REPORT OF THE ESTABLISHING OF A 

 NATIONAL BISON HERD IN THE PISGAH 

 NATIONAL FOREST AND GAME PRE- 

 SERVE IN NORTH CAROLINA 



By ^[artix 8. Garuetsox. 



IjQ X Jniuiarv Kith, the American Bison Society received notice 

 VIP' from the Express Company that a car liad been placed on the 

 tracks at Newport, New Hampshire, for the purpose of trans- 

 porting the six buffalo from that point to Hominy, Xorth Carolina. 

 According to instructions I proceeded at once to is^ewport and from 

 there to "the Blue ^Mountain Forest Park, a distance of al)out six 

 miles, arriving there in the afternoon at i:30. Here I was met and 

 cordially received bv the park superintendent. Mr. E. J. Hurley. 

 As it was rather late in tlie day we concluded to postpone crating the 

 buffalo until the folh^ving niorning, so after a most comfortable 

 and refreshing night's rest, in the well appointed Club House, was 

 up bright and early the next morning. Shortly after breakfast ^Ir. 

 Hurley appeared and we proceeded at once to the buffalo corral where 

 the entire herd, now numbering al)Out one hundred fine animals, are 

 cared for and fed during the winter months. Here they are graded 

 up and distributed around in the various corrals where sheds have 

 lieen erected for protection during severe weather. This lierd of 

 bison is one of the finest and best known throughout the world and 

 is the result of a combination of those two great herds that were 

 formed when the railroad crossed the plains, dividing the buffalo 

 into what was known as the Xorthern and Southern herds. 



Thirtv years ago (1888) when the founder of tin- Blue :\lountain 

 Forest Park', Austin Corbin, Sr., conceived the idea of placing buffalo 

 on his game preserve for the purpose of saving and perpetuating the 

 species, he purchased twelve calves, six bulls and six heifers; from 

 the herd which C. J. Jones (''Buffalo Jones"') liad that year (1888) 

 acquired from IMajor Sam I. Bedson of Winni|)eg, Canada. This 

 herd was known as the Bedson, or Stony ^lountain, herd, being 

 northern buffalo. Four vears later (1892) :\rr. Corbin increased 

 his herd by a purchase of ten buffalo from "Buffalo Jones'' for which 

 he paid one thousand dollars each. These five-year old animals, two 

 bulls and eight cows, were some of tlie calves tliat Jones had roped 

 from the last remnant of the great soutliern lierd in tlie Panhandle 

 of Texas. These ten buffalo were transported and accompanied by 

 Jones from his ranch near Garden City. Kansas, in a car fitted up 

 with stalls, and upon arriving at Newport, New Hampshire, were 

 turned loose and driven over the country road to the park. 



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