The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-11

buffalo, just SO long would he depredate
on the settlements. In fact, the COVER
nor's idea was that the preservation of
life and property on the frontier depended
on the extinction of this animal, which
was the beef Of the wild Indian.
The view held by Gov. Throckmorton
was the view held py nearly, If not all, of
the old settlers, and the consequence was
thar the slaughter of the buffalo went on
undisturbed by law. AS long as there
was no particular improvement in guns
so long the destruction was not great.
But with the long range rifles, which
would shoot q mile with deadly effect, it
was an, easy matter to almos5 Destroy a
whole herd before they wouio TAKE une
alamr. Of all the millions OF unese AM 81
mails which roamed these pralries ~ TO ~
years ago the solitary representatives OF
them, am informed, are now IN ghe pas
ture OF Charles Goodnight, one OF whose
ranches is near the town OF t7oouhisno
on the Fort Worth and Denver railroad.
The herd is increasing to some ex1en6,
and the value of them is increasing aiso.
The plains were filled with antelope,
also, but like their companions, tne
buffalo, they have suffered greatly in the
last ten years. The only thing that saved
them from total destruction was that
their hides were not as valuable as Gne
hides of the buffalo. After the advent OF
the railroads the slaughter of them COM
rlenced. Their carcasses were shipped to
Northern markets, and il looked as II In
a short time they would be an animal of
the past. But just as they were on the
verge of extinction the State passed a
game law which prevented them being
killed. The result is that in the last two
years they have increased rapidly and
though they will never again be as nu-
merous as they have been, because of
%t~,xx Cfnr
and will always be plentiful. The own
ers of the pastures are also protecting
them about as carefully as they protect
their cattle, and this, in connection with
the law, will prevent that total destruc-
tion threatened several years ago.
The deer have decreased greatly, for
the same reason that the antelope de.
creased, that is, through the pot hunters
for the northern markets, but the game
laws have also come forward for their
protection,
The wolf is the terror of the stockmen
and in some instances the large ranch
owners have standing bounties for the
scalps of the larger kinds, known here as
the 'loafer" wolf corruption, evident-
~. of the Spanish name for wolf When
members of this family of wolves get
hungry they will attack even o two,year.
old calf and kill it. Cattle of even three
years old have been known to be killed
by them. They, as rule, hunt in packs.
and calves are their special delight. As
they are the most cunning of all the
beasts that roam the field, they are hard
to kill Many stories are told about their
smartness, and the stranger finds every
body ready to tell him about some certain
wolf of tremendous size which has made
a name for himself by his depredations
and his marvellous escapes from the tolls
set by man for him. The large ranches
keep hounds to hunt them down, and
when their dens are discovered the young
are dug out and slaughtered. 1t seems
that poison is not very effective with
them. A she wolf will lead her young
from the den almost as soon as they can
get around, and will remain in one place
d day or two and then move to another
place, as If she desired to prevent detec .
ton. AS soon as she teaches her litter to
kill. when they are three-quarters grown,
they must hustle on their own account.
The common coyote is not considered
in connection with the wolf family, as he
usually confines his depredations to the
farm yard or the sheep pen.