THE EXTERMINATION OF THE AMERICAN BISON. 



439 



ever supposed. It would be a work of years to gather statistics of the 

 immense bulk of robes aud hides, undoubtedly amounting to millions 

 in the aggregate; the thousands of tons of meat, and the train-loads 

 of bones which have been actually utilized by man. Nor can the effect 

 of the bison's presence upon the general development of the great West 

 ever be calculated. It has sunk into the great sum total of our progress, 

 and well nigh lost to sight forever. 



As a mere suggestion of the immense value of u the buffalo product" 

 at the time when it had an existence, I have obtained from two of our 

 leading fur houses in New York City, with branches elsewhere, a de- 

 tailed statement of their business in buffalo robes and hides during the 

 last few years of the trade. They not only serve to show the great value 

 of the share of the annual crop that passed through their hands, but 

 that of Messrs. J. & A. Boskowitz is of especial value, because, being 

 carelully itemized throughout, it shows the decline aud final failure of 

 the trade in exact figures. I am under many obligations to both these 

 firms for their kindness iu furnishing the facts I desired, and especially 

 to the Messrs. Boskowitz, who devoted considerable time and labor to 

 the careful compilation of the annexed statement of their business in 

 buffalo skins. 



Memorandum of buffalo robes and hides bought by Messrs. J..$- A. Boskowitz, 101-105 

 Greene street, New York, and 202 Lake street, Chicago, from 1876 to 18b4. 



Tear. . 



Buffalo robes. 



Boffalo bides. 



Number, 



Cost. 



Number. 



Cost. 



1876 



31, 838 



9,353 



41, 208 



28, 613 



34,901 



23, 355 



2,124 



5,690 



None. 



$39, 620 

 35, 660 



150, 500 

 110,420 

 176, 200 



151, 800 

 15, 600 

 29, 770 



None. 

 None. 

 None. 

 None. 

 4, 570 

 26,601 

 15, 464 

 21, 869 

 529 





1R77 





1878 





1^7.1 





]880 t 



$13, 140 

 89, 030 



1881 



1882 



44, 140 



1883 



67, 190 



1884. .. 



1,720 







Total 



177, 142 



709, 570 



69, 033 



215, 220 







Total number of buffalo skins bandied in nine years, 246,175; total cost, $924,790. 



I have also been favored with some very interesting facts and figures 

 regarding the business done in buffalo skins by the firm of Mr. Joseph 

 Ullman, exporter and importer of furs and robes, of 165-167 Mercer 

 street, New York, and also 353 Jackson street, St. Paul, Minnesota. 

 The following letter was written me by Mr. Joseph Ullman on Novem- 

 ber 12, 1887, for which I am greatly indebted : 



''Inasmuch as you particularly desire the figures for the years 

 1880-'86, I have gone through my buffalo robe aud hide accounts of 

 those years, and herewith give you approximate figures, as there are a 

 good many things to be considered which make it difficult to give exact 

 figures. 



