Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-03-04
BREAKING IN BUFFALOES
Oklahoma Ranchman's Attempt
to Train Team of Bulls.
ONE KILLED ITSELF IN A RAGE.

Delegates on Their Visit to a Ranch
Near Bliss, Okla.
| In casting about for novelties to en-
/ terrain abe delegates TO the National
| Editorial association who will spend Il
| day on ranch "101." near Bliss, Okla,
next summer, Joe Miller. president of
| the ranch company, found one which
| he believes would be lively attrac-
ton, says Bliss (0kla.) correspondent
| OF the Kansas City Star The prelimi-
4 nary steps OF his discovery have cost
| him 5000, and the cost may be greater
! before he has finished.
Ranch ''101" has Il small herd of buff
! faloeS, purchased ut the Goodnight
| ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Miller
! decided to break two young buffalo
! bulls for driving purposes, believing
that Il ride behind two buffalo road
sters would delight the visiting editors.
Miller began his buffalo busting one
| Sunday not long ago, and nearly every
! cowboy Oh the ranch joined in the
| sport. Two expert ''ropers'' saddled
| their ponies and started i'll pursuit of
| two young balls that were grazing in a
nearby pasture. Both bulls We're wild
and SalIOped away at fun speed. The
day was cold, but the high speed Of the
COW ponies told on tho buffaloeS.
one of the bulls was roped around
lis neck. Being stronger than steer,
it dragged the pony with it, though
the pony fuTrowed the sand with its
feet. Then, with eyes flaming like two
Goals and its tail erect, it gave Il bel
low and charged the pony. which ciey-
Crly lodged the onslaught. Another
cowboy threw lariat over the buf-
falo's horns. and the hursemen were
safe, as they could hold the buffalo be
/ tween them.
Tie prediction was made that the
buffalo could not be tanned to drive.
Buffalo" Jones, now IL gamekeeper in
Yellowstone park, in the early nine
ties owned n large herd near Garden
City Kan, and killed a number in at
tcn.pts to tame them. Jones declared
that when too greatly enraged a buffa-
10 seemed able to die of its own Volt
ton. 1t would stiffen its limbs and
in moment or two fall dead. Miller
would not listen to wadning and said
that lie would have Il driving team if
he used mp every buffalo on his ranch.
Another buffalo was roped, and the
two were fastened by their heads Sc
curely to 4 stout corral. Brides were
slipped over their heads and harness
thrown from safe distance on to their
backs. The tongue of a heavy freight
wagon was showed between them and
fixed into the neck yoke. The traces
were fastened to the singletrees with
a Homo hnpI-nH 4 Iar iof
fastened around the horns of each buff
falo and held by mounted cowboys to
prevent Il general smashup in a STAN
pede.
Once securely harnessed, the buffaIos
were turned loose. They broke, mad
and believing. for the open prairie, the
wagon filled with reckless cowboys,
who fired their pistols to increase the
speed of the numbering team. The
buffalOS tried repeatedly TO turn upon
each other and fight. but were held
apart by the mounted cowboysJ As
the buffalos grew wearied their speed
decreased. but their rage grew more
furious. Finally they baked. and trou-
BILE began in earnest. The larger bull
dropped to its knees. with its fore
head in the dust. ProGding did not
move it. Then it rolled over on its
side and glarei with red eyes 1T its
tormentOrS. The other bull turned side
wise and tried to break loose from its
harness.
Remembering the experience of "Buf-
falO" Jones, the PROSTATE buffalo was
unhitched. tailed" II its feet and led
toward the CORAL. When near the cor
raj the buffalo lowered its head and
charged with its full strength against
a heavy corral post The shock was
terrific. and blood burEt from the ami
mails nostrils. Three times the buffalo
charged like a battering ram before
the cowboys could tighten their ropes
The animal was worth easily 500 /
and Miller decided to confne it in
box stall in the ranch stable till its an
ger had cooled. Wien the buffalo was
drawn with ropes into the stall it fas
tened both horns under tie feed box.
stiffeued its legs II desperate attempt
to tear loose tie timbsNs AMI remained
in this attitude for possibly ten sec
onds. Then it relaxed as If struck ia a
vital spot. fell to the ground and was
dead with scarcely a struggle.
I'll have a buffalo team If / have to |
buy every buffalo in the country" said |
Miller. III bet they can be trained II |
drive just the same as a steer or a !
horse. The trouble Is we are not on u |
the curTes OF buffalo busting bat |
well Learn
Next day the other bull was Toped I
again and hitched to a buggy. The |
Ponca Indians had heard Of what was /.
going on and came in numbers to see I
the fun. BY careful handling 10 avoid /
ansering the buffalo too greatly it was /
driven short distances. This buffalo .
survived the drive, but left Miller un- I
certain as TO whether or not without 4
spending n small fortune he viii be /
able TO drive a buffalo team along the /
highways of Oklahoma By next sum /
mer. In a letter to Miller Charles Good /
night said thgt he believed it possible |