ADDRESSES OF MAJOR LACEY 157 



number of these animals to insure them from total ex- 

 tinction, it would be the duty of a great government like 

 ours, regardless of expense, to do whatever could rea- 

 sonably be done to that end. Thousands of dollars have 

 been spent in vain in the mistaken effort at the Yellow- 

 stone. Colonel Jones called attention to the dangers of 

 that experiment, and offered to round up and save them 

 from destruction; but the offer was rejected, and head- 

 hunters, wolves, and the failure to breed have almost 

 annihilated this herd. 



Practically all the animals with which to try this ex- 

 periment of domesticating the buffalo are under the con- 

 trol of Colonel Jones. We recognize the fact that the 

 buffalo, like the Indian, must be domesticated or disap- 

 pear; but it is also true that an adequate home must be 

 found for the few remaining, or else they can not be pro- 

 tected and preserved. After a few generations of domes- 

 tication their breeding can no doubt be carried on without 

 the broad range that now seems necessary. To turn these 

 animals out on the plains of any of the western states or 

 territories to take their chances with domestic cattle would 

 result in their destruction. A range sufficiently large and 

 at the same time fenced in should be provided for that 

 purpose. The owner of this herd is willing to bear all the 

 expense of this experiment and asks no government aid. 

 He can not turn these animals out on the open range 

 •without danger of their entire loss. 



In New Mexico the buffalo finds his natural home, both 

 summer and winter. There remain vast areas of unoccu- 

 pied public lands where the buffalo formerly roamed and 

 bred with much f ruitf ulness. Out of the 600,000,000 acres 

 remaining of the public lands it is proposed by this bill 

 to set apart a tract of 20,000 acres ; not free of charge, as 

 the sheep and cattle men now use the land, but subject to 

 a nominal rental of one cent an acre, and also two buffalo 



