The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-10-19
LETTER FROM COLORADO.
Special Correspondence.

standing OF the business DeIOIe gong
10 it. They tell of a "high-toned" Eng
lishman who came here a few years ago
with $4,000 and went away owing $20l,-
900. He was always blasting this Dlooqy
country, you know, and lived high. In
the language of an old-timer blamed II
he cared what he paid for anything. VI
fer him a horse worth $40 and charge
him $3.50 and he'd give you a cheek. ne
didn't care what he paid for his sheep.
Had $500 of them, and you used to see
thirty or forty Englishmen loafng on
him. You bet he didn't have the trouble
of selling them sheep. Sheriff did it for
Of course such a man could not
succeed in raising sheep. But as an OFT
to this, and to illustrate he real
character of the business, here is anoth-
er instance given me by an old herder.
Said he: I wanted a man to herd sheep,
and I met one coming out of Pueblo VINO
said he would like to work for me. LOOK
here, said I, I won't pay you any wages,
but I'll give you $50 lambs which you
must herd as part of the hock.' He
agreed to that and worked for me three
years and a half, until he had to go away
and be married, and then I bought him
out. The wool had paid all expenses
and he had $2,250 coming to him In
cash."
It is needless to say that there is no
royal road to success and wealth in the
sheep business, or any other calling, in
Colorado, any more than there is in ev-
cry part of the world. There is no hope
for it without economy and industry and
strict personal attention, and even with
all these the fates sometimes decree fail
ure. But as a rule a man who knows
what he is about may invest from $1,000
to $25 900 in sheep and realize a return
of twenty-five per cent per annum. Com
pairing this with the profits of cattle rails
ing it will be found that the latter prom
Use larger, though more tardy, returns,
but the advantages on the side OF sheep
are smaller requirements in the way OF
capital and the ready returns of cash
from the yearly crop of wool. Some old
timers assert that they can run a flock OF
5000 sheep, year in and year out, at an
average cost of fifty cents per head. For
such as they-and there are many OF
them-the above estimate of profit Q
need to be materially changed. YOU
old-timer has lived twenty years, per
haps, in this part of the country. He ID
deeply attached to the soil and
no other home. He has spent years IN
the mountains prospecting, and while ne
may like a soft bed and a tight roof, and
a good dinner as well as his neighbor,
there have been epochs in his life when
any one of them would be no nearer his
reach than the joys of a Mahommedan
paradise, and che counteth none OF these
things DEAR when his mind is set on the
accomplishment of any object. When
this man takes up the business OF sheep
-..,-- L. g, - Iaol aornacf Ha En0wG
nothing, thinks of nothing, but sheep
lives among them, studies and masters
every detail of their management, and
institutes a rigid economy. He will have
good sheep, good ~corrals, and probably
good sheds, but he will care little for the
comforts of his cabin. One of the most
successful sheep men in this region be-
| gan by living in a cave near Colorado
Springs. To loneliness the old-timer
has long ago become a stranger.
The ideal shepherd may be encounter,
ed here in evey conceivable variety, full
of entertaining and veracious narratives
of his adventures and experiences. Sue.
cessful old-timers enjoying the results OF
past labors and clad in the sober garb Of
civilization, lay down the law over their
social cigars; while youthful beginners,
with doubtful prospects, sport hats with
an enormous breadth of brim, and seem
to delight in garments of dubiows cut and
texture and extreme antiquity. One OF
two gentlemen from the East visiting
Colorado Springs and calling on a lady
of his acquaintance there, apologlzed for
the absence of his companion whose
clothes suitable for the occasion had been
delayed by the express. "Only hear
that" she exclaimed, delighted at this
unusual respect for civilized habits
"Why 1 have been meeting the sons Of
dukes and earls with their pantaloons
tucked in the boots" But it may be
safely assumed that these dukes and
eaIls would not presume to thus appear
in their own country, and there is an
unnecessary display of barbarism in do
ing it here, especially in Colorado
Springs, which is about as civilized as
any other country town. There are some
features of the curious Eruption n Col
orado of scions of the nobility and aris'
~tocracy which are interesting and ex'
tremely amusing; but, without attempt
ing a homily on the subject, it may be
remarked that sheep have no regard fol
noble birth, and that P~iccaeilly seems te
furnish an inadquate preparation Tor
successful ranchman.
Life on the ranch is monotony ITSELF
After breakfast at daylight the bleatint
flock is started over the range and the
herder with his dog and a canteen ovel
his shoulder follows after them. AL day
long they feed on the short grass, goint
once to water, and then towards evening
they are brought back to the corral
where they are confined at night. DAY
after day, week after week, month afte
month, this is the regular round. Whel
cold weather comes, that dreaded enem!
of sheep raising-the snow storm
likely to be encountered any day. l
comes with but little warning, and tn
heavy flakes fall thick and fast. Th'
sheep hurriedly huddle together and NJ
earthly power can make them move.-
The herder may have had time to ge
them into a gulch or under a bank, bu
failing in this there is nothing to be don
except to stay with them, sometimes
day and a night, and trust to gettin!
? them home when the storm is over. ]
is with the snow storm, indeed, that tn
, dark side of the Colorado shepherds
: life is associated, and the great tempes
of 1878 left q sorrowful record behind
The snow was eleven feet deep in tn
~corrals, and sheep were dug out alive al
, ter being buried two and even tire
weeks. Their vitality seems to be grea
and many perish not from the pressur
= of the snow but from suffocation cause
by others falling or crowding upon then
It is asserted that they will sometime
: while still buried work their way dow
. to the grass and feed thereon. But sheds
which are an innovation, are now bt
: coming plenty, and besides the shepher
knows that by the doctrine of chance
he need not count on such a storm Otter
or than once in ten wears. SPOT.
What is Coming.
From the Philadelphia Times.
9 Ohio simply starts the tide of r.