The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-02-22
KING OF HIS KIND.
The Oldest lnhabitant on the Line OF
the Union Pacific Railroad.

With the compliments OF Mr.. E. L.
Lamox, general passenger and ticket
agent OF the Union Pacific Railroad,
Omaha, Nebraska, we have received
picture 2Ox23 inches which is wor-
thy OF framing. 1t is entitled "The
Oldest Inhabitant on the Line OF the
Union Pacific Railroad, and as
might be easily guessed it is buffa-
lo-a noble representation OF noble
animal. Accompanying the picture
is the following splendid tribute to
this primal "lord of the land now
fast disappearing before the advance
OF civilization:
The Oldest inhabitant--ad him! The
last Of his race-what pity! King OF his
kind-mighty. majestic!
lie has braved the mountain torrents.
He has laughed at heavens deep-rOlling
thunder, His eyes have given responsive
fires to the lightning 8 flash. The lorna
| do has only combed out to tineness his
shaggy name. In protection of his kind
he has hurled splendid defiance at his
cruel foeman-man.
He is type par excellence in the ami
NAL kingdom; type OF courage, power,
nobility. For centuries he has DONNA
ted plain and mountain, forest and
canOn-free, fearless.
Before the Indian, the scout, the pio-
neer, the settler-he was. He has wit
Messed all their advances, encrOach-
ments, innovations, while he fought for
life, land, liberty. the territory was his,
his sacred heritage, and he battled for it
| as the primal, rightful and superb abor
igine.
But man is unfeeling, selfish, destruc-
tive, when nature, animate or lnanlmate
stands in the way of his enterprise and
enrichment. And SO the animal ruler of
the wide, wild Western world was hunt
ed, driven back and brought to the verge
of determination.
1t would challenge artistic talents OF
the finest artist to portray the qualities
and nObilities of such matchless speci-
men of beast creation, and then his mel
ancholy yet defiant grandeur as he wit
messed the merciless extinction OF his
race.
Man, however, is cOnquerOr, and time
is the paramount consideration. Time
is health and wealth, and to time every
thing succumbs. The buffalo, the primal
Lord OF the Land has been driven
back in obedience t. the law Of advanc-
ing clNlilZdulOu ana tue Imperative uc-
mand of time, the speediest time. The
railroad meets the demand OF time, and,
specifically, the Union Pacific Railroad
meets the demand Of the speediest time.
Formerly the race across the great
Western portion OF the continent was by
the horse and the caravan. But some
| thing better was to come. Over twin
lines OF STEEL climbing peaks. threading
| canons, covering vast plains, came the
| first engine of advancing civilization,
| with it's human freightage in eager
| search of the one supreme goal-life and
| prosperity. But still the best had not
| been attained.
How weary the caravan! How te-
| dious the early railway passage over the
| great Western world! The elimination,
| however, was to come-has come.
And this widely coveted zenith, this
supreme desideratum OF man and object
of mans search is here. On Union Pa
cific train, "The Overland Limited"
electric lighted equipped with every luxu-
| ry and comfort, one crosses the Western
| Continent of America in two nights from
| Chicago.
acknowledgements If it means
extinction to one OF the noblest types OF
the animal kingdom, it also means res
erection to man who was made lord
OF that kingdom; a resurrection into a
wider, grander sphere OF development,
usefulness and higher civilization.