The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-23
PAWNFE BILLS BUFFALO RANCH
MAJOR GORDON WILLIAM LILLE PROPOSES TO ROUND UP ALL
THE BUFFALO IN THE WORLD SAVE THOSE OWNED BY THE
GOVERNMENT OR IN THE PUBLIC PARKS.

The first buffalo ranch eyer instituted
east Of the Mississippi river will soon be
opened by Major Gordon William Lille,
Familiarity known as "PaWnee Bill" who
has been buying up buffalo for some time.
and who hopes at his spring roundup to
own every buffalo in the United States
The new quarters of these monarchs
of the plains, that are SO rapidly disap-
pearing, will be located on the historic
Daniel Wells farm, in Kenosha, Wis, will
cost nearly $1,000,000, and will be fitted
up with everything necessary to the sue
cessful breeding of these animals in cap
| tivity Over land 500 acres in extent
these precious buffalo will be allowed to
roam, and they will be carefully guarded
| by their natural enemies, the Indians.
| The little houses on the ranch, which Mr..
Wells built for his tenants, still remain.
and will become the homes of the red men
| and their squaws, whom Pawnee Bill will
bring east with him when he drives his
valuable herd to their new quarters. In
these modern wigwams, far from the
homes Of their sires, will live the Chey-
Iennes, the Arapahoes and the Kiowas.
The getting together of all the buffalo
in the United States, and practically all
the buffalo in the world has been no small
task, but it is practically completed, and
| when the trains bring the buffalo and
their Indian tenders from the ranches in
Oklahoma the entire supply Of buffalo
which is available for the market will be
within few miles of Milwaukee and Chi
cago. -.."..
/ For the last few years government sta
tistics have shown that the buffalo is fast
disappearing from the plains. In this en-
tire country to-day the government rec
| ords show there are but 365 buffalo.
l Major Lille already owns 2Ss Of this
number, and before the close Of the deal
for the removal to Wisconsin he will have
corraled the only other animals not
/ owned by the government or in public
parks. Major Lille on his farm in Okla
| homa has herd Of 210 head, at the Good
Night ranch, in Texas recently purchased
by, Major Lille, are seventy eight head;
the Alvoid herd in Montana has twelve
head, the government has placed in its
park at Yellowstone thirty-two head; in
Lincoln Park, Chicago, are fifteen head;
Bronx park, New York, has seven Of the
priced animals; Golden Gate park, San
| Francisco, has six; Philadelphia twelve.
and Cincinnati four =.
| 1t is expected that the deal will be en-
tirely closed up within the next thirty
days, and the stock will be shipped to the
new home as soon as the rigors of the
winter are past and the land has been
prepared for their reception. The value
of this ranch can scarcely be estima ted.
At this time a buffalo alive is worth con-
Esiderable money, but dead 1t is worth al
most as. much. A good, firm buffalo,
butchered, will bring $1,000 or $1,000 on
the market. The pelt is worth $3.50, the
fhead mounted brings $3.50, and the meat,
when dressed, will bring from ST. to 81 a
pound. There is a demand for this meat
in Chicago, New York and the larger
cities, and during the last holiday season
twenty-five buffalo were needed to sup
ply the markets in the cities. -
AS there is absolutely no chance for
competition, the trust organized by Ma jor
Lille will certainly have the entire con-
troll Of the market, and it will be able tc
regulate the price by the production of the
single herd. ~.
! Major Lille is an interesting character
He was not born to life on the plains, but
was reared~sin' a peaceful. home heai
Bloomington, Ill, When he Wasca boy his
father took him to- Oklahoma, and Bill
was the hero of the famous raid that fol-
lowed the. opening of the Cherokee strip
for settlement. With single bound he
became the leading white man in the new
territory, and, having the advantage of a