Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10
TRAINING BurFALoEs.
Mr.. Baynes Meets Difacultiea in Elk
periments with Bison Calves

From the New York Tribune.
The DEMONSTRATION of the buffalo has its
exciting moments. as Ernest Harold Baynes.
secretary of the American Bison Society,
discovered when he attempted 1t. One OF
tie reasons which Mr.. BayRes advances why
the buffalo should be preserved is Its use
fulness. Not only Is the animal a source
of excellent meat and of articles of raiment,
but he believes that it would make q desir-
able beast of burden. Before engaging in
the organization of the society he undertook
to demonstrate this to himself He deter
mined not only to train buffaloes as draft
animals. but to secure a series of photo
graphs illustrating the process. The calves
on which the experiment was made were Ee-
cured from the fine herd on the Corbin
estate which Is only few miles from Mr..
Baynes. home in New Hampshire.
One of the things which Mr. Baynes dis
covered early was that buffalo mothers.
much like other four-footed mothers. dislike
any interference with their Offspring. Mr.
Baynes proposed to photograph the calves,
which were to be.the subjects of the expert
ment, just after they were born. The pic
ture most distinctly photographed upon ms
retina when he attempted to secure his pho-
tographs was the image of great oocy
charging toward him with head down and
stubby tail aioft, twitching with excitement.
The camera was smashed.
The transfer of the four calves from the
Corbin estate to Meriden Mr.. Maynes home
fifteen miles over the mountains, was pro-
ductive of series of butIing contests The
calves were to be transported IN crates,
two in each. The first match was with the
men engaged in Grating them. Each man
in turn was bowled over by the young put
energetic things before they were inclosed
between the Stats of the crates The second
contest was between the two occupants OF
each crate As soon as the second cali
had been put in the two fell to butting each
other energetically The calves reached
Mr.. Baynes home at 3 o'clock at night
The crates were opened by lantern hght
In a barn in WHICH a thirty-foot pen had
been built. TIE calves shot cut as II .flreo
from a gun and Immediately began putting
their shadows On the sides of the pen ana
their neighbors from the other crate The
light in the lantern was Intentionally extifi-
guished and Mr.. BayDes entered the pen 70
make FRIENDS with his rev charges. he
groped about in the rnomentary quietness
for one of the calves, but one of them found
him first Then all the others got his range
and he retreated, but not without losing
his equilibrium.
When Mr. Baynes appeared with bottles
of milk. as he DID at frequent Intervals IN
the succeeding days. for the calves were
only three weeks old when he get them,
they again butted him, not as an enemy,
but simply for pure JOY.
In course of time they were fitted with
balters then with yokeS, and at the age or
four months pair of them were hitched TO
a heavy stoneboat and driven for five miles
by means of reins and ordinary pony bits.
This pair was finally put into harness ann
driven to a stoutly constructed cart. When
between five and six months old the team
was exhibited at a New Hampshire agri-
cultural fair, where it created sensation
by the speed it displayed on the track. Mr..
Baynes believes from his experiments that
when buffaloes are once broken they will
prove faster, stronger and of greater endur-
ance than oxen.