Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-07-30
DESTRUCTIVE CRUSADE.
HOW THE BUFFALO WAS ExTERMl.
MATED ON WESTERN PLAINS.

I
pot Hunters" The iIidrS at III" Great
Erutcs Disposed ~ ~ Eastern Markets
Two hmm, n-r Herds Dccimatcd.
There are many hunters living to-
day in the West who killed from two
to three thousand hunalocs year, and
during II period Of ten years or more
they pursued their Tally slaughter with
fearful persistence. II seems like
fairy story to recall the scenes of de
struction that were enacted in the
seventies. When the Union Pacific
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, aud
Southern Pacific We're completed, the
demand for buffalo robes suddenly be-
gan, and the Wholesale slaughter of
the American bison entered upon it's
unprecedented career.
In 1870 there were millions Of huf-
faloes on the plains, and the rate IT
determination amounted To- over half II
million year. The pot hunter re-
ceived 81 for each robe, aud for this
paltry sum he killed the animals 10y
the thousands, and left their carcnsscs
bleaching on the plains. The Union
Pacific railroad cut the great herd on
the plains in two, and after that they
were known nv the northern and
southern herds. The southern herd
in 1871 was estimated 10 number over
four million animals, while the north
ern herd was considerably smaller,
covering mora restricted territory,
and moving rapidly away from the Vi.
entity of the railroads.
When the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad was completed, the
rush To the plains to kill buiinloes was
almost as large and exciting M the ia
nous travel 10 the California mines in
the tifties. Thousands of Eastern
hunters joined the throng, and the
wanton killing of the southern herd
proceeded at II rate never before wit
messed in this or any other country.
In 1873 one railroad carried from the
plains $50, 600 robes, =, 900, 900 pounds
of meat, and 800, 900 pounds of bones.
Two years later this vast southern
herd was practically exterminnted, and
with the exception Of few thousand
that escaped below the Pecos river
there was none left Of the four millions
which roamed the plains in 1870,
The northern herd escaped destrnc-
ton 80 early on account of the lack of
facilities Ia reach their grazing
grounds. Isolated hunters continued
to worry them, and to kill oifCa few
thousands each year, but it was no ex-
pensive to get the robes to market
that there was little incentive to wan
ton destruction. In 1882 the North.
ern Pacific abroad furnished the trans
portation facilities needed, and then
the rush began to the region between
the valley of the Platte and the Great
Slave Lake. The hide hunters were
on the scene early, and M robes had
q lvanced to SO apiece, the opportuni-
ties for making more money were
good. In short time n Gordon
of hunters camps practically sur
rounded the herd on every side, 20 that
il was impossible for any of the beasts
TO escape Fully ten thousand hun
ters were in the field, and those ON
one side drove the frightened buffa-
loeS lONhTu the chlhpS Oh tnOSe on the
opposite sides, Back and forth the
animals were hunted, running direct
ly into the muazles Of thousands Of
repeating rifles whichever way they
turned.
The last Of the immense herd, num-
bering about seventy-iive thousand,
crossed the Yellowstone, n few miles
from Fort Keogh. in 1888 bound for
the Domipion of Canada; but a host
of pot hunters were at their heels, and
not more than five thousand of them
ever crossed into British territory. A
smaller part Of the herd was located
between the Black Hills and Bismarck
in 1888, numbering about ten thou
sand early in the season, but by Octo-
Der their numbers had been cut down
to twelve hundred. In that month
Sitting Bulls Indians arrived at
Standing Rock agency, and grand
rush was made for the remnant of the !
noble band. The slaughter was 40
intense, that in two days there was not
a single hoof left Scientific Ameri-