Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-03-28
BUFFALO NOT EXTINCT.
with a Little Encouragement The
Would Become Numerous Again.


Would Become Numerous Again.
That the American bison Is not so
near extinction as has been generally
supposed has been learned by agents
of the national government, who made
thorough inquiry recently as to the
number Of pure bloods in existence.
The result of the investigation showed
that there is still some hope Of perpet-
uating the species. Careful inquiries
brought out the fact that there are
just 1,646 full-blood bison in the world.
The inquiry was extended to Europe
as it was known that some Of our
"buffaloes" had been shipped across
the Atlantic, and 1t was learned that
there are ia of the animals divided
among seven countries Of Europe. Ger
many heads the list with sixty and
England comes next with thirty-four.
Russia has three and there are two In
Hungary. Norway tried to get some,
but succeeded in getting only one hy-
brid. There is a single American bison
in France and Holland has fourteen.
In England and in Germany the ex-
pertinent was made Of crossing the
buffalo with domestic cattle and in the
former country much interest was
manifested in the outcome Of the trial.
There are in that country now just one
short Of a dozen hybrids, while In Ger
many the experiment proved almost
total failure and there are only two OF
the crossed animals.
When the buffalo was found to be
fast disappearing in this country cross
ing was tried and was entirely success
full, so much so, in fact, that there are
several hundred hybrids in various
states. James Philip has ranch near
Fort Pierre, S. D., and on it are sixty
one pure-blooded buffaloes, but the
pure-bloods are outnumbered by the
half-breeds by fourteen. Michael Pab-
10 has a herd of $50 pure bloods at Ro-
nan, Mon., and running with the herd
are seventy haif-breeds. Another
rancher who has succeeded is G. Good
night, Of Goodnight, Tex. Ee has hall
hundred hybrids and herd of sew
enty-three full-bloods. Huber Bros,
at Cochrane, Wis, have nine full bloods
and nineteen half-breeds.
1.-The American buffalo can easily be
restored to considerable numbers by
means Of the hybrids if the govern
ment, or private individuals, would
take the trouble which Is necessary Tor
any good stock raising" Director Jno.
w. Smith, Of the Central Park menag-
erie, said yesterday: "The half-breeds
can be restored to full bloods by sue
cessive generations and the strain OF
domestic cattle thoroughly eliminated.
The buffalo can be raised In captivity
as we'll as in wild state, as has been
shown right here in this park, and
there is no good reason why the num-
bers shouldn't almost double every
year. If a sufficient effort was made
it is quite possible to have many thou
sands of the -blooded animals In
this country within ten years"
Nearly all of the pure bloods in this
country are owned by private individu-
ais or geological gardens. The nation
al government has a herd Of twenty
two running wild in Yellowstone Ma.
tional Park. The only others running
wild, according to the Information
gathered by the authorities Of the Ma
tional Geological Park at Washington,
D. c., are eight which are In Lost
Park, Park county, Col. There is
herd Of wild buffalo in the region of
the Great Slave lake, Athabasca, Can
ada. It was estimated that there were
about 600 of them and the place is 80
difficult of access to hunters that they
are likely to increase in numbers for
| several years. There Is only one full
blood in the Province Of Ontario, but
there are twenty-one half-breeds near
Bobcaygeon. There are nine OF the
pure stock in Manitoba and thirty-one
in the Rocky Mountain Park Of Cana
da in Alberta.
The Canadian government Is doing
more to perpetuate the species than Is
our government. There are S58 Of the
pure stock distributed among twenty
four of the states. The estate or the
late Austin Corbin at Blue Mountain
Forest. N. H., has a herd OF ll0 and
William G. Whitney has twenty-six on
his place at Lenox, Mass.-NeW York
Sun.