Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-06-30
prEsCE COUNTY SHEEP AND Wool.
Tacoma News |


The wool growers OF Pierce county
had meeting at Steilacoom on Satur-
day. 70 receive bids for their 1888 wool
crep. Trere were about thirty farmers
present. A few years ago, being dis
satisfied with the prevailing method of
disp ,sing Of their feeces by individual
bargains, the wool growers formed an
association, and have since put their
WOOL into pool, appointed committee
10 receive bids and dispose of the wool
In bnlk to the highest bidder. They
seem to think this method more salts
factory than that of individual sales,
having realized some two cents more
under the pooling system than previ-
Ously. Last years wool crop nettod the
Pierce county growers "A cents a pound
for some 10000 pounds. The Washing
ton Territory clip is rated rs northern
WOOL in the market. which brings the
highest price, owing to its freedom from
burr and other Impurities. This years
clip In estimated at 5000 pounds, and
the quality il high. The farmers hold
Il at % cents, bat the only bid received
on SATURDAY. was that of Mr.. Baxter. of
Seattle, who bid only II cents for the
crop delivered at Tacoma. This the
CVUiu1lttOo 0A0 soV OW1Oko WOAto NV
listen to. and the sale was adjourned
for two weeks, to July 7th, at Stella
COON, unless the committee receive more
acceptable bids in the meantime. The
committee consists Of Wm. Lyle, Henry
HANDLE, Edward Huggtns, Stephen Jud-
son and Joel Myers. A few prominent
sheepmeu interviewed we're:
Jesse smith, whose farm In on Spani-
way lake, near Hillhurst. This lake il
about mile and half long. and con-
tains an abundance Of good water.
Joel Myers, living about two and q
halt miles from Steilaco0m. came to
this country in 1853, and takes rank
among the oldest settlers.
McI.ain Chambers, Hillhurst, has
some I 400 pounds Of wool, and about
$50 sheep Of the Cotswold. merino VA
Iiety. He says his wool il better than
last year.
II. r. Goodwin, Hillhurst. sheared 650
sheep this season, obtaining some 400
pounds fine wool. He came to this
country In the fall Of 1866. He says
wild animals destroy q good many sheep
but the only sheep diseases known here
are scab and ticks.
j. w. Spay, who has farm about two
miles from Hillhurst, says tho farmers
there generally cultivate good land.
Edward Higgins. Nisqually, known as
the veteran weather observer, II q sheep
grower of distinction and merit, as is
also Stephen Judson, Of 6teilacoom.
Mr.. HuRgins oultivates the Shropshire
variety principally.
Henry Handle, who has lived on Muck
creek for II years, relates his experience
- evidence that 4 sheep grower may
carry ont an idea in breeding to q dis
astrous result. His band has been re-
duccd In numbers from loo sheep over
year ago, to a few hundreds at the
present time. He attributes his losses
TO the extreme tendency 70 produce the
dnNr grades Of wool, which is worn by
animals not adapted 10 this climate.
The cro@ Of the merino and Cotswold
has proved a failure, the product being
TOO delicate. Tho prevailing GROSS.
which q deemed the most prscticable,
y that Of the Southdown and merino
With the Leicester.
A. 8. Porter, Of Porter's ranch. has q
loeai history dating back some thirty
eee years. He landed hero on the 18th
q June. 1859. He says he could have
had the site OF New Tacoma for doua-
sV. usoilus uot No OhOO tlkC Soo to10s
he has some zoo head Of sheep.
Other wool growers arc the Barnes
hlolhers and g. Mann, Clover Creek;
Adam Benson. Hillhurst; Mr.. Squires,
q Ohio wool grower, who last year pur-
enAssd the old Moeker claim near Lake
vev; Peter Smith, Lakeviev; John
Roberts, Who lives near Hillhurst; Hen
y Murray, from the Mock, Who has
0eArsd about ono and Q half tons this
ysar; Frost 4 Son, Of Hillhurst, who
saye about 5000 pounds ef Tho 1883 clip.
20. Murray lives some seven miles
Ilc@ Stsilacoom, and estimates his clip
q 900 pounds.
The WOOL interest 10 now regarded a.
nealiy at . stand still IN Pieroe county.
Ine result OF the late change in the
NM On importations Of raw WOOL h re-
Afued as equal 10 two cents q pound
sgso al grades, and some Of the grow
Seof sheep hercabouts regard it ~ an
neoessary blow at tho interests Of the
.en; and II h predicted that the
ek will be 10 diminish the invest
not the farmers In this branch Of