Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-08-17
TRAINING ~FFALoE
Mr.. Eaynes Meets Difficulties in Ex-
perimcpts With Bison Calves.

From the New 1Ork tribune.
The domestication Of the buffalo has it's
exciting moments, as Ernest Harold
! Baynes. secretary of the American Bison
society. discovered when he attempted it.
| one of the reasons which Mr.. Baynes adj
vances why the buffalo should be pre-
served is it's usefulness. Not only is the
animal a source Of excellent meat and of
| articles of raiment. but he believes that II
would make a desirable beast Of burden.
Before engaging in the organization OF
the society he undertook to demonstrate
this TO himself. He determined not only
to train buifaloes as draft animals, but tc
| secure a series OF photographs illustrating
the process. The calves on which the eX-
periment was made were secured fran the
fine herd on the Corbin estate, which IL
only a 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, dis
like any interference with their offspring
Mr. Baynes proposed TO photograph the
calves. which were TO be the subjects OF
the experiment, just after they We're born.
The picture most distinctly photographed
upon his retina when he attempted TO Sc
cure his photographs was the image OF q
great body charging toward him with
head down and stubby tail aloft, twitch-
ing with excitement. The camera was
smashed.
TIE transfer of the four calves from the
| Corbin estate to Meriden, Mr.. Baynes'
home, fifteen miles over the mountains,
was productive of a series of buttiug con-
tests. The calves were to be transported
i'm 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 but energetic things before
49,, x,ara innlpSaI hafyyppn the SlalS of
the crates. The second contest was be-
tween the two occupants of each crate.
AS soon as the second calf had been put III
the two fell to butting each other ener-
getically. The calves reached Mr.. Baynes'
home at 9 o'clock at night. The crates
were opened by lantern light In a barn in
which a thirty-foot pen had been built.
| The calves shot out as IL fired from a gun
and Immediately began butting their sha.
dows on the sides Of the pen and their
neighbors from the other crate. The light
I'm the lantern was Intentionally eNtin-
guished and Mr.. Baynes entered the pen
TO make friends with his new charges.
He CROPPED about in the momentary quiet
ness for one of the calves, but one OF them
found him first. Then all the others go,
his range and he retreated, but not with.
out 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 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 Jokes. and at the age OF
four months a pair of them were hitched
to a heavy stoneboat and driven for five
miles by mean Of reins and ordinary pony
bits. This pair was finally put into har-
ness and driven to q stoutly constructed
cart. When between five and six months
old the team was exhibited at the New
Hampshire agricultural fair, where II
created a sensation by the speed 1t dis
played on the track. Mr.. Baynes believes
from his experiments they will prove fast.
er, stronger and OF greater endurance thar
oxen.