Year: 1875

THE BISON OF THE PLAINS-HIS HABITS, HIS


ENEMY AND HIS DOOM.


A correspondent writing from the Black
Hills gives the following interesting facts
about the buffalo. The account reads like a
fancy sketch, but any western man will testi-
fly to its entire truthfulness:


Forty years ago the buffalo ranged from
the plains of Texas to beyond the British
lines, from the Missouri and upper Missis-
sippi to the eastern slopes of the Rocky
mountains. Every portion of this immense
area was either the permanent home of great
numbers Of buffalo, or might be expected to
have, each year, one or more visits from mi
gratory thousands Hunters tradition says
that the first great break in this regular ir-
regularity occurred about the winter of l944-
45, in that portion of the country known as
the Laramie plains. That whole section
was visited by an extraordinary snow storm
Contrary to all precedent, there was no wind
and the snow covered the surface evenly to
the depth of nearly four feet.


Immediately after the storm a bright sun
softened the surface which at night froze in
to a crust so firm that it was weeks before
any heavy animal could headway over it..
The Laramie plains being entirely surround
ed by mountains, had always been a favor
ite wintering place for the buffalo. Thous-
| ands were caught in this storm and perished
miserably by starvation. Since that time
not n single buffalo has ever visited the Lar
annie plains. When | crossed the plains in
1868, the whole country was dotted with
skulls of buflaloes all in the last stages of
decomposition, and all apparently of the
same age, giving some foundation for the
| tradition. Indeed, it was in answer to my
request for explanation of the numbers, up
pearance and identity of age of the skulls
that the tradition was related to me by an
old hunter, who, however, could not himself
youch for the facts


A curious fact illustrating the habits of
these monarchs of the plains is cited by our
| author, as is a leaf from the unwritten his
tory Of the buffalo, taken from the era when
the Pacific railways first spanned the conti-
HtHl' hC NlHlCI VI lpi ~ = MhS ulNSuulll
severe in Arkansas. The ponds and the
smaller streams of the north were all frozen
solid, and the buffalo were forced to the riv-
ers for water.


The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fo rail-
road was then in process of construction,
and nowhere could the popularity of the
buffalo, of which | am speaking be better
studded than from its trains. fla herd was
on the north side of the track it would stand
stupidly gazing and without symptom OF
alarm, though the locomotive passed within
a hundred yards. If on the south side Of
the track, even though at u distance Of one
or two miles from it, the passage of train
set the whole herd in the widest commotion
At its full speed, and utterly regardless o.
consequences, it would make for the track
on its line of treat. If the train happened
not to be in its path it crossed the track, anC
stopped satisfied If the train was in the
the desperation of despair, plunging agains
or between locomotive and car, just as tn,
blind madness CHANGED to take them. Mum
bers were killed, but numbers still pressed
on to stop and stare as soon as the obstacle
was passed.


After having trains ditched twice in on
week. conductors learned to have very de
cided respect for the idiosyncracies of tn
buffalo, and when there was a possibility o
striking a herd "on the rampage for tn
north side of the track, the train was slowe,
up and sometimes stopped entirely Late il
the summer of 1887 herd of probably A. ,OO
buffalo attempted to cross the Southern


Platte near Plum Creek, The riyerwas rap


idly subsiding, being nowhere over foot o


two in depth, and the channels were film
with loose quicksand, The buffalo in from


were hopelessly stuck, Those immedatel


behind, urged ON by the horns and pressur
a of those yet further in the rear, trample
over their struggling companions to b


themselves engulied in the devouring sane


This was continued until the bed of the riv,