Connecticut western news., 1872-09-06
HerdinT In California.

Herdlng In California.
 The ranche from winch I write-the Tejon it is called-seemst to me, as have said, the finest property in the United States in a single hand. It contains near ly 200, 900 acres, and lies at the junction of the Sierra Nevada with the coast range, which bend around toward each other in vast sweep and form the bottom of the great San Joaquin Valley. The two mountain ranges do not qnite meet. The Tejon Pass, narrow defile, separ- ates them, and gives egress from the valley into the Los Angeles country You may ride for 80 miles on the coun ty road upon this great estate; it sup ports this year over 100,O ,O0O sheep; and 1t has peasantry of its own. The Te- jon is devoted to sheep; and here saw the operation of shearing-eight or nine weeks are required to shear the whole fock-as well as the various details of the management of California sheep farm. What we call at home flock, is here called a band of sheep. These bands consist usually of from 1900 to 1,6O0 sheep, and each band is in cha'ge of shepherd. Of course, the sheep are scattered over many miles of terri tory, but each band has limited range, defined somewhat by the vicinity of wa ter, and it is customary in California to drive every night into corral, or enclo- sure usually fenced with brush, and with a narrow entrance. This corral is near water, and the sheep drink at morning and evening. The shepherd sleeps near by, in hut, or, in the mountain part of the Tejon Ranshe, on tepests'G. The corral is to keep the sheep together at night, and protect them in measure against the the attacks of wild beasts, which, curiously enough, are too cow ardly to venture after dark inside of even low fence. The tepestra is to protect the shepherd himself against the attacks of grizzly bears, which are still abundant in the mountains, especially in the Coast Range The tepestra is 8 platform about twelve feet high, built upon stout poles solidly Set into the ground. Upon this platform the shepherd sleeps, in the mountains, at the entrance of the corral: the grizzly bear cannot climb pole, though he can get up a tree large enough to give lis claws a hold. It believe, not infreqnent fer grizzly to stand up at the side of a tepestra at night, and try to rouse out the shepherd. But all the men are armed with guns, which they carry day and night.
 The grizzly does not usually attack sheep. The California lion, strong but very cowardly beast, the wild cat, the fox, and the coyote, are the sheep's enemies. The last-named is easily poi soned, with meal which has strychnine powdered over it. The others are hunt ed when they become troublesome, and as the lion, on the slightest alarm, takes to tree, and will run even from a small dog, it is not accounted very trouble some beast. Indians, Spaniards, Chi nese, and some Scotchmcn serve as shep- herds in California. The last ale thought the best; and tue Chinese make very faithful shepherds if they are prol- erly and carefully trained. They are apt to herd the sheep too closely together at first. Dogs I have found but little Of course the shepherds have to be sup piled at stated intervals with food. They usually receive weeks rations, which they cook for themselves. At the Tejon there are two supply stations; and every morning donkeys and mules were sent out with food to some distant shepherds.
 The ration masters count the sheep as they deliver the rations, and thus all the bands are counted once week, and if any sheep are missing they must be &C., counted for The shepherd is allowed to kill a sheep once in so many days, but he must keep the pelt, which is val uable. Above the ration masters are the major domos. Each of these has charge of certain number of bands; on 8 smaller estate there is usually but cne major domo. It is his duty to see that the shepherds are competent; that new pasturage is ready when band has nee for it; to see that the corrals are in good order; to provide extra hands at lamb ing time; to examine the sheep to keel out scab, which is almost the only dis ease sheep are subject to in this State and to give out the ratlons for distribu- tion. On such an estate as the Tejor there is, finally, general superintend ent and bookkeeper and storekeeper- for here in the wilderness a supply O goods of various kinds must be kept ul for the use of the people. A blacksmith teamsters, plowmen, gardeners, and house servants make up the complemen of the Tejon's company. The garden CTS and servants are Chinese, as they usually are in this State, and very goot men they are-civil. obliging and com petent.
 Beside these numbers fed from ths home place, there are on this estate about 300 Indians, who have been al lowed to fence in small tracts of land on which they raise barley and othe: provisions, and in some cases plant frui trees and vines. They form the peas antry and are happy, tolerably thrifty and very comfortable people. Thei surplus produce is purchased by the su perintendent; when their labor IS useC they are paid; and they all have horse which pasture on the general fields They have learned how to blow, shea sheep, and perform some other usefu labor,