The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-21
blesd3ce of Buffalo.

IA further evidence of the presence
Tthe buffalo III former times about
vLe northern shores Of the Great Salt
ke is found on Promontory Point, q.
3Hnewhat elevated ridge extending
X more than twenty miles south
70 the lake. The backbone Of the
minsula, known through q portion
N It's extent as black range, con-
nsts or an outcropping Of lime rock
IRE. while the foothills and level
-fetches along the shore afford some
>3od pasture land and cultivated
Ids The eastern shore line Is dot
With a. number OF flourishing
nches. while the greater heat and
msequent dryness OF the western
1Dpe has prevented an equal devel-
ment on that side.
Thomas Whitaker, prosperous
pcher of the eastern slope, is thor
pghly acquainted with the whole
pmontory, When a boy herdinG
feep he learned from an old Indian
tradition which relates how the
~ OF tribe OF Indians inhabiting
ne promontory were driven to make
ma stand In u large cave In the
1tns, and there all perished from
lnryatlon and the attacks of the be-
lleglng shoshoDes. Mr.. Whitaker
"a hunted for this cave for years as
NJ gained opportunity, and finally
''put tlree weeks ago came upon a
dkSe cave answering TO the Indians
utseriptlon. 1t is located on the west
slope in the limestone forma ton
out three miles above Mr. Shea
aln's ranch and about twelve miles
t3rlh or Promontory station on the
ucln cutoiI. The cave is 700 feet
'1de and about $50 feet deep, with a
nerock ceiling about twenty-five
et nigh in its greatest elevation. AT
Y vera places on the floor are piles OF
Ek that have seemingly fallen from
Geinng and may have served az
ace at the back OF the cave has
en painted in red the figure OF a
fulcine man or priest with It's polnt-
Il animal ears and crudely- formed
Ey' BY removing eight 10 twelve
Enes OF accumulated dust and small
pne, you come upon the fireplaces,
beds Of cedar bark and the refuse
APE OF u people who once looked
from that cavern home over the
HutlIui eXpanse of waters lying at
Flr 1eet and realized that the world
beautiful after all, even though
~ Ie!loW men were then thfrsting
drlnE their blood and carry off
scalps as evidences of their
WerloTity Lying beneath this aeon
rlated dust OF many decades, that
fs IN suffocating clouds as soon as
<turoed. are pieces OF buffalo skin
<<u slflps or buffalo hide twisted and
1Ru Tor rope, and many moccasins
Fqe OF the skin OF the same power
Inc latter are well made. sAwed
tn sinew and fastened on the foot
"a cord made from fiber that re-
nnles The yucca flber of the cliff
eliers. Scattered everywhere
fough this debris are the bones Of
puitalo, The large leg and Joint
Hss nave been split and broken TO
ttate the extraction OF the mar
r. CHARACTERISTIC of savage peo-
n AS you pile up the remnins of
10y an ancient feast you can readily
Sture the motley throng that once
tFonIloed these fireplaces and hear
II srunts OF barharic satisfaction
n which they stripped the ribs and
dx.eo the fat thighs Of some former
vnarcn or the plains, Now and then
pick up piece OF a broken clav
~ or pitcher These were dark
D& 1n color and show very little
eiener In shaping or burning
sy are ilke the crudest OF the pot
Bz i0und IN the mounds near Will
clty, Such pottery has been
Jd northwest. The moccasins and
crude pottery are the only evil
nces OF the development of any in
trlal art among them. W
Signs of Fight.
tIne did not permit us to maks
fnorough examination OF the cave,
we Iound no human skeletons or.
d1o nlnt weapons that would
evidence OF q. battle having heen
a Hsnr therein or course, il is nos
that all bodies were rem6ved
4 tne victorious Shoshones and all
"a, ,Ro9S appropriated. but one ought
~ at Ie3st some broken arrow
spear points II any serious en-
'meSt took place there or II II