The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-05-07
JONES AND THE JUNGLE.
Promises to Put the Lions Reputa-
tiOn on the Blink.

of one eminent person who has been
burning up words at a dollar per hol-
ocaust for some months past. 1t isn't
| chubby in Jones to go cheering
through the jungles, roping lions,
running the BJ brand on them, and
then turning them loose to lick the
hot spot. 1t not only puts the repu-
tation of the king of beasts on the
blink, showing him to be a harmless
brute who can be tied up as easily as
81 calf. but it destroys a tradition.
The next mighty hunter who goes af-
ter the Tumbo record will have to
tell it to a phonograph. No other
| audience would stand hitched.
There may and there may not be a
moving picture end to Buffalo Jones
jungle exploits. A perverse and sus-
picious generation is apt to suspect
something of the sort. But even If
there is the facts are not to be dis
puted. Here is a man Of sixty-siX
years, whose life has been spent in
the hardest of all occupations-that
of cattle ranching in the west-who
can barely eat "a or SIS worth of food
at meal, and can hardly stick on a
horse more than thirty-six hours at
stretch-going into the African
jungle. and roping, tying, and brand
ing all sorts of wild beasts with the
same unconcern that he would show
in venturing into the milking pen at
home. The chances are that when he
gets back 1t will be discovered that
he hasn't had occasion to crack a cap
- ferocious animal during his trip
Lion hunting will be displayed by
him as a milk mild and sedentary oc-
cupation, to be recommended for in
valids and children.
That's Jones point of view, any
how. He used to be warden of the
Yellowstone Park and found that the
grizzly ybears-protected by law in the
park-were annoying tourists by re-
fusing to pose for photographs. So
Jones took a large elm club and went
out and chastised the bears. He had
to tie them up to trees for the oper-
alton, not because they were danger
ous-to Jones-but because he hated
to chase bears on foot, every now and
then reaching retreating rump
with wallop. And when any one
sent In an order for a mountain lion,
Mr.. Jones went out and got the lion
with a string. Just threw a moose
around his neck, kicked him in the
Stats a few times and rode the lion
back to a camp All his life he has
dealt with wild animals in prefer
ence to tame. There is more fun in
it-for Jones-not the animal
A fine, breezy person is this mas
ter of the rope. Born in New Eng
land, he left for the west as soon as
he conveniently could. In 1885 he
got an idea that some one should pre-
serve what was left Of the buffalo.
In one days ride he roped and tied
eight calves. AS the wolves were fol-
lowing him looking for light lunch,
he left an article of apparel with
each calf, knowing that the followers
would suspect trap. He would have
caught nine calves, except that he
couldn't pry loose his earring. That
was the only garment he had left
He has a ranch down on the Colora-
do river where he raises buffaloes,
lions, and sandstorms in equal pro-
portion. Now and then he sells
cattalo, too-the product of a cross
between the domestic cattle and the
buffalo. When he went into the busi-
ness buffaloes were a drug at 500
each. Now they are worth $500
and he has cornered the market
He isn't happy out of the saddle.
He is all tanned leather and struc-
tural steel. He isn't a Snowman or a
poet or faunal naturalist or a four
flush. He is just a cow-puncher with
bug on catching bad beasts with
string. He doesn't like to kill, for
he believes that all animals fear
dcath-and. anyhow, it's more fun
to catch 'em alive. If he had any
business faculty he would long ago
have been at the head of some sort Of
woozy west show with box office
annex. He has the show as it is
but he furnishes his own audience
Now and then some dyspeptic mil
lionatre visits him in the sand and
! lives on grub that would choke a
nash machine. and come back tam
ned and hearty to tell what wonders