Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-01-05

their followers to the left Till they would final
" circle round and round
ION this morning the buifaloes were accom-
modatIng, and I soon had them running In
beautiful circle, when dropped them thick and
fast until I had killed 38. which finished my
run. Comstock began shooting dit the rear OF
the herd which he was chasing, and they kept
straight on He succeeded, however. In killing
g. but they were scattered over distance OF
three miles, while mine lay close together. had
nursed' my buffaoes, billiard player does
the balls when he makes big run.
while taking short rest, we suddenly spied
another herd OF buffaloes coming toward u.s. 1t
was only a small drove, and we at once prepared
to givezthe animals a lively reception. They
proved to be Z herd of cows and caives-which
: BY the way, are quicker In their movements than
the bulls We charged In among them, and con-
cluded my run with score of Is, while Com
stock killed IA. The score now stood 56 to 81
In my favor.
after we had eaten lunch which was spread
for us, we came up close to another herd. AS I
was so far ahead OF my competitor In the num-
Der killed. thought | could afford to give an
extra exhibition Of my skill. !. So, leaving my
saddle and bridge with the wagons. we rode to
the windward Of the bufraloes as usual, and when
within few hundred yards of them dashed
into the herd. ! soon had Is laid out on the
ground, the last one OF which had driven down
close to the wagons where the ladies were. 1t
frightened some OF the tender creatures to see
the buffalo coming at full speed directly toward
them; but when he had got within 30 yards OF
enc OF the wagons / shot him dead In his tracks.
This made my 69th buffalo, and finished my
third and last rum Comstock having killed 46.
AS 1t was now late In the afternoon, Com
stock and his hackers gave up the idea that he
could beat me- and thereupon the referees de-
elared me the winner of the match, as well as
the champion buffalo hunter Of the plains"
Although Cody won the title OF champion buf-
falo hunter with his record OF killing 80 OF
the animals In one day, he was far from being
the champion buffalo killer" That dubious hon.
sr Git indeed 1t could be awarded to any In
divlduaD WAS to be reserved for one OF the army
Of hide hunters who In little more than de-
Sade were to drive the buffalo to the verge Of
extinction, Armed with the heavy Sharps buf-
falo rifle which fired a slug of lead two inches
In length, half an inch In diameter and weigh
ing eight toAa pound and the complement to the
rife, shooting rest made of two sticks tied
together X-fashion, which were set In the ground
to support the barrel OF the Sharps. the hide
hunter would weep up herd OF buffalo and
methodically sch to work shooting down the anil
mails until he had killed everyone In range or
until the smell OF blood after few had been
killed stampeded the remainder OF the herd.
The late Wyatt carp, famous gun fighter and
peace officer OF Dodge City, Kan, and Tomb
stone Ariz. who was buffalo hunter at one
time In his career, In an interview few years
before his death had the following to say about
the work OF the hide hunter: with the best OF
luck single hunter might kill 100 bnffaloes In
day from several stands That would be all
that four SINNERS could handle. found that
the average bunch would stampede by the time
30 or 40 OF their number had been killed. In
nv years on the plains the known record kill
from 4 single stand was held by Tom Nixon a
famous shot who made headquarters ut Dodge.
He managed to knock over 40 animals without
moving his rest sticks, but he ruined his Sharps
Yne In doing 30. / have known other hunters
who boosted OF records OF more than 100 from d
stand. The best authenticated total for seasons
kill WAS set BY Billy Tilghman, who afterward
served with me as peace officer. He took $500
hides between September first OF one year and
April FIRST of the next; no buffalo hunter that
knew On the plains ever topped that score"
An adequate idea Of the wholesale destruction
Of the animals may be obtained from the data
collected by the wei known frontier historian, e.
A. BrinInstool, and presented In one chapter OF
His invaluable chronicle Of border history flight
ing Red Clouds WARRIORS" In 1t he says In part
~Of the vast numbers Of these great animals
N the western plains between 1850 and 1888
when the hast big herd was practically exter-
minated statisH uanS DIFFER, but In the year 1856