4o8 Proceedings oe the 



ago, while a few remains of this magnificent animal 

 were still upon the earth. It was my good luck to 

 secure a small appropriation from our economical 

 chairman of the Committee on Appropriations — ^not a 

 very sentimental man, but one of the most practical 

 men on earth — Uncle Joe Cannon — a small appropria- 

 tion of $15,000 to restore a herd of bison to the Yellow- 

 stone Park. Four hundred of these creatures were 

 enclosed in the area that was reserved when this land 

 was set apart as a pleasure ground for the nation. 

 Those four hundred have gradually been killed for 

 their heads and for their pelts, and the calves have 

 been destroyed by the mountain lions and by the sever- 

 ity of the winters, until finally only twenty-three were 

 the sorry remains of that splendid herd that was set 

 apart for the nation in the Yellowstone ; and the small 

 appropriation of $15,000 was made. Eighteen animals 

 were purchased, part of them from the Flathead herd. 

 The Flathead Indians, with more prudence than their 

 white brethren had shown, saved thirty-five calves a 

 good many years ago, out of the dying herd, and made 

 them their private property. And that little herd of 

 thirty-five increased until there were nearly three hun- 

 dred of them. And this herd now in the Yellowstone 

 was selected mainly from the Flathead herd because 

 they were reared in an altitude something like that in 

 which the new herd was to live. To this herd were 

 added animals from Texas — from the Goodnight 

 herd — and from Corbin's New Hampshire herd — so 

 as to mingle the blood normally in this new herd as 

 the blood of the nations has been mingled in the United ■ 

 States of America. This is the way to produce a race, 

 to mix them and get the best you can from everywhere. 

 And so, starting upon the proposition of building once 

 more a herd in the Yellowstone, that little herd from 



