Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-03-23

Craze until the following day, when
they would again go to the stream.
While the herd ranging the prairies
grazed in an aimless way, and were ap-
parently guided in their movements by
the scarcity OF forage in one place, or
its abundance in another, yet when it
came to moving from one grazing
ground 10 another, where the grounds
we're some distance apart, or, when 60
ing from a grazing ground to a stream,
they always followed an established
trail Many OF these old buffalo trails
are today plainly discernible.
The buffalo were but little disturbed
b. the Indians during the spring and
summer months, only sufficient to meet
their needs of the day" being killed
Ii was not until October or later, when
the fur was in prime condition, that the
great hunt was made to secure the win
ter's supply of meat, as well as to Sc
cure hides for tepee covers, clothing,
bedding and trading purposes.
1t was when the Union Pacific rail
road was being built, in lS59-'7O that
the real slaughter of the buffalo began.
The animals were easily approached, in
the early days, by the hide hunters.
Thousands Of men hocked to the plains
to enter this new and novel "indus-
try" and so countless were the hides
which were thrown upon the market
that the price dwindled from 81 and
S5 to ST. 1t was found that The buff
falo leather made excellent betting for
machinery, and the demand soon be-
came enormous. AT one time 10000
hides were stacked in a corral at Dodge
City, Kansas, awaiting shipment. Tho
hide hunters took only the skin, leav-
ing the carcass TO rot, while hundreds
OF men-be it said to their disgrace.
slaughtered buffalo for the mere wanton
pleasure Of killing.
Statistics gathered by Major Henry
lnman show that from 1868 to 1881, q
period of thirteen years, there was
paid out in Kansas alone So, 500, 900 for
buffalo bones gathered on the prairies
to be utilized by the various carbon
works of the country. 1t required
about 100 carcasses to make one ton of
bones, the average price paid being
about So ton, and the sum mentioned
above represents the skeletons of over
THIRTY-ONE MILLIONS of buffalo,
And this from but one State!
One night in the early seventies
Gen. Phil Sheridan and Major Inman
we're occupying the Office of Robert M.
Wright, a prominent resident of Dodge
City, Kan They had just made tho
trip from Fort Supply, and Mr.. Wright
was called into the Office to consult
with the officers as to the probable
number OF buffalo there were between
Dodge and Fort Supply. Taking
strip fifty miles east and fifty miles
west, they had first made an estimate
Of TEN BILLIONS. Gen. Sheridan
said, ''That won't do" They figured q
while longer and made it one billion
Finally they reached the conclusion
that there must be 1OO,OO0,O0O. but
aid they were afraid to give out those
figures lest they might be accused of
p.cvaricating, but that they believed
them, nevertheless. This immense
herd moved slowly toward the north
Wien spring opened, and movet'
steadily back again to the south when
liz days began to grow short ans win
ter set in.
The buffalo was an animal not easily
frightened unless it Smelled or detect
ed 2n enemy, and even then would oc-
caSionally not become alarmed. Ar
old plainsman remarked once, when the
army post where he was stationed was
in need of frsh meat, he located a herd.
and sitting on the ground within less
than one hundred yards of them, he
shot down two cows and thirteen
caves, the others not attempting to
save. He stated that it was necessary
. drive the others away by shouting
81 waving his hat in order to dress
=. cut Up the game already secured.
:: the same time, the old frontiersman
lid, herd which might stand and be
,,ot at without stampeding, woall, az
other hour, rush head 'ong over the
'irie in mad flight without aay ap-
pt~ent reason for so doing.
The completion of the western rail
rods divided the buffalo into ;v.5 i'm
mr1se herds-the northern am ssIth-