Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-02-27
PROVISION FOR
BISON REFUGE
Congress is Caring for
Herd on Preserve in
Montana

pCrfcl recently go mtte proper c0iu-
mittcc 90 the house there is m lien
OF $1,000 which will be used 10
care or and protect the bird refugees
where wild birds may be unmoles,ed.
and which have pe,n set aside ny cX-
eDuti,c order. ana the bison or. as
most people say. tbe ouffa.p. voser-
walton in Montana.
There is a good deal Of interest in
congress attaching to the bison. and
this means all through the country, be-
cause IL nas been appeals from tho
people which have stirred interest in
the congressman. In a Montana res
eryation a government herd Of bison
ranges In virtually a wild state. Con.
gress was led TO take action to buy
and preserve these wild animals by
appeals from the American Bison as
soeiation. Of which William 7. Horna.
day OF the Bronx Geological park is
the moving spirit Senator Dixon OF
Montana introduced a bill to set
aside a tract OF land containing 20
square miles. II Is located on the old
Fathead Indian reservation. and the
land. while making a fine bison range,
Is almost totally UNIT for agricultural
purposes. In other words, II is prac.
tically waste land.
A Flathead Indian named Pablo liy-
Ing In Montana had In his possession
a few years ago a herd OF $50 bison.
or. to begin using the common name.
although II Is wrong. buffalo. The
Canadian government learned OF the
existence OF the herd and bought II
from the Flathead, who was tempted
by the oner because OF its seeming
generosity, and probably because he
did not know the full value OF the ami.
mails In this day OF their scarcity. The
Canadians took about half the herd,
divided the half into two parts. and
turned the animals loose on ranges on
the other side OF the border, where II
Is said today they are thriving. The
understanding is that since then Can
ada has taken the rest of it's pur-
chase Pablo. the Flathead. however.
retained In his possession about 90 OF
the animals. To these he added 9th.
ers. and with the natural increase 10
had quite a fine herd for Uncle sam.
Wood Buffalo IN Saskatchewan.
Most people DO o know that there
is still In existence a herd of actual.
ly wild bison. Little Is known col.
corning IL. save the fact OF its exist
ence. How many animals there are
and what their chances OF continued
existence. may be put down. at best,
as a mere matter Of guessing Up
someW here In the northern part OF the
province OF Saskatchewan there are a
few left, possibly more than a few,
animals known 10 the people as wood
buffalo
The laymau's belief is that the wood
buffalo and the buffalo OF the plains
are different species. but they are not.
They are Identical, except for the fact
that the wood buffalo are a little larg.
er than their southern family mem.
bers. How long a lease of life the
wood buffalo may have no one knows,
bur It may be that the Canadian gov.
ernmen, will undertake. ultimately,
their protection and preservation.
Elklns' Real Monument.
Although Senator stephen b. Elkins
OF West Virginia died a year ago, The
memorial services for him have Just
been held in the house Of representa-.
tives When a member OF either house
OF congress dies, both houses hold
memorial services In his honor. II
was Senator Elkins whose name was
attached to a railroad rate bill. and
his name, perhaps. 10 better known in
connection with this piece OF legisla
ton than with any other. but IL was
also Stephen b. Elkins who finally
succeeded in securing from congress
an appropriation TO erect a monument
to Rev. John Witherspoon. one OF the
signers OF the Declaration Of indie.
pendence. IL was a long while be.
fore congress would consent to appro.
pirate the money for the Witherspoon
memorial which now stands on a com.
handing site on Connecticut avenue.
Recently Il was said that the monu.
ment ought TO be considered as much
one to Stephen b. Elkins as to John
WitherspoOn.
While the debate prior to the sign.
ing OF the Declaration OF lndepend.
ence was secret. IL is a fairly well es.
tablished fact that one OF the dele.
gates quoted thus from Tom Paine's
pamphlet. Common Sense" which
some months before had created a
sensation:
1T matters very little now what the
king OF England either says or does:
he hath ~wickedly broken through
every moral and human obligation.
trampled nature and conscience be
meath bis feet, and by a steady and
constitutional spirit Of insolence and
cruelty procured for himself a uni.
versal hatred"
II is said that John Witherspoon o,
Princeton, stanchly orthodox. was the
man who quoted thus literally from
Tom Paine. atheist. Some years aft.
erward Wltherspoon was taken 10
task by a fellow clergyman for quot.
ing Paine, and Rev. John answered, so
tradition hath Il, that the devils pitch.
fork was none too bad a weapon 10
. upe In prOdding John Dull ON, NJ IA.