Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-11-21
THE AMERICAN BISON.
hilli"nS of Bunaioc- Once Ranged
the Western Plains.


The early explorers vho describe the
buffalo numbers do not give us any
thing more exact Clau supcrlative cx-
prcSSions. such ais countless herds"
Incredible numbers "tccming myr-
lads" "the world one robe" etc. 1
have endeavorcd TO get at a more OK
act idea of their numbers
The total area inhabited 10y the buf-
falo was about 100000 square miles.
OF this the open plains were one-halr.
According To the figures supplied me
by =. L. Potter of the forest service.
the ranges of the Dnkotas. Montana.
Wyoming. Nebraska. Kansas. Colora-
DO. Texas and oklahoma In total of
about 10000 square miles. or half OF
the plainSl were. according TO the cen
Sus OF 1900. carrying 24O0OO00 head
OF cattle and horses ana about GO0O.-
600 head Of sheep This means that
when fully stocked they might sustain
number of buffalo mt least equal TO
the number Of cattle and horses. The
buffalo had 10 divide their heritage
with numerous herds Of mustang. an
telope and wapiu. ON the other hand.
Z buffalo could find a living where 4
range animal would Starve. many Of
the richest bottom lands are now fenc-
cd in, and we have taken no account
Of the G.O00,O00 sheep. Therefore we
are safe in placing at 100000 the
buffalo formerly living ON the entire
/ plains area
Their prairie range was third as
large. hut it was vastly more fertile
/ indeed. the stOckmcn reckon one prai-
rie acre equal to four acres on the
/ plains. Doubtless. therefore. the prai-
/ rieS sustained nearly rs many head as
\ the plains. We may safely set their
\ population at 30.OOOOOO. The forest
region was the lowest IN the rate Of
/ population For its 100000 square
miles we should not allow moro than
/ 100000 buffalo. These figures would
make the primitive number Of buffalo
75.OOOOOO
Many other calculations based on
different data give similar or slightly
lower totals. From these facts it viii
appear very safe TO put the primitive
buffalo population at 50.O00,OO0 To Co
100000. - Ernest Thompson Seton in
Scribner'S
Prccipices In the HimnlaHns.
There is one remarkable peculiarly
OF the series Of Hmalayau ranges be
/ tween the vale of KaShmir aud tn,
central Asian watershed. They are ON,
after another cut right across by ridges
The reason for this is that the river:
were there before the ranges wer,
formed. and rs 10y the crinkling of tn,
earthS crust the ranges were raised
the rivers cut gorSeS through then
and maintained their flow. Manga Par
bat is part OF the true and priucipa
Himalayan range, and its summit rise
TO the StupendouS altitude above 81,
level of 26.6SO feet. Close To its foot
not more than ten miles i'm horizontal
distance from the peak. the Indus
flows through desert gorge and her
the height above sea level Of the rive
bed is not much above 5000 feet Ii 1
easy 10 conceive from these figures o,
how vast a scale natures architccur
is here set up. The path along the sid
of the gorge is in places pcrilouSly nan
row and carried across precipiceS O
such appalling character that at on
point man who lost his footing fell
mile in vertical height and was O
course smashed to atoms.