Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-05-20

tracing no little atteuIlou, at luis Llue, III fI
GINA:
RANCHO SAN JULIAN,
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CAL,
February IL, 1875.
TO the editor of the National Republican:
The Spauiards have au old proverb that calls
the hoof of the sheep 1.-THE golden hoof," be-
cause they say, it brings wealth out of every
spot OF ground it touches 1t would seem to
terest has growD into overshadowing proper
tons within the comparatively short period of
twenty years. FROM few thousand sheep and
a clip of little over five thousand pounds in
1855 her focks have increased 10 numbers to
nearly ten millions of sheep, producing over
thirty-nne million pounds OF wool 10 1874
one fifth of the entire clip Of the United States.
This is by far the most rapid increase, the
greatest progress ever made by an American
State, and perhaps the greatest that eau be
showu BY any country.
No mention, however brief, of CALIFORNIA;
resources can therefore be just to her II 1t omls
the product of her hocks Accordingly L shall
give in this letter some facts showing now this
great result has beeu achieved in SO short a
time from very small beginnings This can
best be done by detailing individual operations
and successes Of representative flock masters.
~
Col. w. w. Hollister, the pioneer wooI-groWer
of California, Is already known to the country,
for it was Col. HOLSTER who first began 10
California the raising of sheep for their wool.
This was in the year 1858. He came to this
State in 1852, leading company OF emlgrants
with train. While at q place called AlVlSo,
Dear the head Of San Francisco Bay, be noticed
band of some TWO thousand Mexcan sheep
feeding n the open plain, apparently untended.
Approaching he saw that they were herded by
two dogs, with 20 man 10 view. Struck by the
!; novel sight, he sat down on the ground alone,
watching the sheep Tor hours and thinking;
and it was there that bis clear brain worked
out the problem which has done so much to
make CALIFORNIA; sheep-husbandry the colos.
sal interest it is I'll dogs can do this, said
the Colonel 10 himself, what may not men do
with sheep 10 a country like this, where graz
ing it perpetual, where no shelter Is required,
and where the natural increase is one hundred
per cent aunualIy2" Then and there his reso-
, luton was formed, his course decided his plan
conceived. It was to bring ten thousand fat
wethers across the Plains and sell them IN Call
fornia as mutton; for mutton-shecp brought
$40 a head here in those days The breeding
of sheep was 90 part of his original plan; but
J this was subsequently modified by circumstance
es. He rose up from the silent PLAIN, and later
10 the year returned to Ohio, where, 10 con-
junction with Others he bought several thous-
and sheep, including few hundred American
ewes. With these he started overland Tor Cali
forna, adding to their number by purchase IN
the country passed through on the march west
ward.
They arrived in this State in 1858, with
, about three thousand head. having sustained
serious losses en- route, chiefly in Utah aud be-
Tba for fall no 10 n
large NUN bers, borne down by their own weight;
the little ewes held out brayely, and most OF
them pulled through. The Colonel and his
, companions brought their focks in by Way OF
the San BerDardino country. A division was
DOW made, and Col. HOLSTER found himself
the owner, in his own right, of about eight
hundred sheep. The outlook for the young
master was not encouraging. He was without
other available means, (tor he had fifteen
thousand dollars tied up in cattle, which he
had sent to the mines to be sold by friend
whom he wished to help, and who proved
false friend, showing his gratitude by running
away with the herd;) he was in debt, and had
but three hundred ewes to commence breeding
domitabIe, and his faith unsbaken, for he had
thought out the sheep problem Oh the plains
of Aviso, and knew success with him was only
a question of time. He passed lelsurcy up the
coast, driving his little band before him,
through San Bernardino, Los Angeles aud
Santa Barbara, resting here on the splendid
Dos Pueblos lands, where seventeen years later
he made his present priucey home then on
through the Gaviota Pass and this Point Con-
cepcion country. through San Luis Obispo,
1.-THE COW county," into Monterey. Here be
halted and commenced bis career as Callfor-
MA grazier; and from the small beginning then
made he has built up by his own efforts, and
the aid of partners whom he subsequently as.
sociated with him in his operations, business
which represents millions of dollars, the owner.
ship of thousands of sheep-eighty thousand
at one time-and over one hundred and fifty
thousand acres of land 10 one place.
WHAT TWELVE YEARS PRODUCED.
What next follows relates more especially to
period of bout dozen years 10 the later
career ofCoI. Hollister and his present partners,
the Dibblee Brothers, joint owners OF these
Point Conception ranches, of which noted group
the Rancho San Julian is headquarters, and
the largest and finest of them all. My facts are
procured from headquarters.
In 1862 Col. Hollister and his brother Hub
bard formed partnership n the sheep bust
ness with Albert and ThomasB DIbblee, (who
had been successful wool-growers 10 Los An
geles county, and iD 1868 the Joint partners
bought for $4,000 the great Loupoc rancho,
one of the Point Conception group, Spanish
grant which CO.. Hollister had long been car
rying 10 his unerring grazier's eye. 1t lies
seven miles along the ocean coast, extends 10
land twelve miles to and beyond the river Santa
Ynez or La Purisima, and contains nearly nine
and ahaf leagues of land, or 42,0S5 acres.
They stocked it with ten Thousand head of
sheep, mostly grade Merinos, and commenced
operations in breeding and wool-growing under
the able supervision of the managing partner,
Mr.. Thomas B. Dibblee.
Passing over details, the actual results achieV-
ed since then may be summarized briefly. The
hocks thrived and multiplied rapidly, ranging
far a6eld over the beautiful grass covered val.
legs and hills of the Lompoc until more pas
turage was required to carry their Increase. To