Glacier County chief., 1939-11-24

Panhandle. Jones made several expe-
ditions down there to bring home live
take along herds Of milk cows to pro-
vide subsistence for sucking calves
that might be captured: BY this means
he established small herd at his
ranch near Garden City.
Then the bubble burst. Jones and
broke. His small buffalo herd was dis
sipated. Jones desperately renewed his
efforts to secure government sanctuary
for q small herd of buffalo for all
time. It was after this last effort that
he became completely. discouraged.
a trip above the Arctic circle trying
to capture alive various specimens Of
wild animals another venture that
failed-hiS hope for the buffalo took
on new life. Theodore Roosevelt had
become president.
Roosevelt personally In the past. He
knew the new presidents ardent belief
in conservation. He managed to raise
funds for trip to Washington to lay
his project before his old friend.
Roosevelt Provided Funds
Roosevelt arranged an appropriation
of $4,000. and commissioned Buffalo
Jones to establish buffalo herd in
Yellowstone park.
A dozen or so wild buffalo. rapidly
disappearing before the guns Of poach-
ers. had become SO wild in the north
there was no hope of corralling them
as the nucleus OF herd. Something
else would have to be done.
Back In 1873. about the time Buffalo
Jones began capturing buffalo on the
Texas plains, Col Charles Goodnight.
ing the same thing. The Goodnight
herd was long a show sight in the
Panhandle. When, after Goodnight's
death some years ago. his properties
were dispersed by his creditors. his
herd of $50 buffalo went begging for
time. There was a proposition to
open the Palo Duro canyon area at
the old Goodnight ranch to hunting to
permit "sportsmen" to kill off the herd.
The city of Amarillo became interested,
and steps we're taken to preserve the
herd on a State-owned ranch.
Buffalo Jones knew. of course, that
Goodnight, far to the SOUTH, and Fl
Pablo far north in Montana, had pri-
vate herds of buffalo. He foresaw, too,
during his days of disbursement,
that there was, the possibility OF their
being scattered or destroyed by one
means or another.
So, in 1902. he turned to the Good.
night herd for bulls and to the Ell
Pablo herd for COWS. This union of the
north and the south has resulted in
Tile pTeStIlt 1ellOWStOllc IleIu.
It was not long until Jones success
with the park herd drew the atten-
ton of conservationists in the depart
ment of the interior and other govern
ment officials. They began to look
about and find that substantial ad-
herds in other parts Of the country,
would be wise move,
Negotiations were started with Ell
Pablo for the purchase Of his buffalo.
At about the same time. the govern
ment opened the Flathead reservation
to settlement-over the strong protests
of the Indians and their influential
white friends
Ell Pablo was reluctant to sell He
was millionaire and. while he liked
money. he hesitated to give up his fine
herd of buffalo.
Wife Saw Interior Motives
He was straddling the fence on the
deal when he talked 1t over with his
wife. a full-blood Shoshone woman.
His wife persuaded him that the gov
eminent was merely opening the Flat
head reservation to settlers in order to
force him to dispose Of his buffalo.
That settled the matter for Ell Pablo
In Missoula he was heard to declare:
Il will never sell to the United States
government while I live"
A. Ayote, Canadian immigration Of
ficer in Montana. heard Of Pablo's re-
eminent at Ottawa, and the minister
OF the interior correspondent with Ell
Pablo over a period Of several months
Finally Ayote went to the FL Pablo
ranch to close the deal.
A great deal Of pressure was exerted
to prevent the disposal Of the herd
outside the United States. but 500 900
was important money to Ell Pablo. and
the herd Of over 500 animals was sold
70 the Canadian government.
Then began one Of the most spec-
tacular roundups In western history.
81 PabloS coW6oyS rounded IN about