Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-19

XXX ASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 12.--There
wv now no less than seven thousand
" buffaloes in North America, they are
increasing rapidly, and Americas most
famous and characteristic large animal is con-
sdered to be fair safe from determination.
This news was brought to Washington re-
+ Gently by Dr.. George w. Field, Of the biologi-
cal survey, who has charge OF the govern
ment's several buffalo ranches, and of all it's
other bird and animal reservations.
The buffalo has long figured in the popu-
lar mind as a creature practically or nearly
extinct. He has been classed with the Dodo,
the great AUX and the highball, as thing
which was Gone the way Of the buffalo
and the passenger pigeon" is standard ora
torical and literary bromide implying IT.
reVocable oblivion
For the last twenty years, While he has
been serving a pathetic example OF mans
ruthless destructiveness, while accounts of his
determination were being written, and while
his likeness was being stamped on the nickel
that Americans might know what he looked
like, the buffalo has been steadily multiply
ing. BY attending strictly to the business of
raising calves, and paying attention to the
alarming rumors that he was extinct the
buffalo, as a species, has literally craWled out
Of his grave.
There was time, within the memory of
living men, when there were more buffalo in
the United States than there are now people
In 1880 there were quite few left. In 1897
taxidermst killed, in Lost Park, Colorado,
the last members of the last wild herd of
buffalo outside of a national park in the
United States.
At that time there were not many more
than thousand buffalo alive in the world.
These were scattered in small herds in public
and private parks. The only wild ones were
small herd in Canada, and those in our
Yellowstone national park.
When any species of animal is reduced to a
thousand individuals, scientists generally give
up hope for it. 1t is regarded as practically
extinct And especially is this true when
many of the individuals are old and most of
them are in captivity.
But a great deal of interest was felt in the
fate of the buffalo He was one animal that
the people knew about. He had been extern
sively depicted and described. Buffalo Bill
had chased his buffaloes and shot blank
cartridges at them in every town over ten
thousand in the United States. The buffalo
had been sculptured and painted and stamped
on coins. In word, he had gotten that thing
which in America is the maker OF dest1nles-
advertising.
The scientists of the biological survey, who
watched and nursed the buffalo during the
days when he was almost gone, firmly beHeVe
that advertising saved his life. 1t lead rich
men to buy buffaloes and found herds. 1t
gave popular support to the government
buffalo reservations. 1t saved the buffalo
from neglect of which he would surely have
died.
AS showing how important publicity has
been to the DunalO, the SC1enIlSLS CUupdlc lAl1A
with the pronghorn antelope. There are now
only about 5000 of these animals in the
United States, and they are in far greater
danger of determination than the butalo
Although slightly more numerous they are
not nearly so we'll protected and do not live
and breed we'll in captivity. Unless reserva-
tions are set aside for them, and other rad1-
cal measures taken for their protection, they
will be gone in another ten years.
And the antelope is just as distinctive ana
interesting an American animal as the BUFFALO
Like the buffalo it once lived all over half the
continent in uncounted millions. 1t was the
familiar daily sight of the western pioneers
And it is a far more beautiful and graceful
animal than the buffalo. Yet for some rea-
son it failed to impress itself on the popular
imagination as the buffalo did, and SO 1t
seems doomed.
The buffalo, in addition to his hold upon
popular affection, has another strong claim to
the right of survival, in the fact that he mas
great possibilities as a domestic animal.
It has been usual to say that the buffalo
had to go to give way to the cattle herds on
the western plains, and it is probably true
that it would have been impossible to con