Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-06-13

IL NUN NJ IVIUkE
Since the beginning Of the now wide-
spread movement to preserve the buf.
falo. and particularly since the organ
ixation Of the American Bison society,
1t ID interesting to consider the dis
covery OF the animal. its lfe history
and methods OF its determination.
Although authorities differ ON this
subject, the buffalo was probably flrDt
seen by white men in Anahuac, the
Aztec capital city of Mexico. In 1851,
when Cortez and his men paid their
first visit to the menagerie Of King
Monteseuma. Nine years later the anti
NAL was hrst seen In wild state II
southern Texas BY shipwrecked
Spanish sailor. who had very little to
say about It beyond remarlking that
he had eaten the flesh, which IN hia
Judgment was finer and sweeter than
the meat to be had In Spain.
The next explorer to penetrate the
buffalo country was Coronado. who
crossed Arizona and New Mex,co ana
the southern mart Of the panhandle ~
Texas. In 1912 the expedition was
crossing the plains. which were de-.
scribed a. being 'as full Of cro0ked,
backed oxen a tho monnta,h serena
N Spain II full ~ sheere. WI Il i. frr,n
some IL coronado,s men that IN. a.
published descriptiona az hnfraln -
given.
Mill;ona 81 aisona aean.
How many sbuffaloes there were II
this time M one know. ana rrot.t,,,
no one ever win know hut there mnst
have been many MANY millions, ,rI,e
buffalo.s range extended over ahopt
one third 81 the entire continent ~
North America, from the fnhospitable
shores .of the Great silver lake IN ths
north Il II. .rc~c,,,vr ,,,.,,,. 4, 5000, 81
western Mexico On the south ana non
line following close,v INT nevAr
touching the Atlantic coast y, The east
ana across the Rocky montana ,nto
New Mexico. Utah ana idaho - the
west. These boundaries az conrre
marked the limits Of it, range. IL
center Of Abundance waa the 4raat
plains region az the west where 4
certain times. notably IN the breedin<
season. the animals gathered - court !.
less thousands. darkenine the earth
a. far a. the eve could reach when y
rest. ana when il motion f,llinr ~ 81
with dust ana win the thunder ,,nte.
of their salloninr hoofs cveA =. ,a}A
~ 1871 this animal w.. rre.ent i, ~.
country IN number. Almost hevona -
lief
Halt Million n ooe Aera.
Al faint idea az the vast hora.
which made the nrair,ee tremh,. h..
meath their tread ~ thar timsv nav -
had from A account Evan ~ f,c,cv,ai
r. /. Dodxe. In his ..plalna - TIA c,r..,
west"
IN May. 1871. he saws. II drove n
Z lixht wagon from IA rcrt 90. q
Fort Larned on the Arkansa. a.
miles. At least 2s miles ~ th,s di.t.rca
was through an im,nenaa herd corn.
O0U9O OF G0UntN0DD DmOII4R hnF10D NJ
buffalo then on their tourney norm.
The road ran along thu hrosA ,eve,
bottom. or valley. Of the river
.sThe whole country apne.red ona
great mass Of buffalo. moving alowlv n
the northward: ana Il vas onlv when
actually among them that Il could ~
ascertained that the apnarentlv .o,,d
mass was an arglomeratIon az innum-
cradle small herds az from 20 q 400
animals, separated from the surround.
Ing heraa by greater or less suace. hut
still separated"
It 10 conservatively estimated thai
Colonel Dodge raw at least 200 600
bunaloes, ana these were but : frac-
tion Of great herd Of NJ least 1900. 600
an army greater in number than All
the men, women and children Of
Greater New York put together. The
Indians Of some Of the tribes used to
49, Xxx &