The border vidette., 1928-03-03
BUFFALO AND HOUSEROCK
VALLEY

In the soil of most of our west.
ern and mid-western states may
be found the remains of some of
the buffalo that once rOamed
over the prariries in countless
herds. So far as I have been
able TO learn, no such relics have
come from the soil of Arizona.
but when Buffalo Jones saw the
Houserock Valley in northern
Arizona it looked so good as a
! buffalo range that he just had
to bring in bunch on trial.
When Jones left taking most
of his buffalo with him, Uncle
Jim Owens, one time partner of
Jones, gathered up the remnant
which had been left and from
this remnant built up the herd
which now is one of the sights
of the Houserock country.
In 1923 when the Arizona state
game department made an in.
spection trip to the Kaibab For
est and Houserock Valley, Uncle
Jim's buffalo herd came in for a
lot of interest and it was at that
time that efforts began to be
made to make these buffalo the
property of the state.
I think Ben Branklin was re
sponsible for the proverb, If
you want it done, 60! II you
don't care, send" At any rate
after many conferences with in
terested and public spirited or
ganizations and individuals and
after considering and rejecting
many schemes to raise the cash
to pay Uncle Jim his, ten thous
and dollars for his buffalo, it
was finally hammered home that
George wasn't going to rustic
the cash. consequently if Ari
zona was to own the buffalo, the
department most interested in
preserving them must get down
to brass tacks and buy them. but
the game department was way
short of the price.
A trip was made to see Uncle
Jim. He was willing to help Us
to the extent of allowing the
game department. to pay off the
claims against the herd; allow
ing a balance on half of the herd
to be paid out by the month and
further to the extent of giving
an option on the remainder of
the herd, good till December 81,
1923. During the last days of
November. 1927. the option was
taken up and paid for. The bill
of sale was signed by Uncle
Jim, and Arizona became sole
owner of her own herd of buffalo.
But the struggle wasn't over
when the herd became state
property. Houserock valley has
q scarcity of water for the mum
Der of cattle using the range
and stockmen usually are not
fond of baffalo.
Consultation with the forest
officials brought out an offer on
their part of approximately 80
sections of forest and. govern
ment land lying in the south end
of Houserock Valley to be used
as q permanent buffalo range.
In this area water will have to
be developed by tanks, by pipe
line from North Canyon spring
or by wells dug to the under
flow of North Canyon wash. To
properly protect this range from
stray cattle will require twelve
mile fence from the Grand Can.
yon rim to the Coxcombs, just
east of the Kaibab forest or a
man stationed at the water to
cut away all stock except buffalo.
| Mr.. Hugh Anderson, cattle
man, of Flagstaff and House.
rock Valley, has contracted to
care for the buffalo this year, but
we must continue our work until
the herd is permanently located
on the range offered by the For.
est Service and until this range
is properly supplied with water
and adequately protected from
stray stock. This development
completed Arizona can easily
build the present herd up to two
hundred or more animals.
D. E. PETTIS,
State Game Warden