The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-12-20
IN Extensive Sheen Ranch.
San francisco Cam

ISan Francisco CALL
The little schooner Santa Rosa az
rived in Port from Santa Barbara a
few days ago. She comes up to this
city twice Il year to secure provisions,
clothing, lumber, etc, for use on Sam
I'll Rosa Island, being owned by the
great sheep raiser, a. p. Moore, who
owns the island and the $1,000 sheep
that exist upon it. The island is about
thirty miles south of Santa Barbara,
and IS twenty-four miles in length,
and sixteen in breadth, and contains
about 74,0O0 acres CT land, which are
admirably adapted to sheep raising.
Last June Moore clipped I0l4s sacks Of
wool from these sheep, each sack con-
tanning an average of 40 pounds of
wool, making total Of 4i5. TAO pounds.
which he sold at % cents a pound,
bringing him in Sl12,2I9.S0, or clear
profit OF over $4,000. This Is said to
be low yield, so it is evident that
sheep raising there, when taken into
consideration that Shearing takes
place twice year and that profit is
made off the sale of mutton, etc, is
very profitable. The island is divided
into four quarters by fences running
clear across at right angles, and the
SHEEP have not to be herded like those
running about the foothills.
-Four men are employed regularly
the year round to keep the ranch in
order and to look after the sheep, and
during shearing time fifty or more
shearers are employed. These men
secure forty or fifty days work, and
the averape number of sheep sheared
a day is about ninety, for which 5
cents a clip is paid, thus 81 so a day
being made by each man, or some
thing over $500 for the season, or over
$500 for ninety days of the year. AL
though the shearing of ninety sheep a
day IS the average, great many will
go as high as ITO, and one man has
been known to shear 125. OF course
every man tries to shear as many as
he can, and owing to haste frequently
the sheep are severely cut by the
sharp shears. If the wound is serious
the sheep Immediately has its throat
cut and is turned into mutton and
disposed Of at the butchers, and the
shearer, if in the habit Of frequently
intlicting such wounds, is discharged.
In the Shearing of these $4,000 sheep
a hundred or more are injured to such
an extent as to necessitate their being
killed, but the wool and meat are of
course turned into profit.
Although no herding is necessary,
about 200 or more trained goats are
kept on the island continually, which
to all intents and purposes take the
place CT the sheppard dogs so neces-
sary in mountain districts where
sheep are raised. Whenever the ami
mails are to be removed from one
quarter OF the island to another, the
man in charge takes out with him
several of the goats, exclaims in Span
ish, "Cheva" (meaning sleepy The
goat through its training understands
what is wanted, and Immediately runs
to the band, and the sheep accept it as
their leader, following wherever it
goes. The goat in turn follows the
man to whatever point he wishes to
take the band. To prevent the sheep
from contracting disease it is neceS-
sarY to give them washing twice
year. Moore having so many on hand,
found it necessary to invent some
way to accomplish this whereby not
so much expense would be incurred
and time wasted. After experiment
ing for some time he had ditch dug
eight feet IN depth, little over one
foot in width, and one hundred feet
| long. In this he put 600 gallons of
water, ECO pounds of sulphur, 100
! pounds of lime and six pounds of
soda, all of which is heated to $50 de-
greyS. Thegoafs lead the sheep into a
corral or trap al one end, and the ami
mails are compelled 10 swim through
to the further end, thus securing a
bath and taking their medicine at the
same time.
The owner OF the island and sheep,
y. z. Moore, few years ago purchas-
ed the property from the widow of
his deceased brother, Henry, for $780,
Geo. Owing to i'll health he has rent
ed it to his brother Lawrence, for
| $l40,0G0 year, and soon starts for
Boston, where he will settle down for
the rest Of his life. lie still retains
an interest in the Santa Cruz island
ranch, which is about twenty-five
miel5 southeast of Santa Barbara.
This island contains about $1,000 acres
ard on it are $4,000 sheep. On Catali-
ma island, fifty miles east Of Santa
Barbara, are 1900 sheep, and on
| Cementa island, eighty miles east of
that city, are 10000 sheep. Forty
miles west of the same city IS San
Miguel, on which are 1000 sheep. Each
one Of these ranches has sailing YES
sci to carry freight, ETC., to and fro
between the island and mainland, and
tey ire kept busy the greater part Of
the time.