Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-11-12

The Canadian government notwithstanding the
threatened danger of the scientific crime" has al
ready begun the transfer of buffalo from Vain
wright to Fort Smith-a long trip Of more than
600 miles, about ffty-ffty land and water. The
first shipment was an exciting affair." Two hun
dred young animals were cut out from the big
herd and were driven by mounted men by means
OF corral and chute into seven special cars The
railroad took the cars by way of Edmonton to Wa
terways on the Clearwater river tributary of
the Athabasca-a journey of about $50 miles. At
Waterways the buffalo, in good condition, were
transferred to huge scows especially fitted up for
the purpose. Steamers then took them about $50
miles, by way of the Athabasca river, Lake Atha
basca and Slave river. The unique cargo arrived
at La Butte in good condition. The gangways
were let down, the gates were opened and the buff
falo made mighty rush for the shore. In no time
at all the last of the 200 disappearing in the
woods beyond the grass meadows
Now, here is a very queer thing-if it is true
report has come down from the North that some
of these 200 buffalo have made their way back to
the big herd at Wainwright Cats and dogs as
every knows, will travel long distances to get
"back home" An occasional mich COW will travel
fifteen or twenty miles The trained "return
horse Of mining districts of the Rockies was an
Institution of generation ago. But this is a new
story of buffalo only slightly removed from their
natural wildness. Quite journey from Fort Smith
to Wainwright! Perhaps Canada will have to run
a few thousand miles of bufalo-proof fence
When the American people began their march
across the continent there were millions upon mil
lions of buffalo all the way from Oregon to the
Alleghenes They were in the Carolinas and ViF-
GINA in Kentucky and Tennessee and north ia
the Great Lakes They were in Canada clear I'M
to Great Slave lake. They were in northern Mex
ico BY 1900 they had disappeared east of the
Mississippi. In 1850 they were numerous only on
the Great Plains
How
Guess for yourself. Wagon trains had them in
sight for many successive days. The first railroad
trains were frequently stopped for hours Steam
boats on the upper Missouri were stopped by
swimming herds
The buffalo nomadc, wandering in search
of pasturage. They also had certain migratory
movements caused by regional or seasonal changes
in forage or weather. The vast herds were made
up Of coherent bands which marched in files
hence the buffalo trails" Fremont describes the
"great highways, continuous for hundreds of miles,
always several inches, and sometimes several feet
in depth, which the buffalo have made in crossing
from one river to another or in traversing the
mountain ranges" The buffalo swan rivers and
climbed mountains, but ordinarily took the easiest
way as the guides and early railroad engineers
quickly discovered.
Each band in the herd had it's bulls which
formed defensive circle around the cows and
calves in time of danger-whether from blizzard or
HoH Wolves. Only lulrsfoWn grizzly couu pest
full-grown bull-and the grizzly seldom tried.
Nature apparently undertook to prevent an over
plus of buffalo by making the huge animals easily
subject to panic; whole herds have run over a
precipice or into q bog.
The Plains Indian, himself nomad within
tribal boundaries, lived the buffalo. But he
killed only what he needed it is doubtful if he
even kept down the natural increase of the herds.
The white man at first killed for food only. But
he soon became wanton, killing buffalo for the
sake Of the tongue or for slice Of the hump. Pres
emily he saw in the hide an article of commerce
and set the Indians to taking them to the traders.
George Frederick Ruxton, who had been Brit
ish army officer, Travelled extensively in the Ameri-
can Southwest in the early fortes and wrote in
his book, Adventures in Mexico and the Rocky
Mountains" this paragraph Tin 1846):
Notwithstanding the great and wanton destruc-
ton of the buffalo many years must elapse before
this lordy animal becomes extinct. In spite of