Arizona republican., 1902-02-09
Congress Asked to Establish
 a Great Breeding Preserve
Congressman Curtis Wants Permission From Buffalo" Jones, of Kansas, to Take Seventy-Five Head From the Goodnight Ranch.

500. though the count IS not pelleN GU 'O be accurate. With the exception or the small herd in the National Yellowstone Park. all of these buffalo are in ..reater' or less degree of captivity. ranging from the small animal houses of the geological parks in the eastern cities to the vast inclosureS of some or the western cattle ranches. It may De said that all the buffalo are really in captivity. for even those in the ei- low stone Park are closely watched. and if. for any reason, they show in cIination to stray beyond the bound aries. they are driven back by the sol diers and game keepers in charge With the exception of these Yellow stone park animals and few in the public. collections. the small and scat tered herds are owned by private parties. some Of them merely as a fad or :7 additions to well kept parks others for commercial purposes.
 TIe United States government has never made formal attempt to prevent the extinction Of the buffalo or has as sisted tl any marked degree the efforts of private parties to propagate the species, Congressman Curtis ct kanaas has Introduced q bill this winter which represents thc first considerable effort u scc-~e government aid in this direc ton. His bill is entitled. "A bill to set apart al preserve for the American biSon and for other purposes The bill authorizes and directs the secretary of the inte:ior to set apart a tract of land containing 100000 acres in the county of Eddy or in the county or Lincoln, ip the territory of New Mexico, and L. lease this tract to such person as in his judgment can carry out the prOVis- ioas of the proposed law for term oi -f-t. the right to fence and control the land ard us, it for the breeding and grazing or American bison. and for the purpose cf rr-pd -ating other animals Th- lessee is also to be allowed to put upon this land the necessary domestic ami inais requisite tJ care for the bison and c-- the purpose OF czpcrir, eHtinE in th. crossing Q: such bison with domestic cattle.
 The lessee. among other conditions. is required to deliver 10 the United States Eov=Tnaent on board the cars ac the nearest railway tation two fuil- bicoded bison each year after the first year oE tn2 lease, trc bison to he both rse!a or both female. or one nfale and c-c female. at the discretion o, the -,.:-tary of tho Interior. fIe is to Ie required t1 E--2 his herd of full Dlco5ed bjifaio ID 10 not less than tdr head during the period 'pf th7 lease.
 T. bc eligible as a lessee. the portS 77cUrinE this tract from tine govern mont -aau piece visul the la-.d w-itnin enc year [:cm the passage of the bi!l nat I-ss thla =evsaty cull-5loci,l American bison. of which rot i1-s than haif snail b females which bison shall ba maintained for breeding purposes. The biu Il@i;-i ii unlawful during n
 c,;istel:e cs thc lease for any one other than ta- oUEc- to Kill or i1jurc any of the animals. CT to hunt any kind o. same within the incloscd Boundary. without the written consent Of th- owner. and it is made unlawful also fo: 7ny person oJIe: than the owner tC kill ;-jU-e or dispose of any bison within the territory of New Mexico. Penalties gre provided for violation of this act and the fences and other property of the proposed buffalo ranch are fuIy protected by special legislation.
 While no names arc mentioned in this Dill. it is known that the measure is fo, the benefit Of "Buffalo' Jones. the noted Kansas hunter and trapper. for Ee is the only man in the United States today who could comply with the terms Of the law as now proposed, requrins s seventy full blooded animals to be placed upon the range within a year from the passage of the act.
 Ai". Jones is now on the Goodnight ranch in Texas. devoting himself to ex- periments in producing buffalo cattle or half-breed buffalo. Charles Good right. the famous Pauhandle cattle man, has q herd Of about seventy-five buffalo. and Jones has already sIlc- ceeded in raising from these nall .. dozen half-breed buffalo cattle. These have been separated from the full blcods and give promise of thriving and multiplying. The half breed animal bears a strong resemblance to the full blooded buffalo, but they are thor ouShly gentle. and havs all the habits of domestic cattle. II is believed by those who have seen them that they will furnish q valuab blc article of com merce in their hides. which resemble the now high-priced buffalo robes. and that they will make a hardy. self-sus- taiEinS breed of animals for ranges in the extreme north and in other places where the climate necessitates the highest order of "rustling" abaIity.
 The next largest herd of buffalo in private ownership is one at Fort Pierre. South Dakota, which numbers about fifty They are owned by James Philip, generally known through the cattle country as "Scotty' Philip This herd i4So 'oi-IdlHS d> uuIlp5f or half-Dreed buffalo cattle, produced in the same way as those in the Panhandle. 1Ir. Philips herd represents the result of a hunt in the Little Missouri country about twenty years ago, when Fred erick Dupree. an old French hunter. in company with q band ot Indians and half-breeds. captured a half dozen calves. Mir. Dupree allowed these buf- falo to range wild in the Cheyenne river country. except that he allowed . none Of them to stray. When Dupree died the buffalo were sold to Philip after 2 fruitless attempt to sell then