Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-16
TO SAVE THE BUFFALO
AMERICAN BISON SOCIETY TO
BEGIN VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN.
Noble Animal Now on Verge of Ex-
tinction-Proposed Plans for
Its Preservation.
Written for The Star.

I
are In few widely-scattered punches, only
two of which, the Corbin herd at Newport.
n. H., and the Pablo herd on the Flathead
one hundred head.
OF this little remnant of the once mighty
hosts, not single animal Is safe; every
owner In the country Is willing and some
very anxious to sell, and I doubt If there
is herd in the country which would not
be sold tomorrow morning If a customer
appeared with the money. In the large
herds there is another menace to the race
contagious disease, to several forms of
which the buffalo is subject, though less
SO than domestic cattle. If tuberculosis or
the hoof and mouth disease should attack
large punches, the fate of the buffalo might
be sealed then and there as even now the
number of herds is small that 1t will
probably require careful MANAGEMENT to
prevent excessive inbreeding.
Government Ownership of Buffaloes.
The American Bison Society believes that
these dangers can be avoided in just one
way, and that Is by governmental owner
ship of all available pure-blooded buffaloes.
The government alone can resist the temp
tation to sell the heads and hides Of these
wonderful creatures; the government alone
eau keep them with the least possible risk
OF loss by disease and with the greatest
opportunity to increase to the point where
there will be no longer any immediate dan
ger of their extinction
Personally l believe that the strong SEN
timent In favor of our greatest American
animal is sufficient to save him, If those
who feel it will only speak. l believe there
are tens of thousands of people who can
appreciate the buffalo as great character
In American history, in whose living pres
ence only can we really understand the In
dian and the life he led In the early days;
l believe that these same people and many
more will admit the debt owe the buff
falo for the great part he played in the
In no ncf .i.aDr hnt-r
there must be many, many thousands whose
relatives or friends would have suffered
hunger, II not starvation. but for the pres
ence of the vast herds of buffalo beyond
the Mississippi, and no doubt there are
many who from personal experience can
testify to the great value of the animal to
those obliged TO traverse the wilderness in
times gone by. l do not believe that these
people will allow the bison to pass without
making an effort in his behalf.
The Buffalo Is Valuable Animal
But there are good economic reasons why
this animal should be saved and allowed to
increase in numbers. Shorn OF all senti-
ment, and as he stands on his hoofs, he Is
the most valuable native animal in the
country; kill him and there is no domestic
animal in America whose carcass Will bring
much in dollars and cents. The meat Is
good as domestic beef, and some parts
of 1t rather better, while the hide alone VIII
sell for money enough to purchase three or
four good cows. 4 fine head is worth much
more, and although the value of heads
would probably decrease as bufaloes be-
came more numerous, there would always
be a good market for the skins, for many
purposes we have nothing quite so good
l know q man who is wearing a buffalo
ulster which has been In use for twenty
winters, and 1t is not by any means worn
out. As a winter carriage robe 1t is gen
orally conceded that a buffalo skin has
never had an equal, and for this use alone
the article would probably command high
price indefinitely Then the buffelo has
wool almost as thick as that Of the sheep.
Naturally there is much more OF 1t, and
while It is coarser than Sleeps wool, it
can be woven into very warm and useful
garments.
There was a factory devoted to this in
dustry In operation in Winnipeg, and / am
informed that the enterprise was very sue
cessful until the determination OF the puf-
falo put an end to the supply of raw ma
terial. 1t would be fairly simple matter
to shear the animals In the spring as sheep
are sheared, but this might not be neces-
sary as the buffalo sheds its wool an
nually, in patches resembling felt. and this
might he gathered from the ground.
AS Beasts of Burden.
AS beast of burden the bison is almost
unknown, yet I suspect that II properly
broken when young he would prove superior
TO the domestic OK for speed, strength and
endurance. My own experience with the
team of buffalo calves which l borrowed
and broke to the yoke and to harness last
summer tends to confirm this suspicion; at
any rate / do not believe that any pair OF
domestic calves of the same age In New
England can either travel so fast or handle
so heavy load as those eight months-old
buffaloes. They have already shown what
they are made of at the Sullivan county
On. H) fair, and they will be tested again
at the coming sportsmens show in Boston.
1t Is so we'll known that, under proper
HSnl,N ft.zI,r Il
that they are both easy and inexpensive to
rear, 1t is hardly necessary to repeat IT.;
the point now is 10 have the government
undertake this work until the herds are suf-
ficiently large to warrant their distribution
to stock raisers, farmers and others who
may desire to handle them. In order that
Congress may feel justified In appropriating
the money necessary to do this, 1t is nee
essary that a great number of Americans
shall show their interest in the matter.
There are many ways in which they can
do this but the most direct way, perhaps,
just now is to support the American Bison
Society by becoming a member of 1t. 1t Is
hoped that spertsmens clubs will be among
the first to come to the front, and that
wherever possible the members of such or
CARNATIONS will join the American Bison So
cety in a body.
The assistance of women's clubs Is also
greatly desired, and women members will
be heartily welcomed to the ranks of the
new organization. Girls and boys, too,
Should be urged to Join 1t, partly for the
immediate benefit to the cause of the buffalo
and partly because an early appreciation on
their part OF what is due to so noble an ami
NAL will tend to make them better citizens.
| In short, let every man. woman and4cbild
| who has love or sympathy for American
| animals join hands In saving for the coun-
| try the grandest of them all. Although
| on the brink of determination, this rugged
and typically American character must be
| saved; 1t can be saved. and. with the sup
ciety Is prepared to do the work which win
| be necessary to save it.
ERNEST HAROLD BAYNES.