The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-01-13
"You cannot believe the facts as

IHey eAlSleu III luS I'd VI 10 ~ Il,
said an army officer. II was at that
time on duty in the pay department,
which made it necessary for me to
travel on the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad. One day the train
entered a large herd, which scattered
and seemed to go wild at the shrek
ing of the whistle and the ringing of
the bell. As we went on the thicker
they became, until the very earth ap-
peared to be a rolling mass of humps
SO far as we could see. Suddenly
some of the animals nearest us turned
and charged others fell in behind,
and down on us they came like an
avalanche. The engineer stopped the
engine, let off steam and whistled to
stop them, while we fired from the
platforms and windows with rifles
to stay tidal wave. We stood in the
centre of the car to await the crash,
some of the men going to the rear.
On they came, the earth trembling,
and plunged heads down into us.
Some were wedged in between the
cars, others beneath and SO great was
the crush that they toppled three cars
over and actually scrambled over
them, one buffalo becoming begged
by having his legs caught in the win
dow. Such accidents occurred sew
eral times, and twice in one week
were trains derailed by charging buff
faloes, whoes numbers it was impossi-
BILE to compute.
Hunters have heard the roaring Of
buffaloes at distance of from three to
five miles, and that the earth trem-
bled when they charged we can we'll
imagine when the large bulls are
known to weigh 1000 pounds, the COWS
I 200 pounds. The question of inter-
est to-day is, how was it possible to
destroy so many animals in SO short
a time and what methods were en-
ployed? The natural fatalities were
few compared to the enormous NUM-
bers. The COW bison displays little
affection for her young, and many
calves were lost every year but, all
in all, the conditions were extremely
favorable to them, and their increase
was enormous. Many were destroy
ed by stampeding over precipices.
In 1867, 1900 buffaloes, or half
herd, became entangled in the quick
sands of the Platte river. At another
time a herd was lost by breaking
through the ice of Lac Qui Parle, in
Minnesota, The cold winters some
times killed many that remained in
the far North but these dangers
were as nothing compared to man.
Man soon found that the bufaloes
had value. The Indians slaughter
ed them by the thousand for their
skins, bone and for food they killed
100 oftentimes to secure five, and
waists ap.dl nr0digaliityu Yeree erehs tbs ruls. rus.
doubtless the Indian inroads upoh
them had little effect, so far as exter-
mination is concern. But with the
white man it was different. Some
wished to make records, and killed for
sport some became professional buf-
falo butchers, to provide the gangs of
railroad men with meat, slaughtering
a magnificent animal for its tongue
alone. It has been estimated that
previous to 1870 nearly three-quarters
of million buffaloes could have been
killed yearly and the herd kept in
tact how many were killed and vast
ed will never be known. Each ami
NAL, however, had value at this
time estimated by Hornaday at IS;
the robe So. so; the tongue rs cents
hindquarter meat S. bones, horn
and hoofs, rs cents; and this was suf-
fcient to attract an army of destroy
ers. The hides were the greatest
feature, and one firm in New York
between 1876 and 1884 paid the kill
ers nearly 81, 900, 900, or, to be ex-
act $o23,o7o, for the robes and hides,
which represents the final extinction
ofthe animal. The Government nev-
er interfered, owing to protests of in
terested legislators and the neglect of
higher officials. Another firm paid
$2I6 900 for robes and skins, and
there were scores of private traders in
the field. The word went out to kill
everything in sight, and from 1876
there was price on the head of every
buffalo.
1t is dark and disagreeable subject
to probe, but it is interesting to note
some of the methods of these national
calamity makers. A band of half
breeds in two hunts, according to
Ross, killed Alto bufaloes, 200 men
being engaged in the sport, out Of
which about 10000 animals were
wasted or partly eaten. Hornaday
estimates that from 1920 to 1925 five
buffalo expeditions went out, COM
posed of 6Io carts each, killing 49,
$50 buffaloes. From 1925 to 1890,
FIVE expeditions OF $50 carts each, kill
ed 146, 200 bufaloes. From 1885 to
1875 six expeditions, of So5 carts,
killed 174,52S animals. From 1885
to 1S4o fifty-four expeditions of I I,o9o
carts each, killed 2I2, $50 buffaloes.
Total number killed by the Red river
half-breeds alone in twenty years,
652, 2,275, valued at S., o6I ,375. An in
teresting table has been furnished the
Government by the firm previously
mentioned, J. & I. Boskowitz, show
ing the decline Of the buffalo as an
article of commerce. 1t shows that
in nine years this firm handled I46,
IT'S skins, costing s924,7eo. In 178
they received 4I, ,26S robes; in 1888,
5000 ; in 1884 none. The end had
come, and the buffalo was a memory.
Another dealer, Joseph Ullman, states
that in 1881 he handled III 900 robes,
valued at $3.50, and IL, 900 at ST. so.
In 1882 he purchased 40, 900 hides
at $3.50 and 10000 robes at So. so.
The prices hunters received were:
Cow hides, S.; bull hides, So. so;