the suffering and
the sorry. Meteorological conditions ap-
pear TO affect its wiliing ness or its powers
for good. and il may safely be predicted of
the chip that after week of rain or the
melting of heavy snowfall. all effort to
induce il To aid man-no matter how
wretcbed his condition-will be vain.
On the other hand. when the
down upon the plains. when the
water in the old wallows Is dried up. when
the withered heritage rattles above the
parched soil and stones are hot TO the touch.
when the heated air rising from the ground
quivers and dances. then the buffalo chip
Is power. Or when tho blasts OF winter
whirl over the plains. ruffiing the coat of
the proving wolf. tossing the sand into
air. chasing the tumble weeds mile after
mil Oh m m nal nd IN
yying them on their strong wings, then,
too. the chip does good work.
In tie bitterest hours of Q biting bliZ-
gard. ut the bottom of a deep rayine, part
ly sheltered from the wind, We have
looked on O curious spectacle. Three shape
less hide-covered Jumps rested upon the
ground. and from the top of each lump
CURED a little smoke. They were strange
objects. not natural. yet unlike anything
artificial. They looked like three by birds
between n tiny lodge and tiny sweat
house. They were likeneither. yet the smoke
suggested humanity. "A nearer view
solved the mystery. These humps were
men seated on the ground. covered with
their robes hair side in. Between the legs
OF each man burned u ire of buffalo chips
which they and their robes completely
covered. 1t was az If each one sat ia q tiny
lodge with HIS head sticking ont Of the
smoke hole. And the buffalo chips were
keeping them from freezing 10 death.
Composed of the finely divided woody iber
OF the prairie grass. they made the best of
fuel.
well-known naturalist has studied the
history of the buffalo chip, and bis grace
ful pen has recorded his observations and
reflections. IL is fortunate that this his
tory has been written. for. like the great
beast which preceded il. the chip IS pass
ing away. Grand IS the struggle which 10
has made against the dIsintegratinG forces
of almighty nature. but the contest was
too unequal. Its issue cannot be doubtful.
The buffalo chip must yield. must be van
pushed and disappear: but ut least We can
say that the human race Is better for hav-
ing known il.