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

their numerous enemies. they still exist in count
less numbers, and could any steps be taken to
tect them is done in respect of other game,
they would remain the life and ornament Of
the boundess prairies. and afford ample and
falling provision to the travellers these other
wise desert plains. Some idea of the prodigious
slaughter of these animals may be formed by men,
tioning the fact that upward of 100000 buffalo
robes find their way into the United States and
Canada.
Within ten years an army of white hunters was
making a business of following the herds and
slaughtering them for their hides. In 1871 st
Louis firm bought 25OOOO In Cheyenne in 1872
Union Pacific she'd IT'S by 60 feet and 80 feet
high, was so full of hides that the walls bulged
Fort Benton sent $4,000 hides to market in 1876
More than 100000 hides were marketed 1865
1875-at an average price of one dollar hide
Buffalo Bill" Cody got his sobriquet by killing
4,300 buffalo in Is months for the feeding of la.
borers building the Union Pacific.
By the later sixties the buffalo had been divided
into north and south herds by the transcontinenta
railroad and the end in sight The last free
herd was captured in 1888 in tho Texas "Pan-
handle" BY 1900 there were no free buffalo ex-
cept the wild herd in Yellowstone National park
and the wood buffalo of northern Canada
The old print representing white hunters killing
buffalo gives an Incorrect idea of the hunt The
buffalo was speedy enough to rival good horse
The hunter, in the early days, used to get along
side and fire his rife from the saddle never from
the shoulder He loaded on the run by taking
loose powder from a pocket pouring 1t into the
muzze of his rifle taking bullet from his mouth
and dropping it into the muzzle The saliva would
hold the bullet on the powder long enough for him
to fire. He never dsmounted except to finish off
a wounded animal
Buffalo Bill and the professional hide-hunters
slaughtered in this way: The buffalo does not see
well, but has very keen SMELL So the hunter
crept up on the herd to leeward to easy range of
heavy Sharp's rifle, with telescope sight There
he lay and picked off his animals at his leisure
The buffalo, terrified and bewildered by the sight
and smell of blood, huddled together and did not
run. When the hunter had killed to the capacity
of his skinning outfit he called it day and quit.
The buffalo, notwithstanding it's SIZE was NOT
hard animal to kill, provided the hunter was ov
perlenced and knew where to place his bullet But
the first attempts of greenhorn were almost in
variably unsuccessful Says Ruxton:
No animal requires so much killing as q buffalo
shot enrough the lungs or spine, they in
wounded, or even struck through the very heart
they VIII frequently run considerable distance be-
the ball passing directly through the very center
OF the heart and tearing hole Sufficiently large
enough to insert the finger, which ran upwards OF
half mile before it fell. The head of the
buffalo bull is so thicky covered with coarse ~
matted hair that ball fired at half a dozen PAGES
will not penetrate the skull through the shaggy
frontlock 1t is most painful sight to wit
ness the dying struggles of the huge beast The
buffalo Invariably evinces the greatest repugnance
to lie down when mortally wounded, apparently
there is hope for him. A. bull shot through the
heart or LUNGS with blood streaming from his
mouth. and protruding tongue, his eyes rolling,
bloodshot and glazed with DEATH braces himself on
his legs, swaying from side to side, stamps impa-
tently at his growing weakness, lifts his
rugged and matted head and helpessly bellows out
his conscious impotence. Gouts of purple blood
squirt from his mouth and nostrils, and gradually
falling limbs refuse longer to support the pom
derous carcass; more heavily rolls the body from
side to side until suddenly for brief instant 1t
becomes rigid and still; convulsive tremor seizes
1t and with low sobbing gasp the huge animal
falls his side, the limbs extended stark
stiff, and the mountain of flesh without life
motion.
Appetites were vigorous in the old days on the
Great Plains and the plainsmen found the buffalo
good eating. as all writer's of that day bear wit
ness.
The tongue and hump were generally regarded
as the tidbits. And there is abundant testimony
that Indian European and American preferred
"bufier ribs" to the choicest bits of speciaIIv
fattened beef critter"