The Last of the Buffalo 



buffalo in Kansas, Nebraska, Indian Terri- 

 tory, and northern Texas. The few that 

 were left of the southern herd retreated to 

 the waterless plains of Texas, and there for 

 a while had a brief respite. Even here 

 the hunters followed them ; but as the ani- 

 mals were few, and the territory in which 

 they ranged vast, they held out here for 

 some years. It was in this country, and 

 against the very last survivors of this south- 

 ern herd, that " Buffalo Jones " made his 

 very successful trips to capture calves. 



The extirpation of the northern herd 

 was longer delayed. No very terrible 

 slaughter occurred until the completion 

 of the Northern Pacific Railroad ; then, 

 however, the same scenes of butchery 

 were enacted. Buffalo were shot down 

 by tens of thousands, their hides stripped 

 off, and the meat left to the wolves. The 

 result of the crusade was soon seen : the 

 last buffalo were killed in the Northwest 

 near the boundary line, in 1883 ; and that 

 year may be said to have finished up the 

 species, though some few were killed in 

 1884 to 1885. 



After the slaughter had been begun, 



but years before it had been accomplished, 



the subject was brought to the attention 



of Congress, and legislation looking to 



241 



