Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-26
EhRntng G4at

Colonel Henry w. Shoemaker. the
Altoona publisher and historian, whose
collections of the early history OF
Pennsylvania as province and State, OF
Indian legends and the traditions of
the mountains and valleys, have at
tracted national attention, has just
completed the epitaph of the bison in
the Keystone State. The work, which
Is the result of personal Investigations
by this eminent lover of the wild life
of Pennsylvania. is dedicated to tin
man who has done so much to per-
petuate the ancient lords of the Ameri-
car woods and plains-Dr. w. T.
Hornaday, curator of the New York
geological Garden. Colonel Shoe
makers booklet is all butt up from
original sources. He went out and
found the descendants of the men who
| had learned from the lips of their
| fathers and grandfathers of the days
when the bison roamed in the Susque-
| hanna valley. He comments upon the
fact that William Penn and the early
travellers in the State do not mention
the bison The buffalo that lived in
| Pennsylvania was a cousin of the
| monarch of the old-time western plains
| and he was classified as the wood
| bison. Just before the French and
| Indian War the bison were known to
he in the State west of the Alleghenies,
| having been driven west of the Sus-
! quehanna probably a generation be-
| fore. Colonel Shoemaker tells of the
| famous buffalo path" that was in the
| Buffalo valley in Union county and
crossed Jacks and White Mountains
and of the presence of buffalo in Clear
! field county, where there were large
herds. and of the immense numbers
seen and later killed in Clarion and
Armstrong counties back in very early
days.
In the course of his definite location
or the bison the colonel writes: There,
was salt spring in Dauphin county
which the bison visited in Spring and
Fall. 1t was situated in the wilds of
Stoney creek country and the vast
herds TO reach 1t crossed the river at
Trademarks Island, near the mouth OF
the Juniata. Many were drowned at
high water, so intent were they to
reach their favorite retreat" From
this IL would seem that long years ago.
probably about the time that John
Harris was starting the ferry, buffalo
| were roaming up about the Rockville
gap. But the reckless, wasteful hunter,
the rigors of winter, the taking up of
land and the wolves drove the buffalo
away from the lands of the Susque-
hanna and the Juniata and the slaugh-
ter extended into the Ohio watershed.
".Ali through Pennsylvania" writes the
CO onel, "the story was the same, wan
ton, sordld and unnecessary, the ami
|
could have been domesticated and
furnished hides and beef to a vast
population. Perhaps it is just as we'll
that so few of the details of the pass
ing of the Pennsylvania bison are
available. as they would sicken and
disgust all thoughtful and sensible per-
sons, yet word to the wise is suffi-
cient to stay the hand that is bent on
wiping out the remaining forms of
wild life in the Keystone State"
Colonel Shoemaker, who gives the
names and homes of people who told
him of the memories of the last buff
falo and whose location of the herds
and the stamping grounds of the giant
bulls, also renders an interesting pic
ture of the PENNSYLVANIA bison. 1t is
interesting to know that probably 200
Years ago, or about the time John
Harris was building his first stock
houses along the Susquehanna below
Mulberry street. there were perhap.
erazing on the lands near old PaxtM
; Church some of these animals and
! that they were known in the Cum
berland and Juniata valleys The
bison of Pennsylvania was a tremen-
dous animal" says Colonel Shoe
maker. Like the wood bison of the
fanks of the Rocky Mountains and
Canada Northwest, he exceeded in size
the buffaloes met with west of Ohio,
Pennsylvania bison was very dark
many of the old bulls being coal-black
with grizzly white hairs around the
nose and eyes. The hair was very
short with a tendency to crispness or
curliness, especially at the joints The
hump so conspicuous on the western
bison was notable by its absence The
first settlers on seeing the animals
called them wild bulls" The legs
were long and fore and back legs
evenly placed. the heavy front q
meager hind quarters of the western
bison were not present; in other words
the Pennsylvania bison was a beauti-
fully proportioned beast. He was an
agile runner and climber, carried no
, superfluous flesh and was adapted in
every way for life in a rough, noun
famous country. The bulls often
weighed ton; the mature cows half
that much" 1t is also noted that they
preferred the forests, but often summed
themselves in abandoned Indian fields
The mountain regions of Pennsylvania
. were their favorite place and they
, fingered until the persimmon snow
; Colonel Shoemaker has done a service
in his collection and publication of the
story of the bison and many will read
1t in years to come and wonder at the
wastefuiness of the early hunter.
|
]. J. Oller, who was here yesterday
for the meeting of the trustees OF
JGniata College. is one of the promi-
; nent men of Waynesboro, where he is
identified with many interests. He has
Eeen active in affairs of the college for
years.