The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-08-02

piled high in stacks at convenient
points were loaded upon them and TAX
en- down the river. When the Northern
Pacific was built through, many cars
were loaded also with the hides al
| though there was only one or two sea-
sons after the railroad came that the
business continued.
In the early part of 1887 The Billings
Gazette published an account OF buf-
falo hunting during the height of that
activity which give many interesting
buffalo in the winter OF 1892. By
! 1887, as the article relates, a buffalo
had already become the rarest of sights
except q small bunch in Yellowstone
park. The article was written by A. H.
Hersey, early-day druggist and occa-
| sional newspaper man in Billings. The
article in part follows:
It fell to the lot of the writer to be
sent by a firm at Miles City to the so
called buffalo range" lying between
the Yellowstone and the Missouri rivers,
purpose of purchasing hides and pelt-
ries.
At the time, raw buffalo skins, such
as were suitable to be converted into
robes, usually those of cowS and young
bulls, commanded from SIS to 81 each
in the eastern markets, and the infer
ior and coarser hides chiefly valuable
for leather were worth from So to IS
each.
The permanent occupation of the
country by the army after the dis
possession of the Sioux which followed
the tragic campaign of the Little Big
led to the slaughter of so many buffalo
for the temporary subsistence of the
troops in the field, had attracted at
tention to the profits which were pos
sible to the hunter, among the great
herds roaming through the UNEMPLOYED
regions hitherto sacred only to the saw
ages and soon buffalo hunting develop
ed into a great and important industry.
This was pursued for several years
but eliminated during the winter al
ready alluded to, and throughout that
season a Gordon of camps extended
from the Sweet Grass to Powder river
along the Yellowstone, a distance of
200 miles. and from the mouth of the
MariaS to the MuSSelShel along the
Missouri, a distance almost as far.
Reliable information seems to prove
that not less than $3.50 900 was paid, in
less than five months, to the hunters
in the district described for hides, furs
and peltries, of which the buffalo fur
nished n~ine-tenths.
The winter was exceptionally cold
and began very early, deep SHOWS fall
ing in November which gradually &C
cumulated in repeated storms as the
season advanced, burying the grass up
on the range under great heaps. The
buffalo were driven before the storms
as the icy winds swept down from the
north pole. leading them to seek both
food and shelter in the timber ano
brush copses along the large streams.
They thus remained in the region
watered by the two great rivers anC
were there Systematically hunted to eX-
tinctiOn. From the north as this emf
grafton began, they were followed BY
rowing bands of white hunters, half.
breeds and Indians. Vast numbers were
met and slain as they passed the gaunt.
let along the Missouri and reaching the
Yellowstone, they were met with a mer.
CHESS leaden hail, from which few o.
the poor old monarchs escaped to re.
turn to their summer haunts with the
coming of spring.
The hunters bought lead by the tor
at Miles City and powder by the hun.
dred pounds. Salt for the preservation
OF the hides vas purchased in barre
lots and the supplies for the man,
camps reached sum amounting tt
thousands Of dollars. Men signed con.
tracts to kill hundreds of heads, bar.
gaining for stipulated prices to deliver
the hides at stated points along thu
rivers where they could be Gaken BY