Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-12
STORY OF THE BISON
CONCERNING AMERICAS MA
TIoNAL ANIMAL.
First Published Description of the
Buffalo-An Account Of a SIAM
pede on the Plains.
Written for The Star,

| written for The Star.
| Since the beginning OF the now wide
spread movement to preserve the buffalo.
| and particularly since the organization OF
| the American Bison Society last winter, the
| writer has been dsIuged with letters from
| people seeking all sorts OF information con-
corning what may well be termed Americas
| national animal.
The following is the first of short Sc
| ries OF articles intended to answer most
| of the questions asked concerning the dis
! covery of the buffalo, its life history, Its
| relation to the Indians and pioneers, the
| causes and methods of its determination,
| It's present status In this country and the
| urgent necessity for preserving the last
| remnant of the vast hordes which but late
| ~ covered the western plains as with
| robe.
Although authorities differ on this sub
| jeot, the buffalo probably first seen by
| white men in Anahuac, the Aztec capital OF
Mexico, in 1921. when Cortez and his men
| paid their first visit to the menagerie OF
| King Montezuma. Nine years later the ami
NAL was first seen In wild state in south
| ern Texas by sbipwrecked Spanish sailor
who had very little to say about II beyond
| remarking that he had eaten the flesh,
| which, in his judgment, was finer and
| sweeter than the meat to be had in Spain.
| The next explorer to penetrate the buffalo
| country Coronado, who crossed Ari-
zona and New Mexico and the southern
| part of the Panhandle OF Texas In 1872
| the expedition was crossing the plains.
| which We're described as being "as full OF
| crooke-back oxen as the Mountaine Serena
| in Spaine of sheepe."
| Gomara's Description Of the Buffalo.
1t is from some of Coronado's men that
| we get our first published descriptions or
! buffalo. One of these, that of Gomara. l
| vii. give here, not so much because it is an
| early one as because 1t is remarkably accu-
| rate, particularly when we consider that II
| was written more than 800 years ago by
| man who was not q trained naturalist.
| The only serious mistake he makes is the
| one concerning the tail OF the animal,
which is very short compared with that OF
| the domestic OK Concerning the buffalo
| GCmara said:
"All the way and PLANES are as full OF
| crooke-backed oxen, the Mountains Sc
rena in Spaine is of sheepe These oxen
are OF the bigness and color of our Bulls
out their horns are not so great. They have
great bunch upon their fore shoulders
and more hair on their forepart than on
the hinder part; and it is like wool They
have as II were horse name upon their
backbone, and much hair and very long
from the knees dOwne their foreheads and
1t Seemeth that they have beardeS, because
OF the great store of hair hanging downe at
their chimes and throates. The males
flocke at the end; so that in some respect
they resemble the lion and in some other
the camell. They push with their hornes,
they rune, they overtake and kill an
horse when In their rage and anger. Final
ly, II is d foule and fierce beast of coun-
tenance and forme Of bodie. The horses
hedde from them, either because of their
deformed shape or else because they had
never scene them. Their masters have no
other substance; of them they eat. they
drink, they apparel, they shoe themselves"
Range of the Bison.
How many buffaloes there were at this
time no one knows, and probably no one
ever will know, but we know that there
must have been many, many millions The
buffalo range extended over about one-third
of the entire continent of North America;
from the inhospitable shores of the Great
Slave lake on the north to the scorching
plains Of northeastern Mexico on the south,
and from line following closely but never
touching the Atlantic coast on the east and
across the Rocky mountains into New Mex
leo, Utah and Idaho, in the west. These
boundaries, of course, marked the limits of
its range: its center of abundance was the
great plains region of the west where, at
certain times, notably in the breeding sea-
son. the animals gathered in countless thou
sands, darkening the earth as far as the
eye could reach. when at rest, and when in
motion filling the air with dust and with
the thunder notes of their galloping hoofs
Even as late as 1S71-less than thirty-five
years ago-this great animal was present in
this country in numbers almost beyond be-
lief A faint idea of the vast hordes which
made the prairies tremble beneath their
tread may be had from an account given
US by Col. r. l. Dodge In his Plains of the
Great West" l will quote from this &C
count as it gives a better idea of the enor-
nous number of buffaloes there were than
any other account which / have read:
'In May, 1871. | drove in light wagon
from old Fort cara to Fort Larned, on the
Arkansas, thirty-four miles. At least TWEEN
ty-ive miles of this distance was through
one immense herd, composed of countless
smaller herds OF buffalo, then on their jour
ney north. The road ran along the broad
level bottom or valley of the river.
THE whole country appeared one great
mass of buffalo, moving slowly to the
northward; and 1t only when actually
among them that 1t could be ascertained
that the apparent solid mass ag
glomeration of innumerable small herds Of
from fifty to 300 animals, separated from
the surrounding herds by greater or less
space. but still separated The herds in the
valley sullenly got out of my way, and,
turning stared stupidity at me, sometimes
at only few yards distance. When l had
reached a point where the hills were no
longer more than mile from the road the
buffalo the hills, seeing an unusual OBJ
ject in their rear, turned, stared an instant,
then started at full speed directly toward
me, stampeding and bringing with them the
passed, and pouring down upon all the
herds, no longer separated, but one i'm
mense compact mass of plunging animals.
mad with fright, and irresistible an
avalanche.
A Dangerous Situation.
The situation was by no means pleasant.
Refining up my horse (Which was fortunate
ly quiet old beast, which had been In at
the death of many a buffalo, their wild
est, maddest rush only caused him to cock
his ears at their unnecessary excitemenO,
waited until the front of the mass was
within fifty yards, when few we'll directed
shots from my rife split the herd and sent
1t pouring off in two streams to my right
and left. When all had passed me they
stopped, apparently perfectly satisfied.
| though thousands were yet within reach or
my rifle, and many within less than 100
yards. Disdaning to fire again, l sent my
| servant to cut out the tongues of the fallen
! This occurred so frequently within the next
| ten miles that when ] reached Fort I.arned
! l had twenty-six buffalo tongues In my
| wagon. representing the greatest number of
| buffalo that my conscience can reproach
| me for having murdered on single day. 1
] was not hunting, wanted no meat, ana
| would not voluntarily have fired at these