| Year. | Hides shipped by A., T. and S. F. railway. | Hides shipped by other roads, same period (estimated). | Total number of buffaloes utilized. | Total number killed and wasted. | Total of buffaloes slaughtered by whites. |
1872 | 165,721 | 331,442 | 497,163 | 994,326 | 1,491,489 |
1873 | 251,443 | 502,886 | 754,329 | 754,329 | 1,508,658 |
1874 | 42,289 | 84,578 | 126,867 | 31,716 | 158,583 |
| Total | 459,453 | 918,906 | 1,378,359 | 1,780,481 | 3,158,730 |
During all this time the Indians of all tribes within striking distance of the herds killed an immense number of buffaloes every year. In the summer they killed for the hairless hides to use for lodges and for leather, and in the autumn they slaughtered for robes and meat, but particularly robes, which were all they could offer the white trader in exchange for his goods. They were too lazy and shiftless to cure much buffalo meat, and besides it was not necessary, for the Government fed them. In regard to the number of buffaloes of the southern herd killed by the Indians, Colonel Dodge arrives at an estimate, as follows:
“It is much more difficult to estimate the number of dead buffalo represented by the Indian-tanned skins or robes sent to market. This number varies with the different tribes, and their greater or less contact with the whites. Thus, the Cheyennes, Arapahoes, and Kiowas of the southern plains, having less contact with whites, use skins for their lodges, clothing, bedding, par-fléches, saddles, lariats, for almost everything. The number of robes sent to market represent only what we may call the foreign exchange of these tribes, and is really not more than one-tenth of the skins taken. To be well within bounds I will assume that one robe sent to market by these Indians represents six dead buffaloes.
“Those bands of Sioux who live at the agencies, and whose peltries are taken to market by the Union Pacific Railroad, live in lodges of cotton cloth furnished by the Indian Bureau. They use much civilized clothing, bedding, boxes, ropes, etc. For these luxuries they must pay in robes, and as the buffalo range is far from wide, and their yearly ‘crop’ small, more than half of it goes to market.”
Leaving out of the account at this point all consideration of the killing done north of the Union Pacific Railroad, Colonel Dodge’s figures are as follows:
Southern buffaloes slaughtered by southern Indians.
| Indians. | Sent to market. | No. of dead buffaloes represented. |
| Kiowas, Comanches, Cheyennes, Arapahoes, and other Indians whose robes go over the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé Railroad | 19,000 | 114,000 |
| Sioux at agencies, Union Pacific Railroad | 10,000 | 16,000 |
| Total slaughtered per annum | 29,000 | 130,000 |
| Total for the three years 1872-1874 | … | 390,000 |
Reference has already been made to the fact that during those years an immense number of buffaloes were killed by the farmers of eastern Kansas and Nebraska for their meat. Mr. William Mitchell, of Wabaunsee, Kansas, stated to the writer that “in those days, when buffaloes were plentiful in western Kansas, pretty much everybody made a trip West in the fall and brought back a load of buffalo meat. Everybody had it in abundance as long as buffaloes remained in any considerable number. Very few skins were saved; in fact, hardly any, for the reason that nobody knew how to tan them, and they always spoiled. At first a great many farmers tried to dress the green hides that they brought back, but they could not succeed, and finally gave up trying. Of course, a great deal of the meat killed was wasted, for only the best parts were brought back.”
The Wichita (Kansas) World of February 9, 1889, contains the following reference:
“In 1871 and 1872 the buffalo ranged within 10 miles of Wichita, and could be counted by the thousands. The town, then in its infancy, was the headquarters for a vast number of buffalo-hunters, who plied their occupation vigorously during the winter. The buffalo were killed principally for their hides, and daily wagon trains arrived in town loaded with them. Meat was very cheap in those days; fine, tender buffalo steak selling from 1 to 2 cents per pound. * * * The business was quite profitable for a time, but a sudden drop in the price of hides brought them down as low as 25 and 50 cents each. * * * It was a very common thing in those days for people living in Wichita to start out in the morning and return by evening with a wagon load of buffalo meat.”