The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-10
WOMAN KILLS ONE
Party of Ladies on buffalo Hunt
in Early Days.
Hutchinson Woman Among Par
ty Who Saw Big Herd.
HE LOSES HIS GUN
New Yorker Lays 1t Down While
Hunting for Hat.
Prairie Covered With Bison
When Hunters AwOke.
HE LOSES HIS GUN

Hutchinson, Kan, Oct. UNITS Alleh
Shafer. who resides in the Atwood
flats. is probably the only lady resid-
inc in Hutchinson now who has, with
her own hands, killed wild buffalo
Mrs. Shafer was one of four ladies
who each killed a buffalo during a
hunt in the sand hills near the MINES
cab. in Reno county, thirty eight years
ago this summer
The story of that buffalo hunt is wei
told in an account written in 1873 Sne
says:
Marshall, Mr. and Mrs. Everts, AMI
myself with fifteen others, including
the clerk of the court, his two sisters
and a niece; the county clerk ana SIS
ter; railroader from Chicago, ana d
gentleman from New York-ln all q
party of twenty, with four wagons,
twelve horses, and two dogs
Camp on Ninnescah.
After riding twenty miles we reach
ed the Minnesota, where we stopped Tor
dinner Taking up our line of march
after dinner. we were surprised to find
the country building up so fast. We
found the settlements far beyond the
Minnesota, and were at once convinced
that we were no longer at the front
Nothing of Importance transp1red
until about %. m. when we saw a vast
herd of buffalo grazing leisurely along
at our left, which created quite an eX-
citement for a short time, as a great
many of the party had never seen
herd of buffalo before.
1.-The gentlemen hurried around and
gathered buffalo chips, and by the time
we had our fire fairly started two
horsemen came in with some nice
fresh buffalo steak for supper, having
succeeded in killing one. One of the
horsemen lost his hat, but We soon
manufactured one out of paper, which
answered the same purpose.
I'VE soon retired and as it was our
first experience in camp life, we did
not rest very well for while. Finally,
the camp became very quiet, but it did
not last long, as we were soon aroused
by the believing Of the buffaloes and
the bowling of the wolves.
1T was very little we slept that
night, for the buffaloes were running
were afraid they would stampede the
horses.
Prairie was Covered.
I'VE arose at the earliest dawn Of
day and what a sight we beheldl The
prairie was literally covered with buff
falo on all sides as far as the eye could
reach. A couple of ladies and gentle
men went out on horseback and sue
ceeded in killing another one for break
fast.
After breakfast they drove two
calves into camp, killed one, which
lassoed and staked the other one.
1.-THE gentlemen mounted their horses
and the ladies brought up the rear in q
wagon, and in a short time they sue
ceeded in killing fifteen. We left Mar
shall to guard the camp and calf. We
had gone but short distance when
we heard the report of a revolver, and
hurrying back to camp we found the
calf dead and Marshall missing, but he
soon made his appearance reporting
that he had killed a buffalo After hold
ing a post mortem examination we
found that the calf had died from be-
ing overheated in chase. After consid-
cradle search we found that Marshall
had actually killed a buffalo.
Each Woman Kills One.
1.-The next morning, after breakfast, a
party of eight-four gentlemen and four
ladies, myself included, left camp and
rode into the sand hills to get a good
shot at the buffaloes. We found a few
and each lady succeeded in killing one.
We returned to camp. and found the
rest hunting the New Workers. gun. He,
not being accustomed to the prairie,
foolishly laid it down while hunting for
his hat he lost the night before, and
we had considerable fun at his expense.
I'VE soon after started for home,
camping on the Minnesota. but soon
the mosquitoes were taking possession
of the camp and US, SO concluded to
take a short drive by moonlight. We
drove on a high bank and camped for |
the night. We started next morning |
at early dawn, and reached home at
8 o'clock