The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-07-23
rHoToGRApnINe BuFFALoEs.

I PHoToGRAPHING BUFFALoEs. I am particularly interested in buf-
 faloes, for several reasons. In the
 first place they are the most nagni-
 ficent hooted animals on the western
 hemisphere and in the next place they
 are almost extinct. Less than fifty
 years ago. they were probably the most
 numerous large wild animals in the world, and to-day there are possibly eighteen hundred in existence. About a third of these, something over six hundred, are wild, and inhabit a deso- late region southwest of-well, never
 mind just where it is. The rest are either in captivity in geological gardens, or in what might be termed semt-capti- witty in big game preserves. The largest
 herd in selni-conflnement IS that in the
 Blue Mountain Forest, otherwise known
 as Corbin Park, vast preserve some
 seven miles north of Newport, New
 Hampshire. There are at this writing
 approximately one hundred and fifty
 buffalo of all ages in this herd, and I these great shaggy beasts roam at will
 over their kingdom of twenty-six thou
 sand acres, confined only by a fence
 thirty-six miles in length. Here in al country of wild mountain forests, bushy 1 thickets, swannpy lowlands and grassy. plains, the buffaloes thrive and increase in numbers every year, and it is here
 that I have the privilege of studying
 their habits, and of photographing the
 animals themselves to my hearts con l tent.
 | A part of the long fence before men, tioned separates my garden from the preserve and the other day as looked
 out from my study window l saw a
 great bull buffalo under the shade of a l distant tree. I picked up reflex
 camera, quickly fitted to it big Goerz
 lens, capable of taking picture in the 1 one-t -thousandth of a second if necessary and started out to stalk the buffalo.
 The old fellow lay with his tail toward
 me, and as the wind was blowing my way, I had little difficulty in getting close enough to take a back view Of him. But at the sound of the shutter he turned his head, rose to his feet with snort, and galloped off with bound- I ing movement which one would hardly I believe possible for a creature weighing I two thousand pounds. As for me. l went after him as fast as could, but
 found myself handicapped by the l weight of the camera. After galloping about a mile, the bull drew up and as neared him proceeded cautiously, talk | ing advantage of the cover of trees and I shrubs. But he saw me before I came I within range, and off he went again, | stopping this time much sooner than he l had done before. Again I approached, and this time, yet when the old fellow l saw me- instead of making off at once, I he turned toward me as though curious as to my intentions. He was a
 wonderfully impressive creature, the picture of massive strength. It being near the end of the shedding season, his huge brown body looked as though it had been newly clipped, but his head | neck and shoulders were still covered with a thick shaggy coat. And the head was the most impressive of all,- black and massive, with strong, Well- curved horns, and a long black beard N which proclaimed his age and dignity,
 I stood perfectly still and presently he
 lowered his muzzle and began to graze. I edged up little, but he sauntered off,
 and it was necessary to follow him for twenty minutes through thickets and swamps until he stopped on the crest of
 a hill and began to graze again. The position was good one for my purpose, but unfortunately he was too far away.
 However, by taking out the back com bination of the lens the size of the image was doubled, and as no great speed was needed ventured shot at him with the sky for background. Again he was off, but I soon overlook him and got nearer view of him as he
 rubbed his burly head against clurnp
 of bushes. Presently he came to spot where the ground was sandy, and after paving for few moments he lay down
 and rolled, flinging his legs in the air
 as a colt might do. Then he got up and
 shook himself, and strode off into the
 forest. However, had three shots at
 him, and as two of them resulted In
 satisfactory negatives I was more than
 repaid for my trouble.
 A few days later, very early in the
 morning, came upon herd of buff
 falo, more than hundred, all told,
 grazing on a piece of high land where
 they spent the night. I set off home
 and returned with two cameras hoping
 to get picture of the herd. But be-
 fore could get quite near enough some
 of the beasts caught sight of me, and by a few deep grunts warned the, rest
 and the whole lot were soon galloping
 away down a hill, across swamp and
 into wood where they were lost to
 view. However, he who runs may read the fresh trail of a herd of buffaloes by the trampled grass, the broken twigs,
 and, at this seasor,by the punches of
 hair left clinging to the brushes, so | hurried after them as fast as could