The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-12-19
CHILLY" HOFER TELLS OF GAME
IN PARK.
IS FAR FROM EXTINCTION
Well Known Guide and Hunter Elk
presses Himself on the
Fullerton Charges.
From Wednesdays Daily Gazette.

night in the city was B.. Hofer, better
known as BILLY" Hofer, scout, guide
and hunter, who was on his way back
to Gardiner to "hole up for the re-
mainder of the winter. Mr.. Hofer
had been to Red Lodge on an investi-
eating tour having for it's object the
gaining of information regarding the
personality of James Fullerton, whose
sensational charges relative to alleg-
ed mismanagement of affairs in con-
nection with the Yellowstone Ma
tional park have lately caused a great
deal to be written in the newspapers
of the east and west.
Recently Fullerton was in the east
and among other places he visited
was Washington. Upon his return he
was interviewed at Minneapolis and
other towns and said that he had had
a personal interview with the presi-
dent to whom he claimed to have
said a thing or two about the way
game was slaughtered in the park,
and a few other matters he thought
Mr.. Roosevelt should know. Suisse
quently it developed that Mr.. Fuller
ton had not seer Roosevelt, the lat
ter having been sick at the time, but
had been asked to reduce his charges
to writing and submit them and they
would receive consideration. This he
did and his communication was made
public. The allegations they contain
&c were of a sensational nature and
attracted considerable attention, be-
ing widely published. Among other
things he charged was that large
game Of all kinds was rapidly disap-
pearing through the depredations of
poachers and that the soldiers guard
ing the park were in collussion with
considerations conveniently absented
themselves at certain times Or were /
suddenly and unaccountably rendered
deaf, dumb and blind. Indirectly Full |
lerton held the order of Elks RESPONSE
BILE for the threatened extinction OF
the animal from which the society /
mand for "tushes" as emblems to be |
by the members. He also made
serious charges against Major Pitcher,
the acting superintendent Of the
park accusing him of unfairness,
arbitrary exercise Of authority and
general incompetency.
AS Billy Hofer is and has been
for many years a licensed guide of
the park. he concluded to make a lit
tie inquiry on his own account as to
the standing and reliability of Mr.. Full
lerton and therefore went to that
home, Red Lodge. To
The Gazette he said this morning that
what he had learned had convinced
him of the correctness of the estimate
he had previously placed on the man
and that while he was not really bad
and dishonest there were many other
in the coal camp who enjoyed the |
of the community to a
greater degree. Getting back to the
of the alleged wholesale and
killing of game in the park
Mr.. Hofer declared the reports cir
culated to that effect were wholly
false; that instead Of being threaten
ed with extinction the truth was that
animals of all kinds, excepting
buffalo, were multiplying with ex-
ceptional r%apidity, in fact. he declared
that some of the game was getting to
be too plentiful for the feed afforded
in the limited area to which the an
imals had learned to confine them
selves. He said that one could go
there now, since the snow had become
deep in the timbered portions of the
mountains, and see numerous
small bands of antelope, ag-
gregating many hundreds, feed
ing between Gardiner and the
Hot springs, while noun
tain sheep in flocks of 40 or SO were
sight of the springs at all
times. A drive over the road between
Fort Yellowstone and Yancy's would
several thousands of elk,
while mule ear and white tail deer
were almost as plentiful.
Mr.. Hofer said that the reported
of game from the park to the
was a fiction. The animals,
he said, had learned long ago in what
direction their safety lay and attempts
10 drive them beyond this reservation
only resulted in running them further
INTO the interior. If the game were
larrassed and hunted in the manner
by Mr.. Fullerton, Mr.. Hofer
,oil onto1on1 IoDr D1y nrI no0,pfosn