The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-23
TRAINING BUFFALOES
Mr.. Baynes Meets Difficulties In Ex-
periments With Bison Calves.

The domesticatlon of the buffalo has
Its exciting moments. as Ernest Harold
Baynes, the secretary Of the American
Bison society. discovered when he at
tempted It. One of the reasons which
Mr.. Baynes advances why the buffalo
should be preserved In Its usefulness.
Not only is the animal q source of ex-
cellent meat and Of articles OF raiment,
but he believes that 1t would make a
desirable beast of burden, Before en-
gaging in the organization of the 80
ciety he undertook to demonstrate this
to himself. He determined not only to
train buffaloes as draft animals but to
secure series Of photographs illus
trating the process, The calves on
which the experiment was made were
secured from the fine herd on the Cor
bin estate. which Is only a few miles
from Mr., Baynes's home in New Hamp-
shire.
One Of the things which Mr.. Baynes
discovered 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 experiment, Just
after they were born. The picture
most distinctly photographed upon his
retina when he attempted to secure his
photographs was the image OF a great
body charging toward him with head
down and stubby tail aloft, twitching
with excitement. The camera was
smashed.
The transfer OF the four calves from
the Corbln estate to Meriden, Mr..
Baynes's home. fifteen miles over the
mountains, was productive of a series
of butting contests. The calves were
to be transported In crates. two In each.
The first match was with the men en-
gagged In Grating them. Each man In
turn was bowled over by the young
but 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 calf had been put In.
the two fell to butting each other en-
ergetlcally. The calves reached Mr..
Bayness home at 9 o'clock at night
The crates were opened by lantern
light in barn In which thirty-foot
pen had been built. The calves shot
out as If fired from a gun and imme-
diately began butting their shadows on
the sides OF the pen and their neigh
bors from the other crate. The light
In the lantern was Intentionally ex-
and Mr.. Baynes entered
the pen to make friends with his new
charges, He groped about in the mo-
mentary quletness 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 bot
ties of milk, as he did at frequent In
tervals In the succeeding days. for the
calves were only three weeks old when
he got them, they again butted him not
as an enemy, but simply for pure Joy.
In course OF time they were fitted
with halters: then with yokes, and at
the age OF four months pair OF them
were hitched to heavy stoneboat and
driven for five miles by means OF relns
and ordinary pony bits. This pair was
finally put into harness and driven to
q stoutly constructed cart When be-
tween 1--WE and six months old the team
was exhibited at a New Hampshire ag-
riculturol fair, where II created a SEN
sation by the speed II displayed on the |
track. Mr.. Bnynes believes from his |
experiments that when buffalocs are |
once broken they Will prove faster. |
stronger and OF greater endurance than |
oxen,