Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-07-05
new HERD Of BUFFALO. j..
Howard Eaton, the Bad Lands Ranch
mai Tells Where More Buffalo
May be Obtained.
The Fsllaathead Herd How it twas Started,
and How it Has Prospered for
Years.
Attention of the Govern ment MAY be
Called to Possibility Of Obtain
ing this IS. Band and

x No e'N No1 SASS 80
the east for several years, says the
Minneapolis Journal. Up and down
the Little Missouri this transDlanted
rancher is known still to retain his
love for the free life in the open; he
is still called Teddy" out there,
though in the public prints he is now
more commonly known as President
Theodore Roosevelt. HE was a good
fellow in the early days. says NJ.
Eaton. land he hasn't changed a bit
since then, except to improve with
age"
Incidentally. Mr.. Eaton's visit in
| Washington may result in a consider
able enlargement of the buffalo herd in
the Yellowstone national park. He did
not go east for that specific purpose,
but he knew where a good bunch Of
bluffs could be secured and gave the
| government a chance to take over the
options he had already secured On
them. Mr.. Eaton is sort of a wild
animal broker. Ernest Seton Thomp-
son, w. T. Hornaday and other famous
~natJralists have been his guests at
Custer Trail ranch, near Medora, and
he is in touch with the management
of every geological garden in the coun-
try. He keeps himself thoroughly in
formed on big game conditions
throughout the entire western country
and it was thus he struck the trail of
the FIathead buffalo herd.
About twenty-five years ago there
dwelt on the F1athead reservation in
westernmost Montana an Indian whose
heart was bad. His badness <culminat-
ed in the murder of his wife, the
daughter of one Of the prominent men
of the tribe, and he was forced to
"vamose" between two days. He fled
across the main range Of the Rockies
to the Blackfoot reservation, some 200
miles northeast, and took up his abode
ly uncivilized Blackfeet. Such fug-
itives from n tribe to another are moi
rare and the Flathead was soon known
for what he was. Within a month the
Blackfeet were visited by an epidemic
of smallpox, the most feared scourgs
among the Indians, and the Flathead
refugee was speedily picked as the evil
influence whose advent had aroused
the wrath of the Great Spirit. There
was no other haven of refuge for the
fugitive and things were looking ex.
tremely blue for him. In his dilemma
he sought out a French priest for ad.
vice.
go back to your people," said tbs
missionary. Take them, If you can
some gift to show that your heart has
changed. 1t may be they will take
you back" :
The Flathead decided to follow the
advice and proceeded to cas- about fol
some suitable gift within his reach
He finally hit upon the buffalo. That
was in the early eighties, when the
northern herd showed nc signs of dim
mutton. His residence among the
Blackfeet had taught him how invalu.
able were the animals to the Indians
The Flatheads were beyond the buffalo
country and could hunt them only by
facing the perils of the mountains and
mourning the danger of being Jump
ed' by hostile Blackfeet. So he would
take buffalo to the Flatheads.
After persistent effort with the lariad
the penitent Flathead succeeded in
capturing one bull and eight cows
alive. Hobbling them with rawhide
thongs. he began a trip SO full OF
hardship and danger that nobody but
a mostgdetermined Indian would eve,
have undertaken II. Across the plains
where progress was painfully slow
over the snow capped mountains
where feed was scarce, and it would
bother a fy to find footing, he some.
how drove his little bunch of unruly
wild animals. 1t took him weeks K
traverse the 200 miles, but finally hi
came back to his people worn and nag,
gard, with constant watching and pri
walton. Two of the cows had died, the
rest Of the animals were gannt ant
footsore, but they were alive, and Thu
peace offering proved effective.
The F1atheads placed their LITTLE
herd In a valley whence egress wa
stopped BY mountains. Hide hunter,
decimated the herd east of the Rock
les; the railroads came through AM
by 1890 the buffalo was thought to b.
extinct. except the few herd in cap
tiyity by white men.
It was only a few years ago that tn,
F1athead herd was discovered. 1t ha.
been jealously guarded, for the west
eFn Indian somehow regards the buff
fa1o with a superstftiols reverence
and today there i more than 20
pure bloods, and twice as many NOR
] halt. breeds.