Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-02-19
History Of the Buffalo
in the Pioneer DAYS

ons Scatts Phillip herd Of buffalo.
Kept II 4 10000 acre pasture near
IN urt fiefre, South Dakota, has been
piaced on the market by the admin.
tstFdt3fs Of the estate Of the late own.
81. settty Phillip. This heed of buf.
TIE largest in the United States,
now Includes 10 yearlings. Sc head of
lWo~-yeacolds, and 275 head of three.
year4ol8s and older. They are all full
9 los Of them born In captivity.
ihere aTa in addition "a number of
breeds crossed with the domestic COW.
The s,le Of the herd is being arrang-
ed by John Sioat of Gettysburg. South
Dakota, and Mr.. Carson Williams OF
Sioux city, Iowa. Mr.. Sloat is in
communication with the Canadian
government, with a view of selling
the entire herd to be semi to reserves
IN Alberta, where the Pueblo bunch
of buffalo was sem u few years ago.
Fifteen mead have already been sold
the Unjted States government TO be
shipped to the Wind Cave National
Park near Hot Springs, South Dakota.
The assintegrating of this famous
herd is feeuls regretted by those who
knew something of its history. and in
giem of The fact that the buffalo is
axtineE IN its native state, it is hoped
that Ia some way arrangements may
be made to keep the herd in this
coniitrss and In one bunch
PrioE isTs buffalo were plentiful
IN sotsts uakota, particularly in that
portion os the state which Hes be
tween The Missouri river and the
Black tails. This Same region was
also tha heme from s5ae lnmemorfai
OF the Sioux Indians After being
for sore years az apparent subsection,
IN Is As s4pax under Sitting Bull. +
weut the BaGrz5h, There follow.
ed Abe Of Caster al The Lit {
RE - A1ga and other warlike ex-
curs az siazlaE nature, after which /
faae Ssax became outlaws ana wan. /
aera5 lag4a tAtpHga North Dakota a
and Maataaa driving buffalo before 2
faesa 81 tasy weni, FTeighters and h
asrs vito Travelled the trail from g
Pierre 10 TAG Black Hills. and from t
Fort sandal. 70 Bismarck during the d
seaFs Immediately following 1876, say
thar during the next four or five years I
we're never seen in that sec a
Jon nS The country,
IN tHe summer of 1880, the Sioux
surrendered and having re-
turned to their country, the buff
talo began to drift back again. Dur. 5
ing the summer of 1880 and during i
W1!tter following, buffalo hunting ?
was an absorbing occupation for y
white lei and Indians alike, and II
there occurred a massacre of game I
is probably unparalleled in history. ?
The Indians hunted the buffalo on n
horseback, using light rifles. They i
united in bands, and would spend Q
on the trail ~maneuyering a bunch /
if buffalo into a position where they 0
sDuld ride in on them before STAN. I
the herd. The discipline Of
.hese hunting parties was strict, and i
t was almost a fatal offense for any d
member Of the party to violate any Q
If the rules of the game. Often they y
would East for days, while working !
to an advantageous position :
When the right moment came they !
would ride their horses ~furiously to :
dose range, when they could find the !
vital saot with their light rifles. An =
would give anything he pos .
sesses for a good pony trained for :
hunting, !
The white hunters We're less crafty !
and more brutal in their methods. y
They Used large so calibre guns, so :
heayag That a support was necessary :
tn taking aim. and which would kill a !
buffaie d half mile distant. Shooting J
At their prey from this distance, the !
buffaIn would not know what caused
III Of their number to fall to the !
ground iii a death struggle, and would
gather around e~uriously while the
hunters dropped them n by n
Tshe only parts Of the buffalo which
were considered Of any value We're the
hide aud the tongue. These having I
been removed the rest Of the carcass
left for the coyotes, or to rot In
ahe sun. The hides were sold to the
traders. principally At the forts, and
the tongues were used for food. 4
chainberlain paper published in 1851
recorgis the arrival of q hunter from
mp ttss river with y hulnboat filled
With dried buffalo tongues. for which
lie found 4 ready sale. Buffalo hides
q eg quantity could be bought for
so each,
So far rs known the last wild but
faio killed east 81 the river was one
Shot by u. r Gross. In Potter county,