Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-16
A NATURAL RESOURCE:
Buffalo Was of Great Value to /
Early Settlers.
PART PLAYED BY THE BISON
determination Result Of Advance
ment of Barbarism.
FORMING HUNTING PARTIES
Unconstitutional Railroad a Means
for Marketing Product Of Big
Massacres.
PART PLAYED BY THE BISON
FORMING HUNTING PARTIES

In early times the buffalo formed one or
the great natural resources of this CONT
| nent. It's value to explorers and settlers
| can hardly be estimated but certainly no
| other Wild animal-probabiy not ali the
others put together-played 80 prominent
part in 'the winning of the west" For
that matter, It played prominent part IN
the winning OF the east we'll II ex-
cept New England and a narrow strip along
the Atlantic coast. In the exploration ana
settlement OF a vast wilderness where for
food men were largely dependent on what
they could secure with their none TOD re-
liable firearms, the presence of the buffalo
meant more than We can easily realize to-
day
Among other things it meant an unfaii-
Ing. supply Of excellent beef. which was
easily obtainable. since the animals were
not only numerous. but for long time un-
suspicious and easy to secure. On the
treeless plains where buffalo chips" were
the only available fuel, IL meant fire, and
fire meant warmth and hot food and drink.
How many thousand lives were saved d.
rectly and indirectly. by the buffalo. AMI
how many thousands of men enjoyed CONF
forts and escaped misery by reason OF his
presence, no one has told, or ever can tell:
the details Of the great service rendered to
our country by this noble animal Will never
The disappearance of the buffalo east Of
the Mississippi was gradual, and came
about almost entirely as the natural result
OF the advancement of civilization. Its
range was gradually settled by white men.
and these men used the animal for food as
they advanced. Nothing but domesticatiou
could possibly have saved II In the east,
AMI the early settlers had far too much TO
do to undertake to domestcate so wild and
powerful an animal as the buffalo. Tho
herds had practically disappeared from the
country east OF the Mississippi as early as
the year 1900, though few animals sur
vived until 1880.
Advancement Of BaYbarism.
The determination of the buffalo west Of
the Mississippi might be said to be the re-
suit OF the advancement of barbarism. TO
be sure 1t settled the Indian question for
ever, since the savages were helpless as
soon as their main food supply had gone,
Nevertheless. with little forethought on
tho part OF the government. there Is no
doubt that great numbers OF the splendid
creatures might have been saved; the
wholesale and wasteful slaughter OF our
most numerous valuable native animal was
a crime which should have been averted.
and that no serious attempt was made TO
avert II is a disgrace which 1t will take long
to wipe out.
Long before the white men began their
fearful systematic slaughter of the bunalo
they had taught and encouraged the In
dams to kill the animals whenever they
could, for the robes and tongues Fur
trading posts were established at numerous
PORTS throughout the buffalo country, and
kere the red men could bring in their skins
ana exchange them for liquor. Catin. writ
ing from the mouth of the Teton river In
1882, thus comments this trade: 1T
seems hard and cruel docs II not2 that we
civilized people. with all the comforts and
luxuries of the world about US, should be
drs wing from the backs of these useful an
in,als the skins for our luxury, leaving their
carcasses to be devoured by the wolves.
that we should draw from that country
some 10000 to 100000 Of their robes an
nually, the greater part of which have been
taken from animals that have been killed
expressly for the robe. at a season when
the meat is not cured and preserved, and for
each of which skins the Indian has receiv-
ed but pint OF whisky! Such Is the fact
and that number, or near 1t, are annually
destroyed. in addition to the number that
is necessarily killed for the subsistence OF
800 600 Indians, who live chiefly upon them.
In many instances. great numbers of buff
faloes were killed during the summer. when
the robes were of use whatever, the
tongues of the animals alone being taken
by the improvident savages. Catlin tells OF
a band of 600 Sioux crossing the Teton
river TO attack an immense herd, and re-
turning at sundewn with 400 fresh buff
falo tongues, for which they received few
gallons OF whisky, soon consumed In
little harmless carouse. Not single robe .
nor another pound of flesh was taken from
a slaughtered herd consisting of more buff
faloes than actually exist in the United
States today, and Weighing in the aggre-
gate perhaps 500 or 800 tons.
The Red river hafbreeds, when hunting
the buffalo Organized their forces with as
much care II they had been going into
battle. Some idea of the scale on which
one of their annual expeditions against the
buffalo was conducted may be had by
glance at the following figures. which rep
resent the army which they assembled for
this purpose at Pembina in June, 1870:
Hunters, $50; women, $50; boys and girls,
$50; total number of men. women and chill
dren, $780, horses buffalo runners. 403:
cart horses 655: total number OF horses,
LOSS; carts, 1.2io; draught oxen, $50; dogs,
542; skinning knives 1,240. II is estimated
- ~ eHnVa NPTla dfnl
the working time occupied 0wo months,
was nearly $4,000. Mr.. Ross describes
one such hunt which he attended as fol-
lows:
"Our array In the field must have
been a grand and imposing one to those .
who had never seen the like. No less than }
400 horsemen, all mounted and anxiousiy
waiting the word Start took up their po-
sition in a line at one end of the camp,
while Capt. Wilkie. with his spy glass at
his eye, surveyed the buffalo, examined
the ground and issued his orders At 8
o'clock the whole cavalcade broke ground
and made for the buffalo, first at slow
trot then at a gallop. and lastly at fun
speed. Their advance was over dead
level plain having no hollow or shelter OF
any kind to conceal their approach.
Herd Took Flight.
when the horsemen started the cattle
might have been mile and half ahead,
but they had approached to within 400 or
zoo wards before the bulls curved their
more the herd took flight, and horse and
rider are presently seen bursting in among
them; shots are heard and all is smoke.
dust and hurry. The latest are first sin
eled for slaughter, and in less time than
we have occupied with the description a
thousand carcasses strew the plain. Those
who have seen a squadron of horse dart
into battle may imagine the scene. which
we have skill to depict. The earth
seemed to tremble when the horses start
ed. but when the animals fed II was like
~ nf ar he al
darkened; the rapid firing, at first dis
tinct, soon became more and more faint
and at last died away in the distance. Two
hours and all was over. but several hours
elapsed Before the result was known or
the hunters reassembled. In the evening
no less than 1875 tongues were brought
into camp"
1t Is estimated that up to this time Co.,
600 buffaloes had been destroyed by these
Red river half-breeds alone. The extermi-
nation OF the great race had begun. but
1t as yet was progressing very slowly. But
a few years later, when the building or
the first transcontinental railroad made 1t