White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-10-20


remnant Of the millions which had once roamed
the Great Plains For the famous Goodnight
herd of buffalo in Texas had passed into other
hands and there were sensational rumors afoat
that the new owners were planning big game
hunt" where Eastern sportsmen (upon payment
of big fee) would be allowed to enjoy the
thrills of an old-time buffalo chase.
Immediately a storm of protest against the de-
structon of the Goodnight buffalo herd arose
among Texans and the legislature passed bill
authorizing the state game and fish commission
to purchase the buffalo, provided suitable place
for keeping them could be obtained. But no ap-
preparation forthcoming for the project and
it was not until syndicate, headed by A. c.
Nicholson of Dallas, was formed to take over
the buffalo and part of the Goodnight estate
and to finance the project of maintaining the
herd intact that it's preservation assured.
No finer monument could be erected to the
memory of Col. Charles Goodnight, 1.-The Father
of the Texas Panhandle" and his wife, Mary
Dyer Goodnight, than the preservation Of this
rearguard of the "thundering herds of long
ago. In fact, the existence Of this particular
herd is due largely to the efforts of Aunt
Mary Goodnight as she was lovingly known in
the Texas Panhandle Back in the late seventies
this pioneer woman, witnessing the ruthless
slaughter of the buffalo by hide hunters, real
lied that 1t was only question Of time until
the great shaggy beasts would be extinct She
began talking to "Uncle Charley" about captur-
ing few Of the calves and starting herd Of
their own.
So in June, 1870, Colonel Goodnight roped
two buffalo calves and gave them to his wife.
She was much interested in the little brown fell
lows was greatly delighted at the alacrty with
which they learned to drink milk and sur
prised at their appetites which seemed to be
Unsuitable, one of her pets requiring as much
as three gallons day. Two years later neigh
boring ranchman captured two full-grown buff
falo and presented them to Mrs. Goodnight and
three calves were also added to her little group
the present of her brother. From this beginning
came the great herd of nearly 250 today. On the
"game refuge" which the Goodnights established
on their ranch were also started herds Of elk
deer and antelope, but they never thrived as
did the buffalo.
It was on the Goodnight ranch also that a
new animal was created-the catalo, produced by
crossing buffalo with Aberdeen Angus cattle
This hybrid, according to Colonel Goodnight
was harder than range cattle, thrived on less
food, was immune from all disease, did not
stampede so easily nor drift with storms and
had other advantages which made it a more
valuable type of beef animal for the plains He
found an enthusiastic disciple in the work in
the person of the late Buffalo" Jones and at
one time 1t seemed likely that their expert
ments in producing the catalo might have a
revolutionary effect upon the cattle industry
Of this country.
Although Texas claims Col Charles Good
night as one of her greatest men, he was a
native of another state, Illinois. He was born
there March s. 1885, just three days after Texas
declared her independence from Mexico so his
history paralleled her history. His parents
moved to Texas in 1915. the year Texas entered
the Union and young Goodnight grew up as a
pioneer of the Lone Star state with its hard
ships as a part of his everyday life.
BY the time he was nineteen ne decided that
he knew Texas pretty well and was about ready
to move farther west to newer country
California. With a young companion. and an
OK team and a few horses they started on the
long trek west. But by the time they had gone
few hundred miles into West Texas they de-
cided that the state was large enough for them
So Goodnight went back to Palo Pinto county
where he ranched and supported his widowed
mother During the Civil war he served with
the Texas Rangers. fighting mostly Indians
Mexicans and cattle thieves
After the war, there was no cattle market
The plains swarmed with herds and cattle
could be bought on credit. Goodnight saw the
necessity of finding western market. Sc
did some others, but the young plainsman
then thirty. differed from the rest In that he de
termined to find It, There was already one ur
At Abilene Kan where many OF the caffie