The Portland daily press., 1877-12-21

/ holt purchase, and so late as October, 1879
the chief warriors of the tribs came back un-
invited to pay their final adieux to the mounds
of their ancestors and scenes of their childhood.
Finding Mr. Hol's cattle and sheep grazing
over the sacred soil they religiously shot down
the sscrilegious beasts SO long as their poisoned
arrows held out Then they went away and
did not return. 1t was their last visit. Mr..
Holt however took the precaution of having
detachment Of o. 8. cavalry stationed ct his
ranch the following season.
| How amply all the conditions to successful
stock farming, which L have before enumerated
are satisfied by this magnificent estate, will 90.
pear from the following facts. The extent Of
range embraces fully enc hundred aud twenty
eight thousand acres or two hundred square
miles in one tract. This vast area il thickly
sodded with grama and buffalo grass, and ranks
as first class pasture land for all kinds Of stock
Over all this immense tract living water is 20
distributed in natural springs and streams THAI
the focks need not go in any case mora thAa
| three miles from water iu grazing over the su-
tire surface. And this water is not of the slug
| gish muddy sort common on the plains, bat
clear, swift and sparkling as q mountain
brook. Indeed the principal stream, which re
| tains its Indian name of ''Horse Creek, run
ming some sixteen miles through the center Of
the estate and receiving tributaries from either
side would with its willow frtnged banks, broad
meadows and sparkling cascades, do credit to
a New Eagland landscape. IL furnishes wa
ter euo6gh to thoroughly irrigate at least 500
acres of the rich bottom lands along its course
aDd about 10Oisre already fenced and supplisd
trr;fb e.
the grain, roots and vegetables consumed on
the estate. Euough meadow-lsnd has been
fenced to furnish about sixty tons Of hay an
nually, and additional tracts will be enclosed
as the stock increases. Less hay is needed here
in proportion to the amount Of stock than n
most localities, on account of the lands sloping
uniformly toward the south, aud being pro-
tected in some measure by the foothills Of the
''Dvide" ou the north There are some thir-
teen miles Of fence on the estate, the ''bArbed
wire" kind being preferred on account of its
superior efficiency and greater durability.
Oa this estate an outcropping vein of semi
bituminous coal, cheaply mined. affords ex-
cellent fuel for home use, and is largely sold to
neighboring ranches First class pine lumber
manufactured on the "Divide" costs only ten
l
dollars delivered here.
In addition to tho main ranch above des-
cribsd, Mr.. Holt has several outlying ranges Of
smaller extent; also an enclosed pasture Of
seven hundred acres adjoining the city of Col
orado Springs where he keeps his most vslua-
BILE brood mares aud colts. The stock now on
the main ranch cousists of about ono hludred
horses, Eve thousand cattle aud nine thousand
sheep.
The cattle and sheep interests constitute dis
tinct departments Of tie business each being
under q separate oversesr, and having their
respective headquarters nine or ten miles apart /.
The mods of conducting the sheep branch Of
the business is as follows. The sheep are
divided into bands OF about 1900 head, and each
is put In charge OF shepherd whose duty it 10
to guard and tend them by day and night, Sun.
days not excepted. Two shepherds with their
respective flocks, are usually assigned to the
same camp, for mutual assistance in preparing
their food, or in case of sickness, though the
1ocks are always kept separate.
The shepherds s camp consists Of q small lor
or frame cabin, more or less tight and com
Portable according to the taste of the owner,
but rarely containing more than one room,
which have never seen lathed nor plsstered.
There is no pretense to art in adornment, IN
less it be found in the pictures of Harper's
| Weekly which the boys may have pasted over
| the cracks.
Near the cabin Is the corral, tight board
enclosure with one or more partitions, in which
the sheep are folded every night; il it be in.
tended for winter use its northern side is shsas
tered by thatched or battened roof. A shsl.
tered hillside, soping southwark, and coz
venient to water, is commonly selected for the
camp-site. There are on this estate nine such
camps. substantially built and thoroughly
comfortable for man and beast.
The "home ranch" or headquarters Of the
sheep department, is of course much lrns
and more tommodious establishment Hero
are the stables, granaries, store-rooms, csllAxs
sheep and horse corrxls, snearing sheds, wool
rooms, shutes and dipping works. Here, zoe.
are accommodations for fifteen to twenty vsrk,
men, which includes the farm laborers, tam
sters, and extra help employed in the Sharing
and lambing seasons. The farm piodusn gao,
ceries, etc., are all stored here and distrisunl1
| to the subordinate camps as needed. The ovGI
seer or head shepherd has bis quayars hao6
and the proprietor's cottage is near BY All 10
| fiocks are brought here at sleast twice svsu
year, at the shearing and at the dipping times
and all the wool is here sorted, sacked and pee
pared for market. This place is ple.mntly ~
uated on the main stream near the oeater sl
the ranch; it is well sheltered on the nseh By
high hills, and commands fine southern pros
pect. Near by are the hay meadows and TIL
lsge land, with enclosed pastures for saddle
and team horses. Two artificial ponds within
the grounds, aud q sparkling rivulet which
| pours its waters into the main creek Just below
| my hosts cottage, are refreshing to the eyes in
this dry land where the sight of so much water
| is a rare pleasure.
The number of men employed In the sheep
| department varies with the season Of year
During the lambing season, which begins In
this section about the middle Of May and con-
| tinues five or six weeks, two extra men are re-
| quired for each thousand ewes; but during the
rest Of the year only one man is employed fol
every fifteen hundred to two thousand head.
The shearing, which begins as 500 n as lambing
| is over, is done by contract, at al agreed price
per head, under the supervision of the overseer.
Fifteen or twenty professional shearers are
l commonly employed for this purpose They
Il
board, and are required to furnish their own
shears. A good shesrer will clip sixty fine
wooled sheep per day, and it is no uncommon
feat for man to shear one hundred coarse
| wools" between sun and sun.
Shepherds wages vary from fifteen to twenty
| five dollars per month and board. Their par.
rates according to seniority in service, thos a
lelongest on the ranch receiving the highest
| wages.
Most of the wool is shipped direct to eastern
manufacturers without passing through the
hands of any middle-nen. Maine, believe,
| getting the largest share of it. The average
price of wool shipped this season to manufac-
| turers was thrty-three cents per pound, un.
washed, aud the average weight of fleece foul
| and a half pounds.
The average increase of the locks is abou,
eighty per cent. psr annum, or eighty lambs
for every one hundred ewes, and the lambs At
one year old are worth more, as q rule, than