The Republican journal., 1919-02-13
The Passing of the Buffalo

Everybody has head about the buffalo
and how numerous they were on the
Plains years ago, but today there are not
many men left who know from personal
observation how these ungainly wild
cattle lived
Fifty years ago they migrated with the
seasons up and down the country from
Alberta to Mexico, west of the Missouri
river almost to the Pacific Coast, their
principal range however being Just east
of the Rocky Mountains and eastward to
about middle Nebraska. Once they ranged
clear east to New York State at least, but
that was before the white man came.
Sixty years ago they ranged the plains
in countless thousands and practically
ceased to exist in 1885, except in Yellow
stone Park and one or two other isolated
spots where few head still survive, as is
the case on the Flathead River, where
some of the Allard herd got away and
into the mountains while en- route to
Canada severel years ago. In the old
days the herds dr!fted north in the spring
and south in the fall, following the feed,
which grew with the seasons.
All the Plains Indians depended on the
buffalo for meat, clothes, teepee cover
ings, and about all else that they needed
for everyday life. Plenty of buffalo in
the country meant happiness and plenty
an the Indian camps, while lack of buffalo
in the country meant starvation for the
Indian except for what little meat he
could get by hunting deer, elk, and other
such animals. Antelope usually migrated
about the same time and along with the
ha Ind
usually get antelope when he couldn't
get buffalo.
One day the Plains would be black
with feeding thousands of the big hump
backed animals; the next day they might
all begin to move south and they would
then flow by given point in a steady,
living river OF huge cattle; the next day
1t might be impossible to find single
animal within days ride. They came
and went drifting over the land as the
teed and water conditions dictated. In
summer they lived on the high, grassy
plains 'ot Montana, Saskatchewan, Al
perta and the North, thousands and thous-
ands OF Them In the winter they drift I'd
to the panhandle of Texas, Mexico. and
the arid Southwest
Nowhere in the lworld hasI there ever
existed, so Tar as mans knowledge runs.
such an immense herd of MAGNIFICENT
1000 anlmalS-yet we, as a nation, threw
away TINS supply of beef by killing the
herds for their skins. Think of it! And
buffalo leather was about the poorest ex-
cuse tor leather that ever was known. as
IL was porous as a sponge, though it
would wear, if rightly tanned. like aII-
gator hide.
Inc buffalo was very methodical ami
NAL If left undisturbed Slow moving.
stupid IN way, he asked nothing of life
except that he be given plenty of grass
water, and sunshine. Given these he
would iced, then work his slow way bv
TIE easiest grade to the nearest water
tdIo anything wet was water to a buf
1aloh drink, rest, feed drink and rest in
never ending cycles from the day he was
porn TO the day some Indian gathered him
IN and dried his flesh in the summer sun
TO eat when winter came.
INDIANS Killed buffalo by the thousands
aI 'lme by running them over cliffs
'calIed ''p'Skun' by the BIackfeeb but
1ney never wasted any meat or hides.
lheSe olg Killings by the Indians were
siihp4Y harVests of meat and skins which
they look when they could from migrat-
aug NERDS and cured to last until such
tifhe as the herds should drift back-but
.he ladlan never wasted or killed need
lessly,
Inc feeding habits of buffalo resulted
IN Their moving over the same ground
many times, therefore they made deep
traliS from water to feeding grounds, and
THESE trails were always in the shane of a
oranG hlng tree with the roots to water
and the tops or climbs" stretching out on
the ridges and feeding grounds
BY instinct the big animals followed
low, easy grade from the highest point of
lle leeding- grounds to water, and this
grace was always maintained, so buffalo
trans always looked as though thew had
peen lad out by civil engineer-there
was, never any abrupt rise or fall in anv
iran and they were always good roads to
IolioW' indeed the Union Pacific Rail-
ROAD Is practically "built on top of buff
ialo trall' froG. Omaha to Ogden and
somewhat beyond
Wolves always hung about the herds
ready to pull Down SICK or disabled AMI.
mails. A wounded buffalo always went
to water to die if he could, so every water
mole was surrounded with bieached bones
hey persisted by thousands sometimes in
crossing high or icy streams, but they
came and went like the tides until the
whlte man came and killed them need
iessiy as he does everything.