The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-11

connected with the mention Of his name
that will never die as long as the mem.
DRY of man runs to the era of the con-
quering Of the west
| No farmer builds a fence that will
stop the mad rush of single buffalo
who is determined to make progress
and so the precautions of the unusua
event were of an exceptional character
The animals were dozen of herd
numbering lao that roams at will on the
plains of the narrow Flathead valley
Mssoula county, Montana, between
ranges of mountains that form nat
ural barrier. They were purchased by
a Helena butcher, and driven into a
specially constructed stockade, built as
a cul de sac, into which the veterans of
the plains, in all innocence, went to
seek fancied refuge. Strong ropes
were twined over their horns by men
trained at throwing the lariate, but
then the trouble had just begun. 1t
took blockes and tackles and machin-
cry to induce them to enter the big
stable cars in waiting, and then the
journey to the capital began.
Out at the fair grounds, where pub
lie exhibition was made of the slaught-
ering, a crowd of 1900 persons gathered.
| The venturesome among the butchers
thrust their arms into the car and man.
aged, after many efforts, to hook rope
with a running loop over the horns OF a
fine specimen. The rope led to where
crowd of men pulled at tackle rove
many times through blocks to give an
! ample purchase and even then 1t was
no easy work One buffalo and twenty
men strove for the mastery. The men
had some knowledge of mechanics.
They knew that a block and tackle may
be slow work, but that it adds to the
power of the force at the other end. On
an equality the buffalo would have had
by far the best of it. The superior
knowledge of his antagonist prevailed,
however and fighting for every inch,
| the splendid fellow was hauled to his
| doom.
The chutes were made for the unload
| ing of ordinary cattle. For this occas-
| ion they were reinforced with heavy
timbe1s and massive posts There was
runaway on top. The Workmen took
no chances. AS the head of the animal
was finally drawn to where it could be
reached with a spear, the lance fell.
Every butcher knows how it is done.
There is a sudden and deep thrust at
a point behind the horns. As If he had
never been alive, the monster is sudden
ly inert. And then the huge mountain
of flesh is drawn by other blocks and
tackles into the wagons in waiting.
The crowds looked on all day, while
the killing went on. AT times they We're
moved to applause, but it was not APP
plause for the men who did the killing
1t was rather sort of admiration for
the splendid fight that every animal
made. There was a fascination about
It, The butchers, with aprons dripping
red, cut the throatS of the vanquished
pioneers and men with pitchforks full Of
straw came to cover the pools of gore,
as If to wipe out the stains of crime.
1t was more than a butchery of 50
many cattle. 1t was the murder of sur
viving representatives of vanishing
tribe. 1t was an unequal combat, the
like Of which the old plainsmen-and
there are many such in Montana-never
knew. 1t is the only time since the ives
was open to the plainsmen that the buff
falo was ever laid low without a fight
ing chance for his life The arrow Of
the Indian and the rifle of the hunter
have given him his cuietus in his day.
Never before has he fallen victim to
the butchers lance.
II still remember the days of 49, said
Otto Zeigenfuss, one Of the old trappers
and scouts, to-day, when the steamers
coming up the Missouri river to Fort
Benton were stopped for days by the
crossing herds Of buffalo. There was
no end to them then. 1t seemed as If
they didn't stop to eat or drink but
were ever pushed on by the ceaseless Z
activity of those on behind. One time
in July, 1862 we were tied up to the |
bank of the river three days by single |
herd. No living thing could endure in |
the path of such an onward ruch.
zone buffalo, in point of strength, is
equal to half a dozen strong bulls. |
There isn't fence in the land that |
would hold one If he made up his mind
to go through it. This exhibition here
hasn't given him a chance to show what !
he can do. If he had made a rush for |
the gate instead Of indulging the cat
tie instinct to pull back on the rope, he
would have broken the thing to pieces
And there would have been a scatter
ing.
My partner, Jack Johnson, got in the
way of one of them once up at Benton.
He had fired, and the gun missed fire,
and before he could recover himself the
old fellow was on him. Jack had five
broken ribs and a broken ankle, and
there wasn't flesh enough on his right
leg to wad shotgun with. He lived,
though he was cripple to the day of !,
his death, and he Is the only man l ever !,
knew who came alive out of an encoun-
ter with buffalo"
Epicures in st. Louis, New Orleans, |
Buffalo, N Y, New York city and San
Francisco will taste of the meat of the
dozen carcasses that have been killed
here, Orders from those cities and from
others have been placed in advance.
Some of them will say it Is good but
beef 10 better The flesh of the bison Is
coarse and dry as compared with do
nestle cattle and other wild game. But
hose who eat are contributing to the
reduction of the last 400 of the animals
n the world In addition to the Alard
lerd, in the Flathead basin, from which
hese We're taken, there are In existence
inly scattering few nthe Yellowstone
rational park captive herd in Wyom-
ng, a small herd in Texas, and the few
specimens in eastern parks and with
i