Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-08-25
,LEaA. GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISER
A CALIFORNIA FARM.
A MAMMOTH AFFAIR.

QneSL property III lnc Ouitcu otaeco III q 0luSie
hand. 1t contains nearly 100000 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 quite meet. The
Teieou Pass, narrow de6le, separates them,
aud gives egrees from the valley into the Los
Angeles county. You may ride Tor 50 miles on
the county road upon this great estate; 1t sup.
ports this Year over Que hundred Thousand
sheep; and it has a peasantry of its OVID, about
The Teieon is devoted to sheep; and here | saw
the operation of sheariug eight or nine weeks
are required to shear the whole fock-as well
as various details OF the management of Cali
tornia sheep farm. What We call at home a
flock, is here called band of sheep. These
bands consist usually Of from 5000 to 900
sheep, aud each band Is lu charge OF Shep-
herd. Of course, the sheep are scattered over
many miles of territory. but each band has
limited range, defined somewhat by the vclnl-
ty of water, and it Is customary IN California
to drive every night into corral, or lnclosure
usually fenced with brush, and with narrow Gu
trance. This corral is near water, and the sheep
drink at morning and evening. The shepherd
sleeps near by, 10 hut, or, 10 the mountaln part
OF the Tejeon Rancho on a tepestra. The corral Is
to keep the sheep together at night, and pro,
tect them 10 measure against the attacks OF
wild beasts, which curiousy enough, are TOO
cowardly to venture after dark inside OF even
low fence. The tepestra is to protect the shep-
herd himself against the attacks OF grizzly bears,
which are still abundant in the mountains, es-
peciaily in the Coast Range. The tepestra is
- 10 hi,rb huil
poles solidly set into the ground. Upun this
plalform the shepherd sleeps, in the mountains,
at the entrance to the corral the grizzly bear
cannot climb pole, though he can get up a
tree large enough to give bis claws a hold. 1t
is, believe, not unfrequeut for 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 sleeps enemies. The
last named is easily poisoned, with meal which
has strychuiDe powdered over it. The others
are hunted when they become troublesome,
and as the lion, on the slightest alarm takes to
tree, and will run even from small dog, 1t
is not accounted very troublesome beast In
dams, Spaniards, Chinese, and some Scotch
men serve as shepherds in California The
last are thought the best and the Chinese
make very fai ihful shepherds if they are proper.
lYaud carefully trained. They are not apt to
herd the sheep too closely together at first Dogs,
| have found but little used in the sheep ranches
| have seen. They are not often thor
oughy trained, and where they are neg
lected, become a NUISANCE. Of course, the
shepherds have to be supplied at stated inter
walls with food They usually receive week 8
rations which they cook for themselves. At
the Tejeon 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 rat;ons, and thus all the bands are counted
once week and if any sheep are missing they
must be accounted for. The shepherd Is allow
ed to kill sheep once in so many days, but he
must keep the pelt, which is valuable. Above
the ration-mas are the majordomos. Each
oi,hese has charge of a certain oumber of ba IDS;
on smaller estate there is usually but one ma
jor douo. 1t is his duty to see that the shep-
herds are competent; that new pastulage is
ready when band has need for it; to see that
the corrals are in good order; to provide extra
hands at lambipg time; to examine the sheep to
keep out scab which Is almost the only disease
sheep are subject to 10 this State; and tv give
out the rations for distribution. % such an
estate as.,he Tejeon there is, finally, agepera
superintendent and a bookkeepcr and store
keeper-tor here in the wilderness a supply
ofgoods of various kinds must be kept as
for the use of the people,. A blacksmith, team
steS, ploughmen, gardeners, and house ser
wants make up the complement OF the Tejeon' $
company The gardeners and servants are
Chinese, as they usually are in this State, and
very good men they are-civll, obllg ng and
competent. Cor Tribune.
CATCHING A MURDERER. The Brooklyn de-
tectlve corps are quite boastfu of their achieve
nent in the West Albany New York; murder
case, by arrestiug, at St. GATHERINGS, Canada,
Emil Lowen>tieu, the alleged murderer OF John
d: Weston. The New York Herald says =
1.-The arrest Of the alleged murderer ofJohn D.
Weston, p ST. Catherines Canada, 10 the per-
son Of the journeyng barber, Emil LOweDstelD,
they naturally regard as the brightest page III
their not over-brilliane record as detectives.
The whereabouts of the suspected Lowerstein
was obtained by perslstently questioning his
wife, who has been held in custody as wit
ness at Albany since Friday night last. Officers
Vorwln and Folk ascertained that she was ex-
pec1lng letter from her fugitive husband
t'ousn the Drooklyn r. ". pCstomce. one
had no idea as to his hiding place, but expect
ed that he would appoint place of meeting
lUr ,r her in the coming letter. Mrs. Lowenstein
ald not refrain from expressing the opinion
mat Emil was guilty. The detective returned
10 Brook lyn on Saturday ard obtained posses
$40 sion OF the expected epistle from the Office.
IN Inc letter bore postmark Of ''St. GATHERINGS,
ranada.' % examining the contents they
i9uud 1t was signed "Y our affectiooate father,
charles Eokmaun." The dic,ion of the com-
Innlcatlou was that of father addressing his
daughter, and was iDgeniously constructed with
the hope Of deceiviug the minious of the law
should it fall into their hands by auy accident.
mere was not the slightest allusion to the mur-
uer from beginning TO end. The officers then