The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-08-09
BY e. A. BrininstoOl

o0o ~
the old days in countless thousands
is conceded by old plainsmen an
army officers of the SOS and '70s t
have been the main solution of tn
Indian question. In the early days
when this noble game animal roame'
over what was then called 9Th
Great American Desert" the red NAL
placed no dependence upon tn
Great Father" at Washington TO
food and raiment, for it was the buf
falo, chiefly, which furnished hin
both.
Nearly every part of the body O.
the buffalo was utilized, and yer,
little went to waste in an Indiar
camp. There was a variety of ways
of dressing the skin of the animal
depending upon the use to which il
was to be put; but the hide itself
furnished the noble red man" with
a lodge and covering to sleep upon,
some of his weapons of war Chiefly
the shield, which was made from the
very thick tough hide of the buffalo's
neck) "bul1 boats" for crossing the
streams, material for his saddle,
halters for his ponies, hair for orna-
Pun POoOO, WhllC hloAy OlaCi
articles of Indian use came from the
skin of this great beast.
When the herds began to be deci-
mated by the ruthless white hide
hunters, every part of the flesh of
the buffalo found ready use among
the Indians. Even the intestines
were often eaten raw during the pro-
cess of butchering and cutting up
Old-time hunters and trappers all
agreed that the flesh of the buffalo
especially that of a young cow OF calf
was an ideal meat, and I have
heard many old former buffalo hunt
ers assert that civilized beef was no
comparison. Others have ~contended
that it was tough and stringy. Yet
other authorities state that many an
invalid has gone out on the plains
and recovered his health with no
shelter but the sky and no food but
the flesh of the buffalo.
"Jerked buffalo" was one of the
most common of foods in the old
days. 1t was cut into very
thin strips and hung up in the open
air to dry. The pure plains atmos-
phere was such that the meat cured
quickly and would keep indefinitely
when thus prepared. Another article
of food made by the Indians from
the flesh of the buffalo was spemmi-
The thin strips of meat we're
dried until hard and crisp, after
they were ~pulverized and mix
ed with a certain amount of buffalo
fat or tallow. This preparation was
packed inside skin bags, sealed
and stored away for future
use. 1t is said to have been one of
he most nutritious of foods.
In spite of the fact that the plains
was practically t~reeless, save
along the banks of streams, the
of the old days had little
,r no difficulty in procuring plenty
# fuel with which to prepare his
meals. The dried dung of the buff
alo, commonly called buffalo
made a most excellent sub
titute for wood, and burned readily,
With a hot, smokeless flame, and
yerywhere throughout the buffalo
was found in great quantities.,
nd was always handy.
Although the buffalo was ordinar-
not considered pugnacious or dan
erous, when wounded this ponder s
us brute made a most formidable {
and would often turn
gainst its pursuer and disembowel i
horse. Buffalo hunting from horse ]
ack was considered the peer of all b
ports in the '70s. Hunting the ami
lal thus was the favorite Indian S
OF keen, and it depended upon it's r
~ of rr.ao1l - -vo-- - f11 49, n
les were near. When great herds b
T countless thousands of these huge v
were stampeded they turned t
side for nothing, but rushed madly O
.ong, needless of anything, often to n
leir own destruction. .
The Indian method of hunting was 81
snerally by what a termed a fl
surround" The attack was made d
lder carefully-prepared methods, y,
Id attended by the most solemn ce- a
tmonial proceedings prior to the "
int. These surrounds" we're d.
enes of the widest and most excit- A
G disorder. The buffalo was a diff tc
cult animal to kill unless a bullet Of
arrow pierced the heart. w
But it was by the "still-hunting" in
ethod that the American bison was &C
actically exterminated by the white
an. AS the name suggests, the tie
approached his quarry CT
under cover as much as ri
a convenient coulee or ra- pl
le often serving to allow the slayer an
approach within a very short dis pr
nee of the herd. Unless scented, We
3 hunter was then ready for the tr,
.ughter. The gun in general use RI
long these hide-hunters was the m,
Sharps rifle of AS and so cali tn
+, shooting from 80 to 125 grains an
powder and from $50 to 600 ais
aims of lead. The killer would sa.
'ead his loaded shells on the in,
ound, or in his hat, and commence
the nearest animals. The re- ca
TT of the rifle seldom alarmed tin
herd, and as long as the shooter "p
out of sight, it was the fol
It thing to shooting tame cattle in be,
open pasture. When a wounded pr;
NAL fell, the others would regard wa
If fallen companion in apparent an.
nderment, and, smelling the blood, lar
y would gather about the stricken to