The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-20
BUFFALO AMONG CATTLE.
Monarch of Former Days in
North Dakota Herd.


An immense buffalo bull has put in an
| appearance among the cattle owned by the
Sioux Indians, and ranged near the stand
ing Rock reservation. sixty miles south OF
| this city. The animal came unheralded,
| whence nobody knows. For years IL has
been supposed that every bison was ex-
| tinct in this State, and the last time that
any were seen in the State was back in
the middle SOS, when Governor Roosevelt.
hunting along the little Missouri River,
killed one al a crossing OF the river. Inc
animal that has made it's appearance near
Standing Rock is unusually wild and fierce
and disposed to attack herdsmen who at
tempt to get near it. Strict orders have
been issued by the agent against killing
the animal, in the hope that it will re-
main and that others may be discovered
The presence of this lone monarch OF
the prairies recalls the time when the
bison ranged the vast prairies in the
Western part of the State by thousands.
if not millions. when every water hole
was a gathering place for them and the
hills and valleys were worn deep with
trails along which the animals went from
feeding ground to watering places. Even
yet all through the western part of the
State there are deep trails that were
made by the bison. and that have not been
wiped out in half a century. The sudden
ness of the extinction OF the bison IS
among the most remarkable feature s OF
the development OF the West From
thousands and hundreds of thousands
they have dwindled away almost at once.
In the early days of steamboatins ong
the Missouri River passengers were ire
uuently treated to an unusual sight in
the fording of the river by bands OF
thousands of these animals. On one &C.
casion boat plying up the stream was
forced to stop and tie up for fcrty-oight
of bison plunged into the stream, swan
through its muddy waters, and emerged
on he other side
The water was churned to foam and
the river literally black with the animals.
They made periodical trips OF this kind
from one side of the Missouri to the 9TH
er, always moving in immense bodies. 4
buffalo stampede was not uncommon. and
vs. to the ERfortunates who might be
caught in the path.
Then came the buffalo hunters. In the
early days of Bismarck hundreds of hunt
ers armed themselves and sought the
feeding ground Of the animals. Thou
sands upon thousands of them were killed
for the hides. the carcasses being loft to
rot on the prairies. No precautions were
taken a that time against their extine-
ton, and the result was that in few
years there was not a bizon remaining.
The Indians also engaged in frequent
hunts. riding into the dense herds upon
their ponies ald Strengthening them By
thousands.
Buffalo coats and robes that were worth
a few dollars twenty years ago in the
West now command fancy prices Good
robes and coats are eagerly sought after.
The Government still has a few rough
coats in store that are issued to the sol
diers in the Far West. Buffalo heads
that were sold for little or nothing fifteen
and twenty years ago now bring as high
as $500 when mounted. and are difficult to
obtain at that price.
In the hills near Standing Rock the
country is rough and broken and is sell
dom visited cit is thought. from the ap-
pearance Of the solitary bison, that there
may be small bands OF them ranging the
inclosed feeding grounds. and every effort
will be made to locate and protect them.