The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-29
KILFOILES BONE HEAPS.
NAV IN THE TEXAS PAN HANDLE
VINO HAD AN IDEA.
P.o,Ie Called Him Crazy Jim whcp Ho
Hogan 10 Collect Buonio Bones In Great
pt,c., but Hc Made 9S5 500 When the
u.u.ond Was Pot Through.

/ Nuaa not n DftlCT kHONb mar wv WI NNo sum al
plains of Texas than Bony Jim kilfoilc. Not.
wIthstanding the fact that he was n wcll.built
man of medium height, weighing at least 100
,oupds no one who knew him was ever known
10 question his right to the title "Bony." II wa-
npplIed 10 him not so much on account of tbs
promipence of his bones rs on account OF their
number. He probably had moro of them than
any other living human being-certainiy more
than any other Texan. While ordinary men
manage to worry along with about @06 bones,
Afr. Kllfoile had millions of them. They we've
his py right OF discovery, by right of nppropr.a-
ton, and by right OF tho fact that nobody cared
To run tho risks incidental to taking them awaJ.
from him. They were mostly buffalo bones,
though there were perhaps half q dozen or more.
different kinds mixed with them.
There was another name by which Bony Jim
was not unfrequently called. and that was
Crnzy Jim. This latter name was largely
dropped after tho first railroad went through
tho Pan Handle. as IL was not considered re-
sncctful enough for n man of the financial
standing which Mr.. Kiifoile then attained. Il,
| is a fact. as well recognized in the Pan Handle.
rs Elsewhere. that only poor men can be crazy.
A rich man can only be eccentric.
1t was only in the early part of the sos that
Mr.. Kilfoile was considered crazy. During that
| time he was hauling freight from Fort Worth
| and sherman out TO Mobeetie. He drove fnur
yoke of oxen. and hauled his freight In the big
| prairie schooners familiar TO all who have read
| about the typical freighter on the plains. .is
| long ms he was actively engaged in his rerulas'
work. there was no special popularity to be no.
ticed about him. 1t was only on his return triu rs
and during his idle days that his alleged
craziness developed itself. lie wa considered
| sane enough on every subject except that OF
buffalo bones. His weakness for these had
abundant chance TO show itself. for they were
everywhere. There were more bones on the.
plains than anything else. unless it was sand
hills or cacti. There was hardly n mile in the
journey of the freighter when he was ont Of
sight Of some cleaning white buffalo skeleton.
and in many places there were great heaps OF
them. These piles indicated where there had
been some special slaughter OF the big animals.
AS every student of Western history knows,
thousands of them had been killed for thei.
hides alone. and often for the mere qualification
of the instinct for slaughter.
The average Texan would no more have
thought Of using tho bones than he won!d have.
thought of using cactus thorns or coyotes. lie.
supposed when the hide had been taken tie,
principal part of the animal was gone, and that
when the flesh had decayed the last chance Of
using the carcass had disappeared. Just there
was where Mr.. Kilfoile seemed to differ with
the average Texan. Every spare week lie could
get he would devote TO hauling these bones
together and depositing them in tremendous
II Va I5 SNulh " a4t4l LIS Nh-bE1
would otherwise have been empty. lie would
load up with about a ton OF bones and haul
them to the nearest big pile. These heaps soon
began to be a noticeable feature OF the landscape.
By years of bleaching under the hot rays O. n
Texas sun the bones had acquired n snowy
whiteness that CLEANED In the sunlight with
dazzling effect. Through the clear atmosphere
of the plains the big piles could be
seen at a distance of many miles. Strangers
inluirinV THAR way tn tneir iestiration INV
frequently directed to go TO a certain bone pills
and then to change their course according 10
another one. These directions were frequently
accompanied by the explanation that the piles
in question were the work OF n crazy fellow. who
devoted a large part of his time 10 this fruitless
work. Jim must have heard remarks OF this
kind. but he seemed little disturbed by them. He
was OF a retiring disposition, andneyer frequent
ed the saloons and gambling halls where mango
the other freighters spent much OF their time.
In fact, he was SO busy with his bone piliDE that
he had little time for dissipation. even had he
been inclined in that direction. Every time he
started a bone pile he was careful TO put his
mark upon it. To do this he would select the
skull Of some monster bull, and upon the broad
white expanse OF forehead he would scrawl with
charcoal a big black *" This latter process
was considered by his friends as the final and
convincing evidence of his insanity.
Its crazy enough In Jim TO DO pi,ilg them
bones at all" remarked one freighter to another
one day. " but it's a heap crazier for him to be
putin his brand on 'em as II he was afeari
would steal EN-. He'd Just as well hs
branding turkey buzzards or coyotes. lie
couldn't give the pesky things away"
When this remark was repeated to Jim TO
flushed a little. tugged at his stubby. sandy
beard for a moment, and then without sayings
word went on piling bones.
In 1854 IL began 10 be rumore ed that q railroad
was to be built through the Pan Handle It
seems almost incredible that at so recent a aril
IL should have been considered almost An nm
possibility that a railroad should penetrate any
portion of the United States. Yet such wu,tUe
case. Al first the frelghters pooh.poohei a'ta,
idea. They r!diculed as an absurdity the u,tul
that a railroad would cross such a desert - no
Great staked Plains. In the summer o; IS,
though. when the preliminary survey Of us
Fort Worth and Denver passed through a.,
Fan Handle. the freiGhters began to take
more serious view of the matter. They rea..Koi
that their occupation was beginning 10 ne
endangered. Just about this time it sad.
denly began to BIO limited that perhaps.
alter al, Crazy Jim was not, out" -
G Spa% as sad ben formerly believed. 'N"psir
that Mr.. ,Kilfoile was called BoSy Jim "a.,"'.J
ran OF, thSs Fort Worth In and Hl' 1r IN tSN r. ,'" a ,,,s
iald. some time before that Kilfoilc had aAan-
o".' tt'E.HhtnB hitoEetner Anu had httU de-
voting MI his time to hauling his homes t. 80
o oS'' p1So. ~, lie mad even been hiring ~ ,c"re "r 20
" When the road was ready to RECEIVE .rrit'L
there was an abundance of freight ready -. H..
AZ every way station. side track, or sw.t.h for
100 miles there was u monster nile of L,',t
STACKED up much after the fashion " curi-
WOOD. Many OF these stacks were eight or TN
Feet high and more than half a mile long, Thry
repreSSmted the patient accumulation IT No
MAJ, curing years Of quiet, unremitiuy nupr
sighted fellows. "' ""' "''
pFpninent n 81 ~, No, a..-,
VINO followed tho railroad into The country
N u pTomtante Investment for their capital
5ohh hopng., He had originally intended 20
he hes so ~ noes, nut he knew a good thing when
AiIsr some deliberation he offered 10 buy Bouv
from rom s nos 10 supply of bones at prices ranging
IN U 10 eS per ton. according To The grade "
ne PONIES, This offer was promptly accented.
~ or: f9nng shipped them 10 81. Louis and