From the Omaha Evening Bee, Saturday, June 22, 1872. TEXAS JACK
THE NIAGARA FALLS BUFFALO HUNT
SOME INTERESTING PERSONAL FACTS CONCERNING THIS NOTED SCOUT AND HUNTER
The celebrated scout and hunter, Texas Jack, has been camping at the Metropolitan Hotel for a day or two, having come to Omaha on business.
Some few weeks ago Sidney Barnett came out from Niagara Falls for the purpose of securing some live buffalo for a grand hunt at the Falls on the Fourth of July. Proceeding to Fort McPherson, he employed the noted hunter, Texas Jack, to capture them.
A hunt was accordingly organized, and the result was that eight buffalo were taken alive. Some of them have since died, and it is doubtful if any of them can be transported alive on account of the warm weather. If, however, Mr. Barnett is successful in securing and transporting a sufficient number of live buffalo, he will give the proposed grand hunt at Niagara Falls on the Fourth of July.
The hunt will be managed entirely by Texas Jack, who will take with him Captain Matthews, as interpreter, a Pawnee lasso man, and several Pawnee Indians. They will take with them their entire equipments—horses, weapons, and Indian costumes.
Texas Jack, whose right name is J. B. Omohundro, is a Southerner by birth. From his boyhood up, he has followed the profession of a scout and hunter. He is now twenty-four years of age. Is tall, broad-shouldered, and handsome; weighs 180 pounds, and like all frontiersmen he has muscles of iron and the courage of a lion.
He talks fluently and uses correct grammatical language; and all his actions denote that he is one of Nature's own noblemen. He has never had much of an opportunity to obtain a school education, yet he may be said to be a tolerably well-educated man, having improved his leisure time in study.
Texas Jack and Buffalo Bill are the warmest friends. They have been acquainted for three years, and for the last six months they have been in partnership in hunting. Texas Jack received an invitation to go out with the Duke Alexis party, but as he was out hunting at the time, he nearly refused to go. For a couple of months past he has been employed as a scout for the Government.
During the late buffalo hunt for Mr. Barnett, he had a very narrow escape from death, which, to him, was but a mere trifling incident, having passed through so many nearly fatal experiences. He was riding his celebrated horse, "Tall Bull," when a fierce buffalo bull attacked both rider and horse, baldy goring the latter. Texas Jack, his horse, and the buffalo all fell into the Beaver river, from which they soon after emerged, and the fight continued, the result of which was the capture of the buffalo, and the probable death of the horse.
"Tall Bull" is one of the most celebrated courses in this country, having been captured in a fight from old Tall Bull, a noted Indian chief, who was defeated and killed.
This horse is the swiftest and longest-winded animal on the plains, having never yet been beaten in a race, although having had hundreds of contests of speed. Jack thinks he is the finest horse in the Western country, and expresses a great deal of sorrow over the goring of his pet, as he is of the opinion that he will never recover. "Tall Bull" was Jack's favorite horse, although he owns several other fleet animals. He formerly rode "Prairie Belle," a fleet black mare, educated and brought up on the plains. "Whalebone," another fast horse, was badly wounded during the hunt, but will recover. Jack himself was cornered over twenty times in a single day by the monarchs of the plains.
Texas Jack makes a lucrative livelihood from the proceeds of his hunting expeditions, and his numerous engagements as a scout for the Government and as a guide for English and American hunting parties, which are becoming more fashionable each year.
Last winter he undertook the guidance of Professor Ward's party, who came out to gather specimens. He afterwards sent the Professor the head of a buffalo, killed by the Duke Alexis.
Last evening he received quite a reception at the hands of our many citizens, who were very much pleased with the open-hearted frontiersman. He attracted considerable attention by his costume and manly appearance, and made a most favorable impression upon those who had never before met him.