ered by poachers from 1890 to 1893, from
300 head down to 30--visitors would see wild bison also; but now the few
wild bison remaining keep as far as possible from the routes of tourist
travel. The bison were slaughtered through an inadequate protective
force, and (then) utterly inadequate laws.

Lieut.-Col. L.M. Brett, U.S.A., Superintendent of the Yellowstone Park
advises me (July 29, 1912) that the wild big game in the Yellowstone
Park in the summer of 1912, is as shown below, based on actual counts
and estimates of the Park scouts, and particularly Scout McBride. "The
estimates of buffalo, elk, antelope, deer, sheep and bear are based on
actual counts, or very close observations, and are pretty nearly
correct." (Col. Brett).

Wild Buffalo 49
Moose 550
Elk (in summer) 35,000
Antelope 500
Mountain Sheep 210
Mule Deer 400
White-tailed Deer 100
Grizzly Bears 50
Black Bears 100
Pumas 100
Gray Wolves none
Coyotes 400
Pelicans 1,000

The actual count of 49 wild bison in the Park, 10 of which are calves of
1912, will be to all friends of the bison a delightful surprise.
Heretofore the little band had seemed to be stationary, which if true
would soon mean a decline.

The history of the wild game of the Yellowstone Park is blackened by two
occurrences, and one existing fact. The fact is: the town of Gardiner is
situated on the northern boundary of the Park, in the State of Montana.
In Gardiner there are a number of men, armed with rifles, who toward
game have the gray-wolf quality of mercy.

The first stain is the massacre of the 270 wild bison for their heads
and robes, already noted. The second blot is the equally savage
slaughter in the early winter of 1911, by some of the people of
Gardiner, reinforced by so-called sportsmen from other parts of the
state, of all the park elk they could kill,--bulls, cows and
calves,--because a large band wandered across the line into the shambles
of Gardiner, on Buffalo Flats.

If the people of Gardiner can not refrain from slaughtering the game of
the Park--the very animals annually seen by 20,000 visitors to the
Park,--then it is time for the American people to summon the town of
Gardiner before the bar of public opinion, to show cause why the town
should not be wiped off the map.

The 35,000 elk that summer in the Park are compelled in winter to
migr