Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-11-28
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER %, 1907.
BUFFALO CHIPS.
A Well.Nigh Extinct Fuel OF the
Western Plain.

Western Plain.
On the high plains of the arid West
the buffalo chip remains to-day an
enduring memorial. Formed of
finely comminuted prairie grass, its
surface remains year after year unaf-
fected by the weather. except that
annually It grows little harder, un-
til at last It will almost turn the edge
of an ordinary knife. The winters
SHOWS beat upon 1t without changing
1t, the spring rains merely dampen it's
surface, and even long storm hardly
vets through the sixteenth part OF
an inch. The destruction Of the chip
comes from below, where dampness
Is held, where insects bore and bur-
row. and where moisture and the
richness Of the ground encourage a
growth OF vegetation. Around the
chips border grow taller stalks of
grass and weeds, sometimes forcing
their way through its thin margin.
80 gradually, but very slowly, the
material of the chip is eaten away
from the under side, until at last
the wind will pick up and roll along,
and which may then easily be broken
up and disappear. Yet, to-day. over
many portions of the plains genuine
buffalo chips may be found in large
numbers. Often on dry place they
are almost unchanged, and might be
thought to be only year or two
old. Again they are surrounded by
a thick fringe of vegetation, and are
firmly anchored to the ground by it.
Often these Oldest ones are full of
holes bored in them by insects or
larvae of some fly or beetle that has
deposited It's eggs in the mass while
yet 1t was fresh.
In the early days of travel over
the treeless plains the buffalo chip
often furnished the only fuel that was
to be had. The dry chips burned
slowly and made hot and fairly
lasting fire, over the Goals Of which
cooking was done with great deal of
comfort. After camp had been made
the first duty of all hands was to
scatter over the surrounding prairie
with gunny sacks, blankets and hats
to gather the buffalo chips which
were to be used to prepare the even.
ing meal. All the early books speak
of the use of this fuel. and mention
its excellence as matter Of curiosity
and interest; yet it is by no means
peculiar to America. On the high
plateaus of Tartary and Tibet the
dung of camels and of yaks has been
used for the same purpose time out
of mind.
In dry weather no better fuel could
be found than the buffalo chip, but
II the weather had long been dami>,
or, worse still, II there had been 1.
heavy rainstorm, the kindling of
fire of buffalo chips was difficult,
sometimes an impossible task. With
out this fuel the difficulties OF old
time travel over the Western plains
would have been many times multi.
piled. 1t furnished heat with which
to prepare warm and nourishing food,
often at critical times, and often gave
the fire which kept men from perish
ing through cold.
BY the Indians of the plains the
buffalo was esteemed sacred above
all other animals, and naturally so.
since it furnished them with food
and shelter and clothing. They also
held the buffalo chip sacred. In many
of their ceremonies it was used some
times to typify the buffalo. sometimes
as a support to keep some sacred OBJ
ject from resting upon the ground. A
sacred pipe might be placed upon
buffalo chip, and other sacred objects
were often put upon it, sometimes the
chip itself resting on bed of the
stems OF the white sage.-Forest and
Stream