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
The homesick Montana cowboy,
far from his wild haunts, can here gaze upon his native sod again; for
the sod, the earth that forms the face of the bank, the sage-brush, and
all were brought from Montana--all except the pool. The pool is a glassy
delusion, and very perfect in its way. One sees a plant growing beneath
the water, and in the soft, oozy bottom, near the edge, are the deep
prints made by the fore feet of a big buffalo bull. About the soft,
moist earth around the pool, and in the buffalo trail are the
foot-tracks of the buffalo that have tramped around the pool, some of
those nearest the edge having filled with water.
THE SIX BUFFALOES.
The group comprises six buffaloes. In front of the pool, as if just
going to drink, is the huge buffalo bull, the giant of his race, the
last one that was secured by the Smithsonian party in 1888, and the one
that is believed to be the largest specimen of which there is authentic
record. Near by is a cow eight years old, a creature that would be
considered of great dimensions in any other company than that of the big
bull. Near the cow is a suckling calf, four months old. Upon the top of
the mound is a "spike" bull, two and a half years old; descending the
mound away from the pool is a young cow three years old, on one side,
and on the other a male calf a year and a half old. All the members of
the group are disposed in natural attitudes. The young cow is snuffing
at a bunch of tall grass; the old bull and cow are turning their heads
in the same direction apparently, as if alarmed by something
approaching; the others, having slaked their thirst, appear to be moving
contentedly away. The four months' old calf was captured alive and
brought to this city. It lived for some days in the Smithsonian grounds,
but pined for its prairie home, and finally died. It is around the great
bull that the romance and main interest of the group centers.
* * * * *
It seemed as if Providence had ordained that this splendid animal,
perfect in limb, noble in size, should be saved to serve as a monument
to the greatness of his race, that once roamed the prairies in myriads.
Bullets found in his body showed that he had been chased and hunted
before, but fate preserved him for the immortality of a Museum exhibit.
His vertical height at the shoulders is 5 feet 8 inches. The thick hair
adds enough to his height to make it full 6 feet. The length of his head
and body is 9 feet 2 inches, his girth 8 feet 4 inches and his weight
is, or was, about 1,600 pounds.
THE TAXIDERMIST'S OBJECT LESSONS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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