The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-26

and with skins for blankets and for
tepees. The medicine men made their
incantations; the chiefs exhorted their
subordinates; the novitiate warrior fire.
quently won his plume on these expedi-
tons across the range. The buffalo
country was then the range in the east
ern valleys of Montana and the pill
grimage across the mountains was an
important event. Whole villages of the
Indians Travelled together and the So
journ in the valleys of Eastern Mon
tana was exciting and full of danger.
Bloody battles were often fought on
these grimages-encounters with hos
tile tribes who We're on the same err
rand. But these dangers did not deter
the Indians from making the trip. It
was of too much Importance to them 1t
meant meat and shelter and that was
practically everything in those days.
Yet it is in one of these valleys of
Western Montana that the largest herd
of buffalo extant now exists and thrives
in its new surroundings. The Allard
herd was started by Charles Allard, the
well-known cattleman Of the Flathead
reservation, who died a few years ago
From a small beginning, by breeding
and by purchase the herd has increased
till it now numbers about 200 head
These buffalo have free range on the
open pastures of the Mission valley
their favorite place being in the neigh
borhood of the Big Butte, a familiar
landmark to those who have visited
that portion of the reserve. The big
animals do not range in one large herd,
but divide into small bands, averaging
about 25 to 40 head. These small banr
are generally under the leadership If
big bull and the mastery of herd is
frequently the cause of a battle be-
tween two of these big fellows Those
who have seen these contests say that
the struggles are magnificent in their
exhibition of strength.
In the Mission valley and the lower
Flathead valley these animals find
climate and forage that seems to be
satisfactory, for they are breeding well
and the herd is steadily increasing.
Not all of the buffal o in the Allard herd
are from the northern stock. In 1898
sas herd Of Buffalo Jones. which was
brought to Montana and driven to the
Flathead range At that time the ami
mails were exhibited in several of the
larger Montana towns. Some of the
Kansas buffalo had been partially
broken to wagon and those who visited
the buffalo show will recall the display
of awkwardness that these trained"
buffalo gave at that time. In the Kan
sas herd, too, were some "cataloes," as
they are called-crosses between the
buffalo and the range cattle.
These are homely creatures, neither
buffalo nor cows, and did not seem to
promise much for the attempt to pro-
duce a marketable animal from this
system of cross breeding. The expert
m@nt has been continued on the reser-
walton, but it has not been very sue
cessful There is now on an island in
the lower Flathead lake a band of these
half-breeds that numbers about 1875, but
they are not considered of much value.
aside from being curiosties They have
not furry hides, nor is their meat of
much value. Nowhere can the buffalo
be studied to better advantage than in
this herd on the Flathead reservation.
There the animal is to be seen in almost
natural condition. He has a free
range; the country, though n4 his own,
is admirably adapted to his habits and
he thrives there. The sight of this herd
is no novelty to those old-timers who
have seen bands that numbered hun
dreds of thousands, but to the man who
has never seen a buffalo on the range,
the visit is an extremely interesting
one. The animals are sluggish and mt