The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-10-21
DID TIE
BUFFALO
KNOW!

sN''s
! took what money !
had saved in twelve years Of hard work in
the ZION mills Of Youngstown, OIL was q
pudd!"r in those days. and made my eight
and ten a day-and. going West, located
IN Montana on a ranch lying between the
Powder River and Big Box Alder.
ell. come along the fall OF 80, and
the ranchmen. cowboys and hunters. hay-
ing viewed with each season the gradual
decrease in the number of buffalo RANGING
there, got up a scheme to get one mora
big hunt.
Il common consent everybody In those
parts rcfrained that fail from killing bur-
falo. Tor IL had been agreed that a general
hunt should take place on a given day,
and then everybody would stand an equal
chance.
Two weeks before the day agreed upon
cowboys ard hunters and ranchmen-in
fact. every man. IL seemed. that had d
horse and gun. began to assemble at Miles
city. And, by strange coincidence, II
seemed. the buffalo from all directions had
begun TO flock into that portion. 1t had
been years since such enormous herds had
been seen.
Many OF the men were FOR going for
them ut once. fearing. if too much delay
were INDUCED in. the buffalo would either
become scattered or move from the locality
nv ItAA IL btAAl@' hAtNs = anu
81 was decided to wait for the appointed
day. However. riders were sent out to
keep track Of their movements and report
daily.
las long as / 1.-Two I will never forget
the grand, magnificent sight of that herd
OF buffalo the day before the big hunt.
il was estimated there were 5000 of them.
Standing on our own property. we could
look away over the range ard view them
peacefully grazing. unmindful of the fate
In store for them.
"As the sun sank low In the afternoon
OF that red and golden November day the
buffalo were observed to make their way
down through the deep cut paths leading
from the plain to Powder River that had
taken their ancestors centuries to make.
Everything was ready: everything was
primed. A considerable party WAS to start
from our ranch, and when the riders. jubi-
liant OF the morrow's prospects. came in
with the good news that the herd was all
to-ether and peacefully reclining and chew
ing their cuds in the cool. deep shadows
Of Powder Rivers bluffs. We almost auiv-
cred with the tension our minds and bodies
weri subjected to.
Toward midnight a detachment arrived
from Miles City. and when We told them
tho fortunate state of affairs their ella
tion. II anything. exceeded ours.
That same herd Of buffalo is along the
~ siisN hNANEAs vi ~ -hti' ~ '-fAha
protected by law from slaughter.
1T seems the hand of God must have
interfered To save them. Or IL may have
been that animals understand. And then,
again. II may have been that the buffalo. in
fear OF complete extinction. had long been
contemplating the move themselves.
The size IF the herd in itself would in
dlcate that. for IL was remarked at the
time. after We got to hinking over the
matter. that IL wouii seem that all the
buffalo left In the United States must have
been congreGated in that herd.
Now. whether tho buffalo knew OF the
plan that had been formed TO slaughter
them. or whether they didn't. will never he
known to mortal man. But IL remains a
fact that they did leave that night and
successfully elnded pursuit. 1t is said they
made no stops until they had crossed the
Canadian border.
1T does seem strange. doesn't it,
som. of our number cussgd and swore
numerically when it happened, and a few
led better lives afterwards.