The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-31
ELK REFU Sc To MOVE.
Government Cannot Transfer
Herd to New Quarters

| BAKERSFIELD, Or, Dec. 30.-Two at
tempts made by the United States gov
ernment to round up and ship the great
herd of California elk from Kern county
to Sequoia park, near the Yosemite val
| ley. resulted in complete failure. The
herd OF elk has been on property owned
| by Miller & Lux for a good many years.
There are more than 200 in the band on
the land company's territory, located be-
| tween McKittriek and Button Willow,
thirty-five miles from Bakersfield.
On the land near McKittrick, two sec
tions have a high fence around them,
with an opening half block long at the
northeast corner. The elk were at liberty
to enter and depart at their leisure. No
body was permitted to harm these ami
mails under penalty of arrest, and rewards
of $500 by Miller & LUX and Uncle Sam
| for the conviction of any person caught
| shooting an elk assured their safety.
From year to year the herd has increased
in numbers. During the day the wild ami
mails left the inclosure and rambled
around the foothills and ascended the
small peaks of the range near McKittrick.
! They entered the grain fields for feed, and
| many associated with the cattle Fre
! quently tame elk were found among cat
tie that were driven to this city to be
forwarded to San Francisco.
Last year Miller & Lux presented the
herd to the United States government.
The people of Kern regretted to hear that
! the band was to be removed to a gov
ernment reservation as these animals
| were considered a great Kern county at
| traction.
With the beginning of November the
government commenced making prepara-
/ tions to transfer. Thirty-five of the most
expert vaqueros in California were Sc
cured. The cowboys entered the inclos-
ure and rounded up eighty elk. They
headed them toward the railroad, where
| large corrals were located.
| For nearly three miles the elk moved
along at rapid pace and gave no trouble.
At that point railroad tracks of the
I Southern Pacific were passed and the
wild animals did not enjoy crossing the
roadbed and rails. They, grew scared
! about that time and ran fast, and only
the vaqueros could keep up with the
herd.
Two miles further on the elk grew
weary but the cowboys kept on driving
them. Then great excitement prevailed.
The elk learned that they were being
| forced, and stampeded. They turned and
dashed in all directions, Some powerful
beasts attacked the vaqueros, and ropes
had to be used for self+protection. The
greater part of the band easily outfooted
/ the riders, but large number were sur
rounded and forced along toward the cor
rails, which were only one mile distant.
| The elk that did not escape fought fierce
| ly, the troublesome ones being roped and
thrown, and after being tied were pulled
! toward the railroad. Five fine animals
| died from exhaustion before that point
| was reached.
The sight of the corrals, which were
| whitewashed, created a fierce stampede,
and serious confusion, followed. The va
queros showed signs of the strenuous
work but drove the remainder of the herd
through the opening in the corral. The
elk paid little attention to the corrals and
scaled the six-foot walls and dashed to-
ward the foothills. At dusk that night
eight elk were corralled, but they were
| tied and helpless.
| The vaqueros went into camp for the
night
Nearly all the elk that stampeded re-
! turned to the range near their inclosure
above McKittrick They whistled and
cried nearly all night long and the calves
| kept up a pitiful wall. They remained
away from their headquarters, being afraid
| to re-enter the inclosure.
! At daybreak another effort was made
! to drive the elk to the railroad corral The
! vaqueros rounded up fifty head that had
not been molested the day before They
started out slowly, but soon were obliged
| to punch the elk, just as though they were
wild steers. The stampede of the day be-
| fore was repeated. but the vaqueros de-
! termined to land a number behind the
| whitewashed fence.
! Billy Woodruff executed some wonder
| full work at throwing the lariat. He sue
cessfully roped an immense buck at thirty
/ yards and succeeded in tying the angry
beast in short time. Rafael Quinn threw
! his rope in clever style and went over the
extremely broad horns of a large speci-
men. At dark. ten more elk were in the
/ corral but five additional ones had died
| from exhaustion.
! This method of transferring the herd
| has been abandoned as an utter failure.
| Ways and means of removing the band
are now being worked out.
| The government is very anxious to land
| this valuable drove in the Sequoia Ma
| tional park. 1t is claimed by forest rang
ers that the Kern county herd is the larg
| est in the country outside of govern
ment reservation.
Experienced cattlemen say it will be
| impossible to round up the herd and ship
/ them in the manner attempted. Some peo-
pie go so far as to claim that Uncle Sam
will be obliged to be satisfied with NOV
| ing the calves from year to year and al
low the elder animals to die off.