The Extermination of the American BisonHornaday, William T. (William Temple)
History
The Extermination of the American Bison
Hornaday, William T. (William Temple)
American bison; Wildlife conservation -- United States -- Sources
_Herd of Hon. W. F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill")._--The celebrated "Wild West
Show" has, ever since its organization, numbered amongst its leading
attractions a herd of live buffaloes of all ages. At present this herd
contains eighteen head, of which fourteen were originally purchased of
Mr. H. T. Groome, of Wichita, Kansas, and have made a journey to London
and back. As a proof of the indomitable persistence of the bison in
breeding under most unfavorable circumstances, the fact that four of the
members of this herd are calves which were born in 1888 in London, at
the American Exposition, is of considerable interest.
This herd is now (December, 1888) being wintered on General Beale's
farm, near the city of Washington. In 1886-'87, while the Wild West Show
was at Madison Square Garden, New York City, its entire herd of twenty
buffaloes was carried off by pleuro-pneumonia. It is to be greatly
feared that sooner or later in the course of its travels the present
herd will also disappear, either through disease or accident.
_Herd of Mr. Charles Goodnight, Clarendon, Texas._--Mr. Goodnight writes
that he has "been breeding buffaloes in a small way for the past ten
years," but without giving any particular attention to it. At present
his herd consists of thirteen head, of which two are three-year old
bulls and four are calves. There are seven cows of all ages, one of
which is a half-breed.
_Herd at the Zoological Society's Gardens, Philadelphia, Arthur E.
Brown, superintendent._--This institution is the fortunate possessor of
a small herd of ten buffaloes, of which four are males and six females.
Two are calves of 1877. In 1886 the Gardens sold an adult bull and cow
to Hon. W. F. Cody for $300.
_Herd at Bismarck Grove, Kansas, owned by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fé Railroad Company._--A small herd of buffaloes has for several years
past been kept at Bismarck Grove as an attraction to visitors. At
present it contains ten head, one of which is a very large bull, another
in a four-year-old bull, six are cows of various ages, and two are
two-year olds. In 1885 a large bull belonging to this herd grew so
vicious and dangerous that it was necessary to kill him.
The following interesting account of this herd was published in the
Kansas City Times of December 8, 1888:
"Thirteen years ago Colonel Stanton purchased a buffalo bull calf for $8
and two heifers for $25. The descendants of these three buffaloes now
found at Bismarck Grove, where all were born, number in all ten. There
were seventeen, but the rest have died, with the exception of one, which
was given away. They are kept in an inclosure containing about 30 acres
immediately adjoining the park, and there may be seen at any time. The
sight is one well worth a trip and the slight expense that may attach to
it, especially to one who has never seen the American bison in his
native state.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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