Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-04-12
Hunted Buffalo Here
The Story of - -
crf rss:i5 %s i: s. Of Fifty Years Ago

ualIy Win Sixty W OHe LuHuTeu CdiIs.
When they had several days start of
him he would follow. In his "prairie
schooner he soon caught up, keeping
with the train until within a days
drive of the city, then going ahead to
arrange for thu. accommodation of the
party, finding buyers for the furs and
buying goods for the settlement.
1t took three months to make the
round trip. The drivers had to walk
both ways as the carts in which the
furs were brought were used to bring
back settlers or their effects or provi-
sions for the village. Thirty dollars
was considered good wages for this
trip and popular traders were often
able to interest young men of the time
to make the trip for their expenses.
Sixteen miles was considered a good
distance to make each day. Every
cart train had its violin and their
evenings were spent in singing, jig
ging and fancy dancing before the
camp fire. MIR. Monette gives a vivid
description of the camp life There
were many classes of society then as
now. The sober and thrifty, when
their surplus goods were sold invested
the money in carts, ponies, oxen, etc.
Others spent their money freely and
when the incapable hunter, the lazy
or spendthrift, went up for the hunt
he might have but one or two outfits
while others might own twenty to
thirty. Each was allowed to bring
back all thier conveyances could carry
Only the choice part of the meat was
taken because they seldom could bring
back all they killed. Preparing the
meat for the use of the families was
done by the old men, women and chill.
dren, who did not run the buffalo.
They stayed at the tents and did all
such work as curing the hides (Which
will be described later) cutting up the
latter and drying the meat and pre-.
for summer use.
They were constantly changing their
camping ground when on the chase and
not being long in any locality they had
very few flies. This fact together
with the pure air, wind and sunshine
made meat curing a short and pleasant
occupation. The result of a. success.
full hunt could be cured in a week. Ii
was necessary in camping to select a
place near trees or posts would have
to be provided upon which to pin the
meat for drying. The meat was Gu,
in thin large slices and when dry
would pack as compactly as a bale OF
!, hay. Pemmican was made by cooking
: this dried meat over a very slow fire.
This fire was made in a hole dug for
the purpose. over this smouldering fire
the meat was placed and allowed to
cook until thoroughly tender. 1t was
! then taken out and pounded with two
q sticks like a fail. When fine it was
mixed with the buffalo tallow which
had been previously tried out. This
, was put into bags and would keep in
definitely. The pemmican bags were
made from scraped and dried raw
buffalo hide. which was closely sew
up with the sinew from the buffalo
that had been previously dried, Carts
and sleds were used to convey the
meat to the tents-the latter de-
scribed as being much like a toboggar
and vas drawn either by a pony, OK,
dog or native woman. The pony size
was ten by twelve feet long. That
for the dog or woman was six by eigh'
feet. They used a harness which was
= attached to a collar, traces and a wide
/. strip of rawhide along the back were
q also necessary. A dog team consist
4 ed of several dogs in harness hitchet
: on in front of the other. As much a
the meat of two buffalo or one thous