Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1910-11-22
GAME INCREASING
UNDER PROTECTION
THE BUFFALO HAS PASSED, BUT
is COMING BACK AGAIN.
Elk and Deer Are Becoming More
Numerous.

w. c. Barnes of the forestry ser
vice. who came here during fair week
to attend the annual meeting of the
Arizona Cattle Growers association,
and incidentally to call on a host of
old friends. left last night for Tucson,
en- route back to his headquarters in
! washington. After attending to bust
ness in that vicinity and in Albuquer-
que, he will be Joined there IN a
couple of weeks by Mrs Barnes, who
! is staying here with her parents, Mr..
and Mrs. Walter Talbot, and they will
proceed east together. In a little talk
| yesterday before his departure, Mr..
Barnes gave a few facts in respect
of the game situation throughout the
west that may be new to a great
many and that are certainly interest
ing to those who were not informed.
Particular mention was made of buff
falo. elk and deer.
There has been a narrowing fear
on the part of great many nature
lovers that these noble American
wild wild animals. especially the buff
lfalo, would eventually become extinct.
Mr.. Barnes says there is now no dan
ger of it though the buffalo had a
very close call. Through the efforts
of the forestry officials and the Amer
lean Bison association, the buffalo has
not only been given protection. but
effective measures have been taken
for the multiplying of that animal
upon the earth to considerable ex-
tent. The relation of what has been
done for his protection is best pre-
coded by the story of the buffalo's
close call
Many years ago, possibly half a
hundred, a Mexican whose first name
is Pablo and whose last name cannot
be recalled by Mr.. Barnes, travelled
north into Montana and, associating
himself with the F'lathead Indians
married into their tribe. AS time
passed and the buffalo were rapidly
being killed off, Pablo foresaw their
possible determination and began
breeding them on the reservation as
others bred cattle Finally they were
practically all gone except his herd
and a few specimens in captivity in
the east and south and a few in yell
lowstone park.
Five years ago the government
broke up the Flathead reservation. al
lotting the lands in severalty, and
Pablo was without a range. He of
fered to sell his herd to the govern
nature lovers with him. but it did no
good. Congress would not loosen its
purse strings and Canada, more en-
terprising than this country in that
instance, bought the buffalo and
moved them over the line, all except
possibly $50 that could not be gath
cred from the hidden places on the
range. This remnant of the herd was
bought by the American Bison associ-
alton which finally induced congress
to appropriate $4,000 for fencing in
10000 acres in Montana. and into this
pasture as many bison as could be
rounded up were driven. They are
now doing very nicely there and multi
plying considerably.
About six years ago the American
Bison association also got the consent
of congress to let the forest service
have a range of 10000 acres near
Cache, Oklahoma, and encircled it with
a fine smooth wire, made to order,
fence. This southern range was then
stocked with about twenty head of BIZ
son from a private herd owned in New
Hampshire After they were removed
many of them were stricken with Tex
as fever and died. but few were
saved ar the fenced range was thor
oughly clernsed of the disease so
there is no longer danger of infection.
With this years calves there are
now about thirty five pure bred and
healthy buffalo in the Oklahoma herd
under the care of a gamekeeper, as
also are the northern buffalo.
1t is the plan of the officials to
keep the two herds separate and dis
tinct for a time and then later to
exchange breeding stock. so that there
may not be too much inbreeding and
deterioration of the stock. This can
best be guarded against by having