The indicator., 1897-10-16
WILL FEED WILD ELK,
Massachusetts PhiIanthropisis to Provide
for Their Wants.

for Their Wants.
A. u. +. Alrit. n representative of iha
Massachusetts =. l.. &. A.. has come
To Denver to make arrangements for
rotcctiug the elk Of northwestern
dorado from hunger and from cold
during the coming winter. Some time
ago" said Mr.. Alrii, in the lobby of the
Windsor hotel this morning. tile pa
pers of BostoD-l think II was the
Transcript and the Travclcr-containcd
an account of the bardships which elks
have to undergo in Colorado during the
heavy SHOWS. You know that the snow
covers up the elks' food and drives the
poor beasts down into the valleys 10
the haystacks and corrals of the ranch
crs. These men, 1t seems, as is nat
urnl, drive the animals away. turn
them back into the -blnnkecd
hills to sjnrve. Such conduct on the
part of the ranchmcn seems both hard
hearted and M the same time the only
conduct possible. OF course. they can
no, allow their hay. meant TO keep alive
their stock during the winter, TO he de
voured by wild elk.
"The Massachusetts society sent.
therefore. letter to the Colorado HUI
name Society begging that some
means be used 10 alleviate the suffer
ing of the innocent deer. The state
game commissioner | believe made
some fun of the letter II he had lived
as long in Boston as we have he would
appreciate better what suffering from
cold means. Al any rate the society
decided to undertake the same labors
in behalf of the oppressed animals of
this state which 1t has already colnplcl-
ed for the well being of the animals In
l., Al anI hn rppinn rpI,nI
Mousehead lake.
II have been making contracts al
ready with provision dealers at Rifle
and mt Grand Junction and | may un,
dcrIallc contracts at Iawlns, Wyoni-
ing. These contracts call for coarse
hay and the poorer sorts OF feed from
the flour mills. At Rife ! have bought
over 100 tons of provisions and engaged
teams to haul the stun to corrals in the
parks 10 the mountains before snow
flies. | think our main station will he
in California Park. with ouiposts at the
headwatcrs of Rattlcsnnke and on
some one Of the streams flowing into
the Elk below IInhn's Peak.
AT each one of these corrals will he
one or more men who will fill managers
around the outside of the corrals. \
first, you know. the deer Will not come
To the men they become tame AS cows.
The plan has worked well in the
Adirondacks; and in Maine the ,Ioosc
even have been so domcsticated thar
artificial protection from cold is poss-
bic with them.
Il intend 10 adopt only the shed
scheme | shall simply put open sheds
in various valleys, To which the deer
have learned 10 come in severe wealth
or. Soon they Will come regularly 10
the sheds. In Maine they have become
tame enough TO wear felt conts.
This plan of felt coats was ridiculrd
awfully when first proposed. The pro
jcctors said. and truly. that many
dogs We're made comfortable by little
| coats. that the deer were ns thin haired
| as dogs, and that the deer would know
n good thing when they felt it and not
| try TO rub the coats of against the
| trees. Well, all | can say Is, the plan
| works. When the weather becomes hot
| the deer cut the strings for each other
| with their horns. and. sirangest of all,
| cut them mt the corrals so that n good
| felt deer coat last two or three winters.
| The does get used 10 the coats so0neS
| than the bucks, in fact these gentle
| men yet cause us II good deal of trouble
| by eating each oilers blankets"