The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-02-09

to probe, but it is interesting to note
some of the methods Of these national
calamity makers. \ band Of half
breeds in two hunts, according to Ross.
killed 40 butialocs, 260 men being
engaged in the sport, out of which
about $4,000 animals were wasted or
partly eaten. lIornaday estimates
that from 1920 to 1925 five buffalo eX-
petitions went out, composed of 6lO
calts each, killing llS,93O butfaloes.
From 1925 to 1880. five expeditions Of
$50 carts each. killed 46 .260 bufIaloes.
From 1888 to 1873 six expeditions of
S95 carts. killed 174.52S animals.
From 1855 to 1910 fifty-four eXpcdi-
tions of 900 carts each, killed 2l2,-
$50 butfaloes. Total number killed by
the Red river halfbreeds alone in
twenty years, 652 ,275, valued at s3,-
961 .375. An interesting table has
been furnished the Government by the
firm previously y mentioned, j. Il |.
Boskowitz, showing the decline of the
buffalo as an article Of commerce. 1t
shows that in nine years this firm
handled l46,l15 skins, costing 1924
100. In 1873 they rnc'ivel fl ,26S
robes: in ,5', $3.50: in iS>t. none.
The end had come, and the bu.1 ,lo was
a memory Another dealer. Joseph
Ullman, states that in 1881 he handled
fl 900 robes, valued at s. 50, and l2,-
600 at $50. In 1892 he purchased
40 900 hides at $3.50. and 10000 robes
at $3.50. The prices hunters received
were: Cow hides. s.; bull hides, $3.50;
yearlings, 81 So calves, 80 cents. The
expense of transportation brought the
hide up to $3.50 in New York. This
dealer in four years paid but $4,000
to these men. who killed butfalocs by
the tens of thousands for 50 80 4 head.
Both o. the above mentioned dealers
in eight years paid out Sl,233,01Q to
the eXterminators.
That the real determination of the
buffalo was caused by the demands of
trade there can be no doubt, aided and
abetted by sportsmen, Indians, and
others; but the blame really lies with
the Government that in all these years
permitted few ignorant Congressman
to block the legislation in favor Of the
protection of the bison, SO that all the
efforts of humanitarans were defeated
and the bills when passed piseon-holed.
There were many methods of exter-
mination that are graphically illus
trated by paintings and mo leis in the
Smithsonian Institution. The still
hunter was the most insdious enemy
of tie buffalo, and single man by
sneaking upon herd has been known
to kill | 900 in a single season. One
Capt. Jack Bridges, of Kansas, has the
honorable (?) record of having killed
42 butfaloes in six weeks. He took
the contract to that effect and bagged
his game. Up to 1870 there were un-
doubted.y several million of buttaloes
alive but the lust for blood was on, and
soon came the demand for robes and
hides from the dealers, and men who
could not make living at any thing
else went out to kill buttaloes. Tn the
different States there were regular X -
ing outfits that cost, in rifles, horses,
cars, etc, from S2 900 to s. 900. Such
methods developed some famous char
actcrs, Buffalo Bill was one He con-
tracted with the Kansas Pacific rail
road to furnish them with all the buffalo
the men could eat as the road was
built; and, according to Mr.. Cody's
statement, they ate ,2S0 buttaloes in
eighteen months, for which he received
$500 per month, the price he paid for
his title.
Many buttaloes were killed by run
ming them down; this was the popular
method among the Indians, who shot
them with rifle or bow and arrow, or
chased them over precipices. The
great herds north of the Missouri were
mostly eXterminated 10y the Indians of
the Manitoba Red River settlement,
who hunted them in 4 regular arm y.
One division of such an army of exter.
minators consisted of sos carts, 100
hall. breeds, 200 Indians, 800 horses,
200 oxen, and 400 dogs. The move
ment against the butflIocs in Nebraska
were often made 10y 5000 people, and
as each man killed at least ten-30, 900
buttaloes bit the dust. In this way
Indians us above killed, it is estimated,
652 900 buttalocs.
The completion of the western rail
roads divided the butlaloes into two
herds, northern and southern. In 1871
the southern herd was composed of an
estimated 5000, 600, and from now on
the animals dropped away SO rapidly
that it was estimated that 5000 or f.
600 day were killed. 1t became evi-
dent that they were doomed and ap-
peaIs were made to the Government
by tie hundreds. From 1872 to 1874
there were l,7S0,46l bufaloes killed
and wastcd-3, ,l5S,1 $50 in all killed by
the white people and the skins shipped
east over the Atchison. Topeka and
Santa Fe road. During the same