Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-02-08
To Grab the Staked Plains.

Buffalo Jones' Of Kansas long ago
achieved fame as the grower of buffalo
upon his farm in the sunflower state,
and for his theory that by a cross be-
tween the bison and the domestic cattle
he could produce a hardy animal Which
would combine the qualities Of both.
But the latest scheme of the Kansas
man should entitle him to rank as the
great practical joker of the wide west.
He has conceived a plan for grabbing
the staked plains in New Mexico, osten-
sibly for a buffalo farm, and has hypno-
tized or buffaloed Representative Lacey
Of Iowa into introducing a bill in con-
gress to lease to him, free of charge for
twenty years, about all the public do
main bounded by the Texas line on the
east and south and extending to the Pc
cos river or the hills east of 1t into
Chaves and Eddy counties. A line run
westward from the north extremity of
the proposed buffalo preserve would
reach to Roswell in a direct line, some
seventy miles, but the buffalo promoter
does not ask to have the, line go more
than fifty miles in that direction. 1t
then makes an angle and goes south
ward thirty miles, where by a second
angle it Is carried west fifteen miles,
and thence south to Within sight of the
waters Of the great irrigation reservoirs
seven and eighteen miles above Carls-
bad. Then to keep his buffalo from be-
ing rounded-up by the poundkeeper at
Carlsbad, Jonesy turns his pasture line
eastward again a score Of miles, and
then runs it due south to Texas, thirty
miles below Carlsbad.
The preserve would include owe half
Of Eddy county, and about a quarter of
Chaves county, and cover about 1000, 900
acres Of land. OF course, there are al
ready a few ranches in that area, but
If the range We're fenced in the home
steaders would have to on, like
Hungry Joe. The strip would have a
length Of 100 miles and an average
width of sixty miles.
y There Is a tradition that in early days
the buffalo herds trailed up the east
side of the Pecos river, but were never
known to cross that stream, wen when
they drank from 1t. Perhaps 1T is due
to that early story concerning the habit
Of the bison that their champion did not
ask congress to give elbow room clear
over to the Rio Grande. A condition i'm
posed upon the buffalo breeder for the
monopoly of this tract Of land for TWEEN
ty years is that he, his heirs or assigns,
shall place upon this domain Suitable
blooded bison.
In the magnanimity Of the Kansan he
proposes to give the government one
pair of bison annually for parks, and
at the end of twenty years let the gov
eminent keep all the increase, the pro-
moter taking but 100 animals. But
Uncle Sam is to be charged with the
duty of keeping cowboys from potting
the animals.
OF course, no one should hint that the
buffalo champion was furnished with
data by a Texas cattle syndicate in or
der to correctly set out the metes and
bounds Of the preserve, as shown in the
copy Of the bill printed upon this page
to-day. Nor can 1t be successfully
charged, perhaps, that Jones and his as
signs would make the suitable inclos-
ures' cover all the good pasture and
run cattle as well as bison upon the
lands, though there Is mo restriction in
the bill. OF course, 1900, 900 acres is not
a very big tract upon which to put 100
bison, but IL the tract proved lily adapt
ed to- this purpose, 1t could very easily
be made to serve as a calf corral for the
Loving cattle trust that has taken OPP
tions on 25,o 0 900 acres OF adjoining
lands in Texas and New Mexico. 80 the
buffalo propagation, having nothing to
pay to Uncle Sam, could scarcely lose
money on the goods.
A.