The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1902-01-08
SWINTON BISON HUNT.
Noted Labor Editor Had Live
Iy Time on the West
ern Plains.

EEH F1dlu6s
John Swinton, the late labor cham
pion. Journalist and economist, grew
reminiscent some time ago, and this Is
the story, according to Chicago pa
per. that he told of his fist and Last
buffalo hunt:
"It was an ambition Of my youth, as
q New York boy, to go on a buffalo
hunt. One day in the spring of 1857,
when / was in Kansas, news reached
my shanty that there was a herd of
/ buffalo moving up the Republican riv-
f., er, or, as it used to be called, the Re
publican fork. The long looked for
chance had come to me at last, and,
though some squatter might jump my
claim when l had gone out to hunt, L
was ready to run the risk. l had no
| proud steed, but owned a mule, Jen-
ME, the best mule in Usage county and
the fastest. In early morn Jennie was
saddled in a way, and then, armed
with Sharpe's rife and six shooter,
which were carried under my blue
blanket, / set out for the hunt.
secured the country for miles. reach
ed the great Santa Fe trail; l got to
Council Grove; crossed the Smoky
Hill fork; old Fort Riley came in sight.
Not a buffalo had yet seen. At the
fort a soldier said he had heard of
some buffalo up the fork of the Repub-
lican. Twas then near nightfNl. Man
and beast were tired. Jennie was
short of breath and craved the tempt
ing grass and water, which were free
to all. / camped not far from the old
fort.
"Scooting around soon after sunrise
next morning, hello, yonder in the dis
lance, on the bank Of the river, were
the buffalo! They were grazing. Words
cannot tell of the eXultation of the
mortal spirit at that moment. Keep
STILL man! This is the time for a level
head and a steady hand. Even Jennie.
who could read my mind like a book.
seemed to feel quickened in both ears.
She sprang forward to the prey as 1
| touched her side with a spur, gave a
shout, raised the rifle to action and
fired. The buffalo took to their heels.
There were perhaps five or six of them,
but they looked like thousand. Crack
went the six shooter; onward went the
| foe. The chase must have been for a
mile, while the blue blanket futtered
In the breeze like the burnOOse Of an
Arab. After awhile the herd seemed
to lessen their speed at a signal, per-
{ haps from the leader. Suddenly the
hindmost Of them seemed to cast a look
rearward, turned about and, with head
prone, hump aloft and tail up, struck
out this way toward the infatuated
mule in pursuit and became the pursu-
| er of the hunter in the heat of the
chase.
'"The onset Of the enraged beast was
terrible to behold, but it had hardly
been begun when Jennie, with the
spurs In her TANKS and a yell in her
ears, turned tail, rushed off in a way
that would have won a prize at the
Coney Island races, looked sidewise
several times, as did the rider, for the
rampant monster which was behind,
and never stopped till safe refuge
was reached on the right side of the
fence which surrounded Fort Riley.
NV buffalo hunt (the first and LAST was
ended, and had been both the hunter
and the hunted, without suffering to
the buffalo or the mule or the rider.
have a book which says that the bison
will not attack man. but l know that
he will give chase to a mule. Buffalo
hunting, you see. had it's risks, even in
the year 1857. but do not believe that
any hunter faced those risks along the
Republican fork or anywhere near the
head of the rolling Kaw as late as
1862"
''Your buffalo hunt" said the re-
porter. "was at once remarkable and
peculiar-not the least like some of Ned
Buntline's heroes. But more detailed
report of it's incidents might be enter
tanning"
"For further particulars" whispered
Mr.. Swinton, enquire of that grave
and gallant veteran soldier of the west
Colonel Alexander G. Halves, who was
within gunshot of Fort Riley, way out
on the Big Blue river, in the growing
month of Nov 1851"