The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-04

and the habits of the vast tribes of Ind;.-
that roamed over the great plains I s;ss
between the British line and Teras
from the upper Mississippi to the es.. .no
slope of the Rocky mountains. tn an,'aN
ciate the relation existing between thaI
dian and the buffalo. TO these wild y..a -.
the buffalo meant much and coevsI -
his defamation have the camn T.a
smouldered. the war dances become onir
remembrance, and the glory of the 80
chase departed. With the buffalo ny
Indian was rich, always well proyision.se
housed and clothed. and without II H. -
came a pauper and reduced TO the yers. :,
starvation. 1t was the one chief souri, ~
food for the hundreds of thousands al s.v
ages who roarned over vast territorv -.
OF which number of our most nonr,ss w
states have been carved. These save
were governed by statute regulating ~
indiscriminate destruction of these az
mails that was absolute and as closelv -
hered TO as any law we know of todsy
Few people OF the present time can resI;.
that during the three years of ls7oass
there were killed no less than Som ~
head simply for their hides, their carras...
being left TO rot upon the plains -
stencil of which was unbearahIa -
miles distant. The favorite feeaiss
grounds for these animals were the stss3
plains OF Texas. the Indian territoSv
Kansas, Nebraska and Dakota. n,
migratory nature led him northward :,
his annual tour, starting early in ~.
spring and working northward, and a. tn ~.
wild grass began TO turn from pale green
to brown his journey to the Son,i
began. Old frontiersmen and hur,
ers state that they have ~.
messed in the latter part of the s;r,;..
vast herds of hundreds of Thousands !.
they moved In columns of from tven,-
i've to fifty miles in width, and in small.
bodies, but most always parsII.I
The old trails exist to this dax
and show that their line of march
was through Kansas. crossing the A.,
kansas river in the vicinity Of ~
Cimaron, and as the body moved north.
ward, 1t broke into smaller bands. Train,
have been stopped for hours on the SAINT
Fe and on The Union Pacific waiting "a
countless thousands of buffaloes TO cros.
the tracks. Wagon trains have also bssn
held up for day at time. thu
trail being blocked by the animaIs
The steamers plying on the uppe,
Missouri were often obliged to &.
up on account of the vast herd
crossing the river. Hundreds of thons
ands of buffalo were killed In Montana i
the vicinity of Fort Benton from lSfY Ia
1876, during which time the Shipment n
hides averaged 125, 900 per annum of AM.
mails that were killed in the upper NJ
souri, country, and il is estimated that thess
figures do not represent more than one.haf
OF the buffalo slaughtered annually Tia
Blackfeet. Bioods. Piegans, Assiniboines
Sioux, Crows and Gros-Ventres killed
thousands annually. White hunters kiei
over 5Oo, 900 every year in the YeIovstons
country, until the noble American animal
had become practically extinct
What could be more interesting than
herd of buffalo and dozen tepees (Indian
huts) with squaws industriously at work
cooking for their lords, or making mocca.
sins and score of little fellows froickine
about. A band of Indian ponies will b
picketed near the tepees, and the visitor,
will be treated to exhibits of horsemsn
ship that will excite the greatest admir-.
ton.
Half-breed interpreters will be present
to answer any and all questions that NAV
be asked regarding the native Americans,
The war Dance" the ''sun dance and
the Messiah craze" will not be forgotten.
Taking it altogether, it would be difficult
to conceive OF q more interesting feature
for the Worlds fair than Mt.
Miles buffalo and Indian exhibit
Frank Miles is known throughout the
length and breadth of Montana, and ia
typical Western man in manner and in
dress, with a true heart and clear con.
science. But few men are equal to the
task he has undertaken. He has made
Western life a study, and no one is more
familiar with the general topography Of
the country than he, having been advance
agent for the largest commercial company
Ill the Northwest, keeping him constantly
on the frontier for years.
1t VIII require a train of thirty-two ears
to haul the buffalo and Indians to Chicago.
The buffalo alone will require twenty par.
lor horse cars. They cannot be crowded
into car like so many cattle. 1t will re-
quire the greatest care TO get them intotha
Worlds Fair city alive. In addition to
this. the bunch grass upon which tier
feed will necessarily have TO b
cut and baled and shipped. Tho
alkaline dirt. as essential to them as sad Is
to domestic stock, will have to be shipped
Mr.. Allard, the owner of the herd, will 90
10 Chicago and remain there in charged
the animals during the fair. He can re-
late the most interesting stories concern
ing buffalo hunting in the early days.
H. J. Mock.