Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-01-31

adult buffalo bull is creature of i'm
posing grandeur. If you are an Ameri-
can, no doubt you take some pride in
the fact that one OF the grandest anil
mails Of all time is a native of this
country; l urge you to let your pride
in this matter prompt you to do some
act, however small, tending TO save
this animal for future generations OF
Americans. II you have no time to do
more, will you not write me ever 80
brief a note expressing approval OF a
definite plan to preserve the buffalo,
and ! will see that your views are
brought TO the attention of the govern
me1t Your letter will be In good
company, and will be filed with letters
from many Of the leading men in the
United States, including President
Roosevelt himself,
II you are lover of animals then
you must be doubly interested in the
fate Of the Extraordinarily interest
ed, feel sure, to raise hand to help
in a reasonable movement for his pres
ervation. 1t is good thing to be IN
favor OF having desirable ends accom-
plished, but 1t is not quite enough. The
desirable ends are never accomplished
until somebody actually does some
thing toward their accomplishment,
and where all are interested, all should
help, at least little. If you desire a
thing, surely 1t should not be too much
trouble TO ask for it.
If you are naturalist, no argument
is necessary; you know only too well
that the passing of the bison would
be an irreparable loss to the fauna Of
this country. Your assistance in this
movement is most earnestly solicited,
for it is to you and your brethren that
the country looks for advice In mat
tiers OF this kind. Perchance you are
a member of some natural history So
ciety; If so can you not bring this
matter before the members at some
meeting In the near future, and If pos
sible urge them to pass a set OF reso-
lutions setting forth the necessity of
saving the bison, and expressing their
sympathy with the present movement
to save him. II you are writer, do
not fail to write some letter or article
in favor of the preservation Of the buf-
falo, and II you need Illustrations, come
to me and for this purpose will give
you what ! can spare. If you lecture,
a fve-minuta talk in favor of the pres
ervation Of the bison, and If you need
a few lantern slides, perhaps l can
put you In the way Of getting them
without a great amount Of trouble to
yourself,
If you are interested In educational
matters, take the first opportunity to
see a fine specimen OF a living buffalo.
give him five minutes thoughtful at
tention, and then ask yourself If he is
worth saving, AS you look upon his
mighty frame, you will read intelli-
gently long chapters from the early
history of our country. Perhaps for
the first time you will get the real
flavor of the life of the Indiana life
inseparable from the life of the great
creature before you. This was the ami
NAL he hunted on his wild little pony;
this Is the animal which supplied his
every want That grim, burly head
was the mask he used in the Buffalo"
dance; that splendid hide served him
as a robe, as a blanket, as a covering
for his tepee, and for a score Of other
purposes. That flesh, dried or cooked,
served him for food; from those sin
ews he made strings for his bows and
thread TO sew his clothing. From the
long hair on the forepart OF his body
he made ropes and halters and lariats;
in fact there was no part OF the buffa-
10 for which the Indian did not find
some very good use Shall the teach
ers OF the future and the children they
teach, be deprived OF this striking OBJ
ject lesson in American history. or win
you DO yoGr littlo share toward his
permanent preservation
ERNEST HAROLD RAxNIS.