Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-04-21
The Mountain Goat of Idaho.

Yesterday we gave some account OF the
Cerbat or Big Horn Sheep Of California. We
now turn to the Mountain Goat Of Idaho,
which was alluded to in yesterdays article.
This species of the genus Capra, sometimes
called the Capra americana, is one of the
scarcest and least known Of the Indigenous
animals of North America. 1t inhabits the
highest and most solitary peaks and ranges
of Utah, Idaho, Colorado and Washington
Territories, and more particularly on the
head waters Of the Saskatchewan, on the
hne of British Columbia. 1t has also been
met with in the mountain ranges and peaks
of Northeast California and as far down south
as the Grand River Mountains, southeast OF
the Great Basin. Father Consag lin Vene-
eas) mentions in his voyage of l746 to the
mouth of the Colorado, that he saw great
numbers of wild goats and the California
sheep or Big Horns on the upper parts of the
Gulf Shores of the Peninsular, near San Luis
Gonzaga Bay. Indeed the first notices OF
these two animals appear to have been given
by Kino Q700) and the California Jesuits
(iT57,) though their existence is intimated by
DE Noza, Coronado and Espejo on the north
ern affluents of the Gila, between l54O and
1880.
The Mountain Goat is nearly twice the size
of the domestic goat and its exterior IS OF
beautiful milk white color. In all its habits
it assimilates to its celebrated namesake Of
Cashmere and Thibet. The outer hair is
long, copious and abundant. Next to the
skin it is accompanied by soft and deli
cate silky under pelt, said to be fully equal to
the Cashmere. This is the ardent object Of
search to all the tribes of Mountain Indians
and old hunters, who save it in the highest
esteem. as il bears price equal to $50 and
$40, Il is one of the most difficult animals
to kill, as its habits are Of the widest and
most suspicious nature and it is said even
to excel the Big Horn in feetness and agility.
Instead of two horns of immense size, 1t Is
furnished with four smaller ones, not much
larger or longer than those of the domestic
GOAT of advanced age. The flesh is much es-
teemed among the hunters and Indians, and
is said to be fully equal to that Of the Big
Horn. The Blackfeet and Shoshone Indians
have queer ideas and superstitions about it,
with strange names which we cannot now
call to mind. The Hudson's Bay Company
trappers say it is sometimes seen in consid-
erabie Hocks in the Central Mountain ranges
north of the line and as far as the Pacific,
and we are informed that it has been found,
during 1868, nearly as high Up as Russian
America.
Some years ago it was proposed that the
Mountain Goat should be domesticated, as
the Cashmere has been, for the sake OF its
silky under hair, which exactly resembles
that of its Asiatic representative. The Cash
mere has been partially domesticated in the
United States, and found particularly useful
in improving the breed of the common goat
There can be little doubt that the American
Cashmere and its Asiatic fellow would do
we'll in California, and probably both Of them
and the Big Horn, with little trouble, could
be added, like the Buffalo in Kansas, to the
list of our stock animals. The worst features
Of California in the years as drouthy as 1901,
would keep Mountain Goats fat, and the pelt
of one of them, or of half-breed Cashmere, is
worth the wool of ten sheep. The soft downy
fur of the Goat of Thibet, so valuable in the
manufacture of the $1,000 shawls, is worth
in its native localities $40 pound, which is
the price given for it by the shawl makers OF
Lahore and the Punjaub. Some five or SIX
years ago we remember to have seen an ac-
count OF the killing Of the Mountain Goat by
a party of California gambusinos, in the
Pitt River mountains, not far from the Ore-
gon line.
collins, III ulb aCCOuuI VI -
Morocco lS62) says about the long-wool
goats of the uplands of that country From
It's feeces the Moors, who have the finest
varieties Of the animal in great numbers,
rivaling those of Thibet and Cashmere, weave
the finest scarfs and shawls, while the hair Of
others, weighing from four to eight pounds,
makes strong, handsome cloths Of lustre
superior to those from the wool Of the sheep
or Alpaca, receiving and retaining the most
brilliant dyes. The milk Of other kinds is
extensively used throughout Morocco and in
Gibraltar for domestic purposes and for
making curd and cheese, as in most eastern
hilly countries, and the keeping Of them costs
nothing in comparison to that Of cows. II is
very desirable that these varieties Of the Mo-
rocco goat should be introduced into those
parts Of our country suitable to their habits" /"
We may add that California and all the Pa
cifc domain are in every respect equal to
Morocco for the raising of this class Of stock
animals.-S. F. Bulletin.