The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-07
SCOTTY PHILIPS BUFFALO HERD
Herds Il
Kansas City Journal.

Heru Ut r
. l... Kansas City Journal.
James Philip, known to his intimates
as "Scotty,'' was a visitor in Kansas City
this week from his great cattle ranch in
South Dakota. Mr.. Philip is the genuine
buffalo man of the United States of Amer
lea. Kansas has an imitator in the person
of one Buffalo JONES' but Jones is only.
an applicant at the outer door while
''scotty'' is past master. To-day "Scot-
ty'' is owner of the largest herd of do
mesticated buffalo on the American con-
tinent, and he has made the rearing of
these animals a most profitable industry
Mr.. Philip came to Ellis county, Kas,
with the George Grant colony in 1873.
Much has been written of this colony,
composed as it was in the larger part of
the younger sons of rich English and
Scottish families. For a few years this
colony burned money and time on the
plains of western Kansas. One might ran
sack his memory in vain for parallels to
| the hilarious proceedings of these young
gentlemen They we're "thoroughbreds'
in the sense that riding to hounds, con-
Stunning large quantities of poor whisky
and playing the devil generally consti-
tutes high breeding. Yet along: with them
came a number of thoroughly good men,
| a few of whom still remain in Ellis coun-
| ty, and among the good men we're the
three Philip brothers., George, Alex and
James. George is now leading mer-
chant of Hays City and he has held many
Offices of trust and responsibility includ-
ing that of county treasurer. Alex is
easily the foremost eattleman of the
county and his ranch is famed for its
opelt-handed hospitality. James remained
| in the colony but two years and the be-
ginning, Of 1875 found him in the Black
Hills. In the palmy days of the wagon
freighting trade he became freighter be-
tween Sidney and Red Cloud, Later he
became scout in the command of Gen
eral Crook when that officer. was cam
! paignirg against the Sioux in Montana
and Dakota. Still later he took up a ranch
on White Woman creek, where he re-
manned until 1882, when he removed to his
present location near Fort Pierre, where
The commands one of the greatest cattle
ranges in the country. He is now hold
| ing about 10000 head of cattle, and his
present trip, which he will extend to
Texas and perhaps to New Mexico is for
| the purpose of purchasing 10000 head
| more. .-..-- ..
A number of years ago Mr.. Philip con-
! ceived the idea of rearing buffalo in cap
| tiyity.. On his, ranch, eight miles from
Fort Pierre, he. fenced a large pasture
with woven wire strung on posts only
five feet apart. In this pasture he now
! has sixty-two fullblooded buffalo and
| about the. same number of halfbreeds.
j which Buffalo Jones calls ,'catalo.'. 1.-THE
half-breeds,' said Mr.. Philip in CONVEX
sation yesterday, are good for nothing
! whatever. :. They combine the bad points
of our native cattle and the wild buffalo.
The talk of making valuable breed of
| the cross is all nonsense. They are spoiled
| for robes and they are little good for
meat, and am through with the bust
ness of raising them"
Mr.. Philip finds ready market for all
the buffalo he has to sell. He does not
put the. bulls. on the market. as a rule,
for the reason that he can make more
out of them by keeping them until they
! have grown big heads with plenty. of
name. A. well-mounted bull head will
bring from $500 to $1,000 in New. York
city. Mr.. Philip has sold bull head a.
the latter figure, and he has call for all
that he can spare from his herd.
Before coming to Kansas City, Mr..
Philip went to St. Louis and arranged
with the management of the worlds ex-
position to exhibit fifty of his buffalo at
that great show. And it may be said con
fidentlys that nothing at the exposition
will attract more general attention than
this display of pretty nearly the last herd
of bison left out of: the millions which
thirty years ago were roaming the western
prairies. -..-,. -
/ 81 have watched buffalo under all the
conditions of their life.'' said Mr. Philip,
"and have discovered many interesting
| things a bout the animal. ] used to won
| der how the comparatively delicate calves
could withstand the terrible billiards
which occasionally sweep over our coun-
! try, but now.I know how it is done. When
storm comes the buffalo form them
selves into a triangle with the bulls
along the sides, the boss bulls standing at
the apex facing the storm. Then cows
range themselves inside the lines of bulls
! and in the well protected center the
calves and yearlings find their places.
The mass is crowded we'll together into
a warm and living whole and even in the
case of the outline of bulls only one side
of any animal Is presented to the b1tz-
Yard. The herd will maintain this tri-
angle so long as the storm lasts, and they
are able safely to weather storm that
would kill our native cattle. There is
something heroic in the stoicism with
! which the bulls will keep their places NO
] matter how the storm may rage, and any,
one who has seen the boss bull doggedly
/ holding his head against a Dakota bliz.
| zard as he stands in the apex of the tri-
angle will carry away lot of admiration
for his instinct and sacrifice. # mar
| wants to get a fine lesson in the Id
vantage of standing together he needs
OILY " WdtIH i-NA.o - 49, -
weather
4 Mr.. Philip smiles at the scheme of Buff
falo Jones to have the government set
! aside lot of land in New Mexico for the
propa CATION of the buffalo. He says that
! the way to preserve the buffalo is to dc
/ as he Is doing in South Dakota-to handle
them in small herds with plenty of good
pasture, and have this pasture fenced so
/ tight that they cannot get away He says
1t is nonsense to talk of herding the buff
faIo, for they are migratory animals. and
/ they will not stay on any given range.
| Furthermore. he thinks it is foolish to
talk about restoring the animals in large
| numbers, for they are of little use save
/ as curiosities in shows or for art pur-
poses. But he is confident that they can
easily be preserved from extinction. for,
/. In his own language, sit is no trick at all.
/ If you know how, to successfully rear
| them. =
At the present time, there are less than
4 4 900 five buffalo ON the whole American
continent, and only one herd In the wild
j state Is known to exist. This herd is
somewhere north of the Montana line. in
4 British Columbia, and it probably num-
/ bers less than 100. In the Yellowstone
4 park there are a number of semi wild
/ buffalo, protected by the United States