The American Bison 
7 
region was killed in 1879, but a few cows remained for about 
ten years longer. 
Hornaday estimates that in 1870, just after the completion 
of the Union Pacific Railroad, there were about four million 
buffaloes south of the Platte River, and probably about one 
million and a half north of it. His estimate of the number 
killed in the southern herd in the years 1872, '73, and '74 is 
3,698,730. Of this vast number 3,158,730 were killed by 
FIG. 7. BUFFALO 
Photographed in the Goodnight Herd, Texas, by Donald DeWitt 
the professional white hide and meat hunters, about 85 
per cent. Less than half of these were utilized, the others 
were wasted, wandered away wounded, and died, etc. The 
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad carried in those 
years 459,453 hides, other roads about twice as many more. 
At that time the hide of a full grown buffalo was sold by 
the hunter for $1.25; when the northern herd was extermi- 
