Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-15
PROGRESS IN TANNING
BUFFALO CALVES SUBMITTING TIC
PROCESS OF DoMEsTICATIoN.
wild Creatures Become Accustomed to
the Trainer - A Fatal Accident
to One Of the Calves.

Written for The Star.
The two buffalo calves from Corbin PARK
which 1 was attempting to rear by hand,
thrived well on cows milk, which l admin
istered very frequently in small quantities.
To be sure, 1t disagreed with them a little
at first, but they were quickly set right by
simple remedy, known to every farmer
who has reared a domestic calf. After that
they did well. and gained in weight at the
rate of a pound a day, though I did not
give them anything like all the milk they
would have taken.
For week or two l kept them In the
barn, where L could watch them carefully
for any signs of ailment, but as they con-
tinued to do we'll 1 turned them out into
pasture which had been fenced with six
feet of stout woven-wire fencing, on pur-
pose for them. They ate a considerable
quantity of grass. but came to me readlly
when | appeared with the milk bottles.
They were so tame by this time that they
would allow me to sit astride their backs
as they took their food.
Patent Calf Feeders.
Soon after this I got two patent calf
feeders one with the nipple hanging below
and the other with the nipple at the end OF
a horizontal rod 1t didn't take the calves
three minutes to learn what these were for,
and they would take their food from either
feeder impartially.
Thus encouraged. I telephoned to Morri-
son that 1 was ready for the other two
slaves, and the next day ] drove across
Croydon mountain to help to catch them.
1 selected little heifer calf two weeks old
and frisky little bull only ten days old.
We were more experienced now, and cap
tured these two with deal Less trouble
and danger than had attended our first at
tempt They arrived at Sunset Ridge that
night, and the tanning of the second INSTALL
ment began. Apparently they were wilder
than the first two, the little bull being par
ticularly aggressive when l went inside the
pen which had been made for them inside
the barn. He arched his little back, erected
his tail until it laid over backward like a
smartly on the legs, then bringing 1t up
with jerk which, II 1 were not on my
guard would have lifted me off my feet.
He made me black and blue and very sore,
but l liked him all the better for it.
Courage of the Animal Suggestive.
Through that little tawny calf dying
race sent its message to the American peo-
pie. 1t spoke of great strength and vigor,
and splendid courage, and Of a natural
fitness to live and survive And / knew
that If the American people would but
give the buffalo a chance such I have
suggested score of times during the last
twelve months every bull, every COW and
every tawny calf would do its part in an
effort to preserve the race. And the
splendid little giant before me plunged into
me again and again my heart went out to
him, and 1 patted his curly pate and said
aloud. Good for you, you plucky little
devil"
When 1t came 20 the question Of feeding,
however. the new arrivals were much easier
to teach than the older pair had been. In
fact. 1t was not necessary to hold them at
all; as soon as they were hungry, 1 held
n hot re yv,tlly thav,, tn 81
they took the nipple In their mouths and
sucked freely, as though they had often
done 1t before.
After they had become fairly calm and
would allow me to approach, without but
ting or dashing themselves against the
walls of the pen, decided to let them out
of the barn into a small pasture adjoining
the one in which the other calves were
kept. Unfortunately, this Enclosure had not
been made with the consideration for the
eouliarities of buffalo calves, and the re-
suit was a serious accident.
A Serious Accident.
The pasture consisted Of two open spaces
connected by a narrow strip of ground,
with a fence on each side. Soon after the
calves had been put into 1t / went out
with bottle of milk to feed them as usual.
1 approached them along the narrow strip
spoken of above and the little heifer, in a
moment of nervousness. slipped past me.
Now. there is in buffaloes of all ages a
very strong tendency to stick together, and
seldom is a buffalo content II separated
from his companions. Where others Of his
kind are, there he will go If it Is possible
to reach them. This tendency at once ex-
erted itself in the young bull, and he made
a furious dash past me in order to Join the
heller. But In passing, he tried to swing
too wide. and in doing so dashed into q
fence post and fell stunned almost at my
feet
In a moment he recovered and leaped to
his feet. striking out vigorously with his
hind hoofs, and l thought he had simply
had narrow escape. But, alas. he turned.
l saw his right foreleg swing loose and /
knew that he had broken 1t above the knee.
In two minutes 1 had telephoned for men
to come and help me to catch them and in
three had a man off to town to get a sur
geon.
A Fatal Mistake.
We caught the calf and put him into a
crate and that night. while three Of US held
him, the surgeon and assistant set the
broken limb in plaster And then I made
a big mistake / ordered the animal put in
a sling. as a domestic calf would have been
treated had it been considered worth the
trouble. But the buffalo calf. wild as q
hawk, could not brook the restraint, strug-
gled and worried himself into a fever and
died Had he been liberated as soon as his
leg was set believe he would have come
out of his trouble all right. Sad the re-
suit of this accident was, there Is some
consolation in knowing that the Blue Noun
tain Forest Association presented the body
of the calf to the Brooklyn Institute of
Arts and Sciences where 1t Is being mount
ed by taxidermist of unusual ability.
The other calves were now tame enough
to be halter-broken, and as soon as halters
could be made for them they entered upon
this period of their education.
ERNEST HAROLD BAYNES.