The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-02-17
Among tho sheep Folds,


bme Editor of The Herald
DEAN SlR.-Knowing that you want
sheep rancho, ! propose TO give u
|hor account Of some of the dllieul-
h. have met with while searching
N one Finding that most, II not all
h the Mexican sheep offered for sale
|Nund this city were of m inferior
|Mlity | and friend engaged a hack
ial started south in search OF II few
housuud good sheep, whore we were
|bd, we could get them low, Taking
down the location aud number OF some
bcks that we thought would suit us
70 went forth to purchnse-sheepi u
hive Of eleven miles through n level
|,OsQuite brushy country covered with
orl mosquito grass, brought us to the
|ldina rivera very fine stream Of
n, water now, but one that is dry IN
lines Of long notwithstanding II our
Mute was over \ more :olllng country,
|hckly set with prickly pear for some
mr miles; then for miles we found
|tanty of post oak and black jack tim
|er and deep sand, then changing again
|nn to prairie and mosquito brush
|nd pHckiy pcm ThirtyNdyo miles
|vq the same road that Santa
|lpna travelled over, when he adj
nnced on this city, in 1886, brought us
10 peasanton, the county'seat OF Ats
Ncosa county; there are but few set
dement's on this road We found Pleas
mon town of about four hundred in
|hbitants, and it is located on the south
! hank of the Attascosa river, stream
Aat ceases to run, soon after the rams
ease to fall. The town is located IN n
BEAUTIFUL live oak grove; the soil is n
/ i,ht sa,dv loan. This was formerly
/ he home of the "cattle kings OF this
4cton, but when the cattle were driv'
tO off, many of them followed butsomc
men of great wealth still reside here,
Dne of whom, has now about $4,000 in
ank. THERE'S published here ,the Texas
aock journal and Farmer, and good
aper it is too. We met Mr.. Wheeler,
hte of Denton county, and he at once
took us to his house, where, assisted 10y
6most excellent wife, (who by the
mis cousin of President Polk, } and
bis two beautiful daughters, we were
nertaincd in princely style, Before
leaving here, we also met with Mr. Jaw
hon, one of the editors of the "StocI'
Journal" who talked "sheep' to US
about three hours, much to our editica,
ton, The following morning we oid
/ aiieu to our host, but not without his
having extorted from us promise to
4 Stay with him on our return.
Our route this day was over rolling
pahie country, thicKly set with prioki'
pear and low brushy underground
the soil generally very thin, the grass
very poor, in fact, neither sheep nor cat
tie could 1--we here six months in TIT
Year but for the prickly pear WheI
The drouth of summer cuts oil tn
grass the sheep turn TO the fruit OF tn
/ pear in the winter they eat the plan
itself the shepherds carrying lon
knife with which they cut off one edg'
Of the plant, so that the sheep can ea
It. as the thorns on the edge are mucl
thicker and sharper. From Pleasantol
to the San miguel, distance @
thirty miles, there are but two settl
ments Ny companion proposed
sell me his interest in this section yer
low, but as was locking for sheep, an
not land, made him no offer To,da
we examined flock of 1900 sheep
Luz ewes, and some muttons, lamo'
&C This was once good fiock Q
s,neep, but bad management has run
Town We found bucks, ewes, lamb
Feathers, all togeth +. The owner wa
ashamed of it, and think justly TOO
dewanted 81 so per head for the entlI
aock We offered him 81 80 per hea
l0r one thousand ewes, il he would Il
US pick them, but he said he would
AL or none. Another flock OF fourtee
hundred ewes, that were in the hant
u a stock broker a San Antonio, VIII
na9 offered them to us at 81 per hea
nad been sold at 81 80 the day beio
our arrival. They were grade shee
ABOUT three fourths Merino and on
,ourth Mexican, aud had just began
"mo. Good management will perhal
save eleven hundred mbs out OF Il
a2cK' The lambs will seve n-eight
Finding the sheep we had rode sc
guy miles to purchase sold, we turn'
Vur laces again to this lovely city, Al
NAV evening again crossed the 81
llguel. leaving McMullen county al
Ew AZ county site, Dogtown, behind
What name
Aoout shutdown this evening | had
n,. shot at wolf at about sixty yar'
~. .us the gun being loaded with sm
S aO. No ran off, though he was
S'n'ly wounded. They howled