Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-12

remark that he didn't DeneVe they "ele
cattle, as there were not cattle running
down there at that time Prescott had
a good glass which he always earned
on his trips across the prairie. rms
was soon produced and by its help IL
was easy to see that the animals were
buffalo. The party had three horses
along, Prescott's two on a spring wag-
on, and r. A. Smiths saddle horse.
'It was arranged that Prescott
should drive his team behind the hill
out of sight and await results, that II.
A. Smith with his saddle horse should
make wide detour to the west ana
get beyond them, while the others,
with the three rifles of the party,
should, by keeping the high ground be-
tween them and their game, get as
near them as they could and deliver
their fire. This program was carried
out as planned. Osborn had heavy
buffalo rife The other two We're small
affairs and of not much account. AS
| the boys came over the ridge that they
had kept between them and their game
| they found themselves closer to 1t
| than they expected to be, and not more
than fifteen or twenty rods away. one
of the buffalo had got onto it's feet
and was stretching itself, while the
other was lying still as first sighted.
With all the caution possible the boys
| took deliberate aim and fired at the
standing buffalo. Whether their shots
| took effect or not. they uid not know
al the time. but they did not bring him
down.. The two animals started on
| a deliberate canter to the southwest.
! They did not go fast, as r. A. Slaitha
| who was stationed out that way with
his horse. had no trouble in keeping
alongside. But every time that he
came up they were inclined to shear off
to the left. Noticing this popularity
he thought that by keeping on one side
they might be run around in circle
to near where they started from After
running about a half mile they sep
arated. one of them keeping on the
southwest while the wounded one COM
ing around in a circle was soon APP
preaching the starting point. The boys
noticing this dropped down out of sight
by gopher knoll covered with weeds
and awaited his approach. He passed
within about eight rods of them. When
directly opposite they gave him an
other broadside. This demoralized him
materially and checked his speed
|
down. He kept on until he came to
the Little Sioux river. There was
| sandbar here reaching out into the
stream. He went out on this sandbar
and stopped. He was oy this time
pretty wen exhausted Osborn made
the remark that he had heard it said
that you could not bring down buf-
falo by shooting him in the forehead
| an ha
cordingly he went out ahead about
six or eight rods away. and taking
| deliberate aim at his forehead, fired
The ball went crashing thru his brain,
and he fell over on his back his feet
quivering in the air.
An examination afterwards proved
that the first ball fired at him passed
thru the feshy part of the heart, but
to bring him down. The boys soon
rugged a Spanish windlass and drag
ged him out on dry land where they
took off the hide and cut up the car
cass. He proved to be very large
animal. The quarters must have
weighed nearly 400 pounds each.
/ Whether this was the last buffalo, kill
ed in Iowa or not is an open question.
.
one killed north of Spirit Lake, near
Loon Lake, in Jackson county, Mime
sofa, about the same time, by Jim
Palmer" who was we'll known to all of
the old settlers.
About the same time John Gilbert,
who was carrying the mail between
Spirit Lake and Fort Dodge, reported
i on his return from one of his weekly
trips that the people in the vicinity of
Old Rolfe, which was then the county
seat of Pocahontas county, were much
wrought up and excited over having
killed large buffalo near there the
previous week, and he gave the names
Of some Of the parties engaged in the
hunt and some of the incidents of it.
i There may have been many others
killed in Iowa that same season, and
doubtless were Indeed, of late there
have been several items going the
rounds Of the press Of northwestern
Iowa where different localities are
claiming the distinction of being the
place where the last buffalo in Iowa
was run down and killed
"Other instances are reported of
buffalo being seen which were not kill
ed. One was seen one Sunday morning
VA sAAS OAAllo 1lScdl WIlcE0 the OkODO1l
mill was afterward built A. S. Mead
reported having seen one in the yicin-
ity of Marble Grove. And there were
others. Since the foregoing was writ
ten it has been ascertained that in the
summer of 1870 two buffalo were seen
near the forks of the Little Sioux. in
this county. They were coming from
the northwest and going southwest. It
was afterwards learned that this same
two were also seen by several persons
In the German settlement in the Little
Sioux valley, in Minnesota. What be-
came of them was never known and
where they came from, and how they
came to be here alone, will always re-
main mystery"
-
i OBITUARY.