Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-03-04
AN ELK RANCH.
The Only One in the World Is In
the Mountains Of Colorado.
Unique Enterprise OF Capt. Marcus Coon
His Interesting Description OF Ills
Farm and Its Strange
Stock.

One of the strangest enterprises In The
country is an elk farm in Colorado
, Few people have ever heard of it. The
nan who took it into his head to start
ihis oldest of all farms apparently un
Yertook the work more for the love OF
1oing something that no one else would
are to attempt than for money-malting
purposes. He has carried out his plans
n O quiet, conservative manner, having
some fear at first as to it's ultimate
success. But now that there is no long
n any question of failure, and Capt
Marcus Coon hes a farm with herd on
it that people will go thousands OF
niles TO see, he has decided to let those
who cannot make personal visit know
about it. This he has done in the state
nent which follows:
II own an elk farm. AS far as know
here is not another such farm in the
world. There may possibly be men who
lold elk in captivity, and who keep them
cor breeding purposes to a certain eX-
lent; but to have a regular farm, where
there are nothing but elk, where they
Ire looked after, kept in condition, and
treated just the same as any cattle
that is thing which do not believe
anyone has done before me.
"Some idea of the extent to which l
work my farm may be gained from the
fact that each year l raise for my elk
alone enough hay to bale up $50 tons
and garner from 300 to 500 bushels of
grain.
"On this farm, which is $500 feet
above the level of the sea, the elk roam
through the timber land and across the
:olling meadows just as though they
we're not captive. But they are safe
enough, nevertheless, for have them
.enced in with a five-strand barbed wire
fence.
IN my time 1 have followed many
lines of work and farmed in different
parts of the country, but have never
had such experience as am now pass
ing through. The elk is such strange
lnimal, but in time they get to be just
rs gentle as mich cows.
ut has been four years now since l
irst took the notion of tanning the elk
and raising them just as other people
raise cattle, 1t took me year TO get
yhe farm in order, to capture the six
animals with which I started, and to
place them in the enclosed ranch. Up
to that time I did not know whether the
dea was feasible; I was afraid that l.
should have q good deal Of trouble in
DEMONSTRATING them.
ITO be sure, the worst worry Of my
life began from the moment I caught
the first elk for the herd. 1t was not
that they were wild and unruly; on the
contrary, they were too tame. Al
though the farm is large enough, the
animals seemed to know by instinct that
they were prisoners They have to be
petted like children. In the matter Of
feeding, too, I have to use the utmost
care. In the summer it is easy enough,
for they may wander at will and pick
Up suitable food from stubblc field and
timber land. But during the winter
their food must be especially prepared
chopped and sometimes sweetencd
when they do not readily take to it.
But from the first year everything
seemed to favor my project, The num-
pers increased rapidly, and were aug
mcntcd from the neighboring forests
from time to time, .-.>
"Whilo wandering at will on their
native tracts, the elk Of all sizes and
uges seem to be perfectly able to take
care Of themselves and their horns.
But when once they get on farm they
seem to forget all this. The young
steers, especially, get into no end of
trouble, and break their horns in the
most distressing manner, AS these
broken horns and badly spreading
prongs injure the general appearance
of the herd, I have contrived a means
of regulating and controlling the horns
growth. This is done byme of box
like wooden frame, light and easily car
ried by the elk. The horns are guided
in their growth by this frame, and it
also keeps the animal from getting into
had places in the timber belt. Then,
too, when the horns are still in the milk,
they are very soft and easily damaged,
They have to be watched with the great
est caution, and iron rust must be
mixed with their food, as it has q
strengthening quality.
But, although under usual condi-
tons elk need no more care than COWS,
there comes a timewhen this is changed.
After the second year Of their life on
the farms the males sometimes get ugly
during the heated terms. This ugly
temper is liable to be communicated
through the herd unless each refractory
pniual is at once removed and isolated.
So when any elk shows disposition to
kill everything that comes within his
reach, we secure him with ropes and
cut of his horns. This renders him less
dangerous and takes somc of the pride
out of him. When he has been placed in
the separate enclosure, es general
thing we keep away and let him &c
without food for several days. Already
1 have had several elk killed by their
fellows, who were not taken from the
herd in time, and one CT my men had
his leg broken while in the enclosure
experimenting the cutting off of horns.
"But all the hard trials l have on the
farm with my strange herd are fully
by the pleasure take
in watching the animals as they grow
from tiny calves to be great and power
full. The rapid increase il number is
another matter l watch with great in
tercst. have not found any deteriora-
ton yet in my herd because of inbred
ing, and thiul. it would lie long time
before any bad effects would be no.
tlccd. Still, it is always an easy mat
ter to catch Young calves in the timbe!
belt and add them to the band. This
l do each spring" - St, Louis Globe
Democrat.
PRACTICAL JOKES AT COURT.