The glass paperweight at left bears the photograph of a man riding a buffalo and bears the legend: “Bob Yokum’s Buffalo, Pierre, S.D.” It provides a window into the feats of a South Dakota saloonkeeper in training buffalo — the American bison — to pull a wagon or sleigh, be mounted and raced, and, most famous of all, engage in Mexican bullfighting.
The American buffalo for years was considered untamable and many biologists considered it as one of the stupidest animals in existence. That did not deter Yokum, drawing on his experience with horses and mules, from experimenting on his ranch to see what they could be taught to do. “His troubles and trials with the unwieldy bison were innumerable,” noted one writer.
Eventually, however, Yokum succeeded in breaking the animals to a harness and driving them as a team. As the fame of his accomplishment spread, Yokum was invited to participate in the annual Calgary Stampede, a showcase of Western motifs. For the occasion in Alberta, Canada, Yokum hitched his team to a fancy chariot. A postcard shows Bob in the role of Ben Hur.
Yokum next trained his buffalo being to be ridden. They were said to “loathe” the saddling process and upon being mounted for the first time were known to buck fiercely trying to throw the rider. With patience, the saloonkeeper was able to accustomed the shaggy beasts to a rider. In addition, he was able to race them, both against other bison and against horses. They are alleged to having been faster than the horses.
Yokum’s singular feat was introducing a bison into a Mexican bullring. The idea was hatched in Pierre during the winter of 1906-1907 to see which was the more dominant animal — a fighting bull (toro) or the American buffalo. Loading one eight-year old bull named “Pierre” and one four-year old in a boxcar a group of South Dakota men that included Yokum headed to Mexico. According to one account, “Bob made sure there was plenty of alcohol in the baggage to make the trip a more pleasant experience.”
Yokum’s buffalo proved up to the challenge. When a Mexican bull was released into the ring, it spied Pierre and charged. The buffalo pivoted and met the bull head-on knocking him back on his haunches. After each of four charges ended in the same result, the bull fled and tried to climb out of the ring. Sequentially, attendants released four more bulls, each time to the same result. The buffalo defeated them all, chasing the bulls around the ring. Yoakum returned to his saloon to loud applause from townsfolk.
A veteran North Country saloon owner, Bill McPhee, shown here, was known for his geniality and off-beat personality. Born in Eastern Canada in 1841 of Scottish ancestry, he came to the United States in 1870 and eventually became a citizen, although equally at home in Canada. McFee had owned several drinking establishments in the Canadian Yukon but when the gold strikes ran out he joined the stampede of prospectors in 1904 to Fairbanks, Alaska. 
There he established the Washington Saloon at the corner of First and Lacy Streets, an establishment the locals called “McPhee’s Place.” The proprietor’s reputation as an “old pioneer,” combined with his generosity toward his customers made the Washington Saloon one of the most popular in Fairbanks. Among its attractions was his moose.
Moose are found throughout most of Alaska except on the Aleutian Islands, but they are most commonly inhabit south central and the interior of the state. Moose abundance in the wild can range as high as five or more moose per one square mile. The average weigh for a male is 1,000 pounds; females average 800 pounds.
Where and how McPhee obtained his moose or tamed it has gone unrecorded. The animal became a frequent resident of the Washington Saloon and never failed to draw a crowd when it appeared. The proprietor was known to feed it potatoes and stale bread and at times chase the food down with beer. It took little alcohol to render the moose drunk and in that condition to reek havoc all over Fairbanks.
According to the local press: “Since the mayor’s repeated demands to remove the moose from the saloon were refused, he drew up an ordinance prohibiting moose on the city sidewalks—so that the large ungulate couldn’t lawfully enter the bar.” With that mandate, McPhee capitulated. Giving his reluctant permission, the moose was shot, butchered and handed to his cook. His saloon patrons ate it.
Capt. Charles M. Crow, was busy operating his wholesale wine and liquor dealership in Syracuse, New York, when a letter from the Canadian North Woods arrived in August of 1879. A friend wrote that he had shipped him a “beautiful black bear” that had been captured just fifteen days earlier. Deciding it was no joke, Crow entrained to a station west of Syracuse to intercept the animal.
According to the New York Times, he found the train and shouted up to the American Express agent: “Have you got a bear in that car?” The agent replied: “I should think I had, and if he belongs to you, you better come in here and take care of him. He has tired us all out and we have got enough of him.” Crow mounted into the car to find in one corner a large iron-bound cage made of oak planks. In it was chained a huge bear, growling loudly and thrashing up and down the enclosure.
Undaunted by the scene, Crow told the agent: “I’ll fix him. Wait till I get him home, and if I don’t tame him in 24 hours you may have my store.” Arriving in Syracuse, the cage with Crow sitting on top was transferred to his establishment. There ensued a struggle between the liquor store owner and the bruin while a phonograph played music in the background. Spectators, including a New York Times reporter, jammed into the liquor store to watch.
The bear continued to roar and several times the crowd ran out of the store thinking the bear had escaped. In the end Crow’s strength in pulling a chain around the bear’s neck prevailed. According to the Times reporter: “…The bear gave up conquered and lay down peacefully in the bottom of his cage. Capt. Crow eyed him in triumph and proudly said, ‘There you beast, I told you I’d fetch you.’ The Captain says that in less than 10 day he will lead the bear around the streets like a dog. Of course he will have him muzzled.”
Addendum: While today Crowe's treatment of an animal would be subject to criminal charges, years ago in Wisconsin I can recall more than one local venue where a tamed bear was on display. Although further press accounts of Crow’s animal are lacking, it must be assumed that he kept the bear as an attraction to his liquor house.
Note: More complete posts can be found on this blog for Bob Yokum, November 9, 2018, and Bill McPhee, March 29, 2019.
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