'
The Conservative.
tics and state craft which have borne
the test of a century's trial aud
emerged -with but slight amendment
and stand today as the greatest gov
ernmental monument ever erected by
the human intellect.
Chicago , Oct. 20 , 1901.
NOTABLE REMINISCENCES.
About the last general point from
which buffalo could be successfully
limited was at Fort Hnys , Kan. , along
in 1872-y. Even at this time they were
very scarce and but few scattered herds
existed between the Saline and Smoky
Hill rivers. The herds were invariably
small , scarcely more than a half a dozen
in a bunch , where two years before they
could bo seen by the thousands. The
buffalo , or pelt hunters , killed the ani
mals solely for their hides , and at one
time there were stacked up at Hays
City , in 1872 , in the neighborhood of 50-
000 buffalo hides , awaiting transporta
tion to the east. The hides were not
taken so much for their value as robes
as for leather. These hides represented
50OCO carcasses of the best of meat ,
which had been left to rot and decay on
the plains within a radius of about one
hundred and fifty miles from Fort Hays.
The ordinary weight of a buffalo ap
proximated 1,000 pounds , including the
4iguter calves , cows aud heavier bulls ,
or a total of 25,000 tons of meat aban
doned to absolute destruction. This
represented the hunt of about one year.
In 1873 there was stacked up at this
same point a pile of buffalo bones prob
ably fifteen feet high , and from an
eighth to half a mile long and about
thirty feet in width at the base. Piles
of bones of lesser magnitude were
stacked up at other stations between
Fort Wallace and Ellsworth , on the
Kansas Pacific railway , awaiting ship
ment to the east , to be transposed into
commercial fertali/ers.
The methods of the buffalo hide hun
ters were as cowardly as their work was
nefarious. They would go out in parties
of about twenty-five , with wagons , and
overtake the herds at night. The outfit
would go into camp in some secluded
ravine or draw , and the hunters would
start out for the herd , but would make
no attack until the herd had settled
down for the night. Generally the
older bulls would be grouped off a little
ways from the main herd , as if on
watch , and the hunters sneaking up on
one cf these groups , would shoot and
severely wound the leader. The
other bulls would at once attack
the wounded bull , and as they
would not run at night so long as
they could fight the wonuded bulls , the
hunters would bo hidden within a short
distance and shoot down the others as
they came up to attack the wounded or
dead animals. As many as a hundred
would often bo killed this way before
the herd took the alarm. The hunters
would remain here a day or as long as
necessary to skin the buffalo they had
killed. It was also the practice to
slightly wound a calf , so that the cow
would hang back from the herd , and as
the buffalo would always keep with the
cows , they could not proceed very far
before the hunters would overtake them
for another night's slaughter.
It was a very common occurrence to
see from two to five hundred carcasses
scattered over the prairie within a dis
tance of less than five miles from a
given point. This wanton destruction
of the buffalo was not the result of
sporting expeditious , where the poor
animals were given half a chance for
their lives , but it is attributable wholly
to the hide hunters. The green hides
generally sold at from 75 cents to $2.00
each , according to weight , or whether
green or dry.
The last wild buffalo that I ever saw
was a herd of five in the breaks of Salt
Fork of Red River about twenty miles
from the present town of Magnum ,
Greer county , Okla. , in the early spring
of 1875. The herd consisted of one
young bull , two old cows and two
young calves. One of the cows had two
arrows sticking in her back , and the
blood which had recently oozed from
the wounds had congealed and dried.
The animals were very poor and thin ,
and wo hadn't the heart to disturb
them. A day or two later we found an
aged bull , equally poor and emaciated ,
lying in a buffalo wallow. Ho got up
on his feet as we approached and elowly
trotted away. We did not disturb him.
I could but almost consider him the last
of his race in his native wilderness ,
vei'ily the remaining vestige of the mil
lions of these great shaggy animals that
roamed the plains less than half a
dozen years ago. S. S. P.
SUGAR STATISTICS.
The Conservative :
As a good deal has recently ap
peared in print regarding the con
sumption of sugar in this country ,
the various sources from which it is
obtained , the amount of duty paid
thereon , etc.tho following facts and
figures will , we believe , bo of interest
to your readers :
' ' The total consumption of sugar in
the United States last year was 2,219-
847 tons , and based on the average in
crease of 6.84 per cent , during the
past 19 years , the consumption this
year should be 2,860,585 tons. Of
this quantity 1,000,000 tons in round
figures will come from American
sources , say Louisiana beinir able to
produce 850,000 tons , United States
beet factories , 150,000 ; Hawaii 850-
000 , and Porto Rico , 150,000 , all being
free of duty , leaving 1,860,585 tons
to come from other sources and on
which duty is paid. The average duty
assessed is $86 per ton , or a total of
$48,981,060. The price of all the
sugar consumed , however , being en-
hancedto _ the extent of the duty of
$86 per ton , or a total of $84,981,060 ,
it is evident that $86,000,000 addi
tional is paid by the people in order
to provide the government with forty-
nine millions for revenue , of which
the government is not now in need.
If the duty is taken off Cuba sugar ,
the benefit of eighty-five millons goes
to the people.
"On October 8th , the quotation for
Cuba Centrifugal sugar 96 degrees
test , free on board Cuba was $1.96 per
lb. , duty on same amounts to 1.685
cents equivalent to 86 per cent , ad-
valorem. ' ' Yours truly ,
WILLETT & GRAY.
Publishers of the "Weekly Statistical
Sugar Trade Journal. ' '
New York , Nov. 10. 1901.
A FRENCHMAN'S MISTAKE.
London Tit-Bits : When General
Moreau was in England ho was once
the victim of a rather droll misunder
standing. He was present at a con
cert where a piece was sung by the
choir with the refrain :
' ' Tomorrow , tomorrow. ' '
Having a very imperfect knowledge
of English he fancied it to be a cantata
given in his honor , and thought he
distinguished the words :
' ' To Moreau , to Moreau. ' '
Each time the refrain was repeat
ed , he rose to his feet and gracefully
bowed on all sides , to the great as
tonishment of the audience , who did
not know what to make of it.
The Cosmopolitan has endeavored to
make itself known by timely contribu
tions to all important controversies.
Frank Moss so well known in the Lexow
and Mazet investigations , contributes :
"Municipal Misgovernment and Cor
ruption : A Warning to Patriots" to the
November issue. This considers a ser
ious difficulty in a way that will be
found interesting not only to New
Yorkers , but to residents of every part
of the United States.
Some Coffees
are Glazed
with a cheap coating.
If glazing helps coffee
why aren't the high-
priced Mochas and Javas
glazed also ?
Lion Coffee
is not glazed. It is per
fectly pure and has a
delicious flavor.
The sealed package Iniurei tint-
7 form quality and f roalmoM.
Are
That Is the name of our
booklet telling bow those
Your § already at work can be
trained for new or better
positions. Sent free.
INTERNATIONAL
CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS ,
Uor ISM , Stranton , Fa.
Tied ? L !