The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-09-06

cAIIuCI, anu uu1oSS Tie EcCcuIly dWdA-
ened efforts of the United States gov
eminent succeed, will become entirely
so in a very few years.
When the earliest pioneers penetrat-
ed the western wilderness, they found
no object more worthy of their adj
miration than these animals, which
are cIassed as sheep, though having
many points Of resemblance to the an
telope. They have been at no time so
numerous as to make their capture or
killing easy, and so pair of horns
from the head Of ''big horn" came to
be recognized as the mark of mighty
hunter.
The books on western sport and the
tales of the old timers are full Of stories
about the privations and difficulties
to be met with in the hunting of these
animals. In the very early times they
were not remarkably timid. They
would stand out among the rocks and
fearlessly look at any one who came
near them. After they made the ac-
Quaintance of the man with the gun,
however, hunting them became diff
height of the rocks which they fire.
quent.
They were followed as the country
filed up, with such tenacity and sue
cess as almost to eXterminate them.
Finally, the game laws stepped in and
made it crime to kill or capture
big horn" so that, for some years,
they have enjoyed comparative i'm
munity AS with every other pro
tected'' ANIMAL the laws are occasion
ally violated, and the chances of the
survival of the sheep are becoming
smaller They are being driven higher
and higher up the mountains by human
encroachments on their domain and
are exposed to weather that is fire.
quently fatal.
There are three droves of the
animals known to exist in Colorado.
The largest drove, Of about "a speci-
mems, is on Pixies peak, and as the
game law is we'll enforced there they
are frequently seen by travellers. They
have become somewhat tanned by con-
tact with human beings and descend
low enough on the mountain to be
carefully observed and photographed.
Not more than SO specimens are
known to be in existence in Colorado,
while the number in other states is
probably smaller. Their rarity is
striking evidence OF the advance of
civilization, for formerly they ranged
from the Missouri and Yellowstone
rivers in the north as far south as the
Rio Grande, and from Nebraska in the
east to Oregon and California in the
west.
Last April Fred Baker, supemntend-
ent of the National Zoolo5 ical park
at Washington, sent to this city this
dispatch: WANTED. the names and adj
dresses of reliable parties who would
sell or capture living mountain sheep
for park. Game warden will allow"
Three months have passed and but one
lamb has been captured. It's capture
is due to the we'll known western char
acter, Buffalo Jones, who has
achieved a national reputation for his
efforts to preserve the American buff
falo or bison. He may yet make other
captures, for the lambs are brought
forth in May or June.
The lone lamb taken by the hunters
was captured about a month ago The
young daughter Of Jones saw a female
''big horn hide her young. and to her
was assigned the task of Selling the
lamb. To effect this the girl was low.
cred by a rope fastened under hel
arms. It was q dangerous undertak.
ing, but safely accomplished, and now,
the lamb is being kept alive on cows
milk
Not much can be said about the hab-
its of the mountain sleep They re-
main upon the mountains to Craze, sell
dom or never descending. Their ap
pearance may be seen in the cut
Mountain sheep have this popularity,
often noticed and commented upon:
They post a sentinel upon some prom
inence or overhanging rock, which
gives notice of the approach of strange
objects. When the alarm is given. the
sheep are away with incredible swift
ness, clambering to inaccessible shelter
ing places high up on the mountain
Further hunting for that drove is use
less until their alarm dies down. a
full sized big horn" stands about 8
feet inches at the shoulder. A drove
may consist Of from to 80 members.
CHARLES W. MILLER.