The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-23

Eighteen little buffalo calves are do
ing their best to prove that the race
of buffalo--or bison, as the naturalists
still persist in calling the American buff
falo-is not becoming extinct. These
eighteen little buffalo calves were born
this spring on Antelope Island, and are
now n part of the increasing herd
started on the island quarter Of
century ago by John l.. Dooly.
The Antelope Island herd OF buffaloes
now comprises all told seventy head of
the monarchs Of the plains. 1t has
been slowly increasing since the orig.
inal herd was established but its in
crease was never as marked as this
year. The largest number of buffalo
calves ever born In single season at
Antelope Island was born this spring.
The Antelope Island buffaloes are of
exceptional interest because they are
part of the remnant of the great
herds of millions of buffaloes that once
ranged throughout the continent, Ernest
Seton Thompson s census of American
buffalo alive in 1908 showed approx
mately 1000 buffalo remaining from
the 75,000000 estimated to have ex-
listed in America in 1880.
Nearly Extinct in 1898.
This census, however, showed that
the number of buffaloes was now slowly
increasing. In 1898 the buffalo was
practically extinct. There were all told
not more than 500 alive in thet year.
OF these about one-half were then in
the wild state in northwestern Canada.
OF those then wild there are now
estimated to be about 300 still running
wild. The other buffalo still in eX-
istence comprise large herd fostered
by the Canadian government, Buffalo
Jones's herd IN Oklahoma, a Texan
herd, herd in Montana, the govern
ment herd in Yellowstone National
park, the Dooly herd on Antelope Is
land and few score scattered around
at various geological gardens.
AT Antelope Island in 1905 the herd
numbered 81. Prior to that time the
increase had been very slow. Only
few calves were born each year and the
herd did little better than hold its own
in numbers, From that time on, how
ever, the increase has been more rapid.
Two years later there were 40 in the
herd and now it numbers 70 If this
rate of increase continues the herd,
within another decade, will number
several hundred.
This makes possible the belief that
though almost extinct tho buffalo race
may rally and continue through the
/ centuries, though it is certain that it
will never attain the vast numbers that
OuCc CuIUDRSQ Ine SlSHC plHHls IIOIll IHe
Alleghenies to the Rockies and even
went to the west of the Rockies.
Trail Marked With Skulls.
When Brigham Young and his pio-
neers crossed the plains and came to
Trail with buffalo skulls. on which
were written legends as guides to those
who should follow as TO the path to
Utah. These buffalo SKULLS were found
in great quantities by the pioneers on
their journey. The bleaching of these
skulls on the range marked the begin
ming Of the end of the buffalo.
At that time one vast herd of mil
lions of buffalo roamed from the Rio
GYande almost to Hudson s bay, The
great range was the feeding ground
for this vast herd A combination OF
3 circumstances conspired to end the ca
reer Of the buffalo. Early encroach.
ments of civilization TO the east linn
tied the territory over which the buff
falo might roam Civilization and the
buffalo did not agree.
Originally the buffalo, the Indian and
the wolf shared the great plains. The
buffalo furnished food and warmth for
the aborlgine. There was no great do
mand by the Indians for butfa loes. and
no serious inroads on the buffalo were
then made by the savages, Staying of
Duhalo was then not all easy task. The
Indian With his primitive weapons had
all he could do TO keep his tribe sup
piled with meat and robes from the
buffalo.
But with the advance of civilization
the buffalo was doomed. White man 8
weapons made buffalo hunting easy.
The white man killed the buffalo for
his meat and for his hide. Then ho
began to kill the buffalo for a pastime,
Before the white mans guns, the buf-
falo moved westward, And the Indian
followed the buffalo. The Indian
learned to use the white mans guns
and he too learned to slay for pleasure.
AT the time of the Mormon migra-
tion the buffalo was west Of the Mis-.
sissippi, but on these vast plains he
still existed in great numbers. Then
came the railroads. The construction
blocked by the passage Of great herd
over the right of way Grades were
often leveled by the passage OF the
buffalo.
Period Of Conmercialism.
Finally the great herd was cut in
two by the transcontinental railroad
Then the hunters came on express trains
and with Winchcsters picked off thou
sands of beautiful specimens. The buff
falo robe and coat industry was grow.
a ing. It was the rage to wear buffalo
4 oyercoat The gathering of robes be
came commercial enterprise and the
end OF the buffalo was near at hand