Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-22
PRACTICAL PLANS FOR
SAVING AMERICAN BISON

THE dream of the naturalist and
| sportsman 10 prevent the cNunc-
lion Of the buffalo has AZ last
| been realized.
! What was at first only a chimericaI
plan has been turned into actuality. AMI
! two governments. the United States ami
Canada have begun the ao;ual work "f
! Transporting 10 national preserves all the
! bison that can De found.
! There are three OF these preserves. two
! in the United states and one in Canada
, 4 large number OF animals have ALREADY
been moved 10 them: others will be shifted
there with all possible speed.
These pre- serves are not little pens in
which the noble animal with its sham
! bling gait will have no room 10 follow
mis- natural inclinationS. Instead theN
are mighty forests, huge tracts. NAeNe
only after long journey can the bnhai'
come into contact with the wire fences
| that prevent his escape.
! The bison range in the F'ath6ad In
dian reservation in Montana was author
| lied at the last session of Congress when
| $4,000 was appropriated.
! The location OF the range was recon-
mended by Prof. Morton J. McElrod or
| the University OF Montana. authority
on the subject. who after going over the
| country care fully picked on this tract as
| the most desirable.
1t is directly north OF the Jocko river,
near the towns of Ravalli and Jocko.
OF the appropriation of $4,000. $1,000
| had to be paid to the owners of the land
| a large number of whom are Indians.
Many of the white owners being Interested
| in the purpose Of the purchase made low
prices for their holdings.
The first act of the commission was 4"
put a substantial wire fence around the
| preserve. and this involved consider
| able outlay. for the strength of the buf-
| falo is such that il takes a powerful bar
| rier to keep him in check.
Now water sheds must be constructed.
and other pre- operations made for the com
plete comfort of the bison guest.
| The American Bison Society has AL
| ready purchased a number OF bison. and
they are being sent to the reserve "a
quickly as the needed funds can be raised.
This reservation. as well as the others
that are now being installed, owes its
| inception largely to the act of the late
Austin Corbin.
He was one of the first men of wealth
who did not confne his regret for the
| passing of the buffalo to mere sentiment
| tally. He saw a chance to save n"
| species from extinction, and like a prdc-
| teal man. at once acted.
Six thousand acres belonging to nlm-
| self at Blue Mountai Park. \. H.. I've
| fenced off, and here he maintained Al
| his own expense a large herd OF buffalo.
Not only did the herd become quickly
| accustomed TO the new home, but il
| thrived and increased in numbers. The
experiment demonstrated the possibility
| of establishing preserves, and was Inc
| animating impulse of the American Bison
4 :1t, into a<so OF ny1r
years ago.
| Where private individuals had the needed
enterprise and courage to take action the
governments of the United States and
| Canada were not to be outdoue. and
hence action there and resulting legisla-
| ton. >.a.-,.
! Canada had an interest almostassgrea6
as the United States. for 1t must be re-
membered that the herds OF half q cen<
| fury ago were not 50 patriotic that they
confined themselves to the boundaries OF
Uncle Sans territory. Canada also was
overrun, and the passing OF the great
animal is as much regretted IN the Do"
minion as in the United States.
| The United States has fixed the loca-
ton of its preserve at Wichita, and re-
| Gently fifteen of the finest bunaloes In
! the New York 700 were shipped there
| The animals picked out were OF both
sexes. and they were in the best OF
health and vigor. The hope Of the eX-
perimenterS is that out in their native
| west, in the midst OF area so big az
| to mean almost freedom, there will be a n
| end to buffalo race suicide, and the spe-
| ces will multiply till there Is no longer
| a chance TO lament the passing Of one
of the original owners of this continent.
The Wichita range comprises twelve
square miles Of territory In Oklahoma
| tl. h .sN
in its wild state the buffalo ran most
freely, and in putting the reservation here
| Uncle Sam merely is performing an act
| of restora ton. The fencing in of this
| vast Enclosure has been taken care OF by
a government appropriation of $4,000.
| Elk Island Park. in Canada. is to he
| the home of the Dominion buffalo, and
the authorities have gone even further
than the United States in their plans for
getting a great herd of the animals.
| The Pablo a Hard herd has been bought
| outright. Ii consists of 62S superb ami
| mails. Three hundred and nnety-eiSht OF
| these have already been shipped to their
new home and have shown every indica-
| ton of being happy in the new location
| The others will he moved as rapidly As
/ possible. The Canadian government haS
appropriated $4,000 for the work
| The American Bison Society Is just IN
| much gratified at the work of the Cana
dian government as the United States.
| The hope Of the society Is international.
| In its membership Of seven hundred are
| Included many Canadans-in fact. not less
! than ne-third of the contributors are res
| idents of the north country.
| A part of the campaign 10 save the
| buffalo, the society had experts prepare
| a table Of all the buffaloes now surviving
| in the world. 1t was found that thrr-
were not many OF them, and that the
| work of the society had just been inau-
| Surated al the right TIME If any were I"
| be saved The total number is c,O+1. or
these. 1,722 are in captivity, and only %
are wild.
| But what is more impressive about the
figures is the fact that OF the number
that are free only twenty-five remain III
| the United States. the remaining three
hundred being in Canada.
Only twenty-five left out Of the innumer-
able hordes that used 10 so cover the
great plains that herd would be four nr
five days in passing given point, and
that in spite of the fact that they were
travelling a a high rate of speed!
OF the number in captivity the United
States has the greatest number. 1.116: $50