The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-02-13
A California Sheep Ranch.

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The Santa Rosa Islands and some
other islands are great sheep ranches.
The Santa Rosa Island is owned by Mr..
A. p Moore There are said to be
eighty thousand sheep on the island,
which is about thirty miles south of
Santa Barbara. 1t is stwenty-four miles
in length and contains seventy-four
thousand acres of very fine sheep land.
A San Francisco paper states that last
June Mr.. Moore clipped LOLA sacks of
wool from these sheep, each sack con-
tanning an average of 40 pounds of
wool, making a total of Ais, 740 pounds.
which he sold at twenty-seven cents q
pound, bringing him in SIP, $40. 80, or
a clear profit Of over $4,000. This is
said to be low yield, so it is evident
that sheep-rising there, when taken into
consideration that shearing takes place
twice year, and that profit is made
on the sale of mutton etc., is very prof
liable. 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 ranging about
the foothills.
Four men are employed regular
ly 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 average number of sheep sheared
day is about ninety, for which five
cents clip is paid, thus $3.50 day
being made by each man, or something
over 5000 for the season, or over $400 for
ninety days out Of the year. Although
the shearing Of ninety sheep day is
the average, great many will 60 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 an
imals 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 dis
posed of to the butchers, and the shear
er, If in the habit Of frequently inhict-
ing such wounds, is discharged. In
the shearing of these $4,000 sheep a
hundred or more are injured to such
an extent as to ncessitate their being
killed, but the wool and meat are Of
course turned into profit.
Although no herding is necessary
about two hundred or more trained
goats are kept on the island continual
ly, which, to all intents and purposes,
take the place of the shepherd dogs so
necessary in mountainous districts
where sheep are raised. Whenever the
animals are TO be removed from one
quarter Of the island TO another, the
man in charge takes out with him sew
eral of the goats, exclaiming in Spanish
"Cheva" (meaning Sheep. 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 what
ever point he wishes to bring the band.
To prevent the sheep from contracting
disease it is necessary TO give them a
washing twice a year. Mr.. Moore hav-
ing so many on hand, found it Necessary
to invent some way to accomplish this
whereby so much expense would not be
incurred and no time wasted, After
experimenting for some time he had q
ditch dug eight feet in depth, little
over one foot in width, and one hun
dred feet long. In this he put six hun
dred gallons of water, two hundred
pounds of sulphur, one hundred pounds
of lime, and six pounds of soda, all
of which is heated to 1870 degrees. The
goats lead the sheep into corral or
trap at one end, and the animals are
compelled to swim through to the fur
ther end, thus securing a bath and
taking their medicine at one and the
same time.
The owner Of the island and sheep a
few years ago purchased the property
from the widow Of his deceased brother
for S600,000 Owing to i'll health he
has rented it TO another brother for
$140,000 year, and soon starts for Bos-
ton, where he will settle down for the
rest of his life. He still retains an in
terest in the Santa Cruz island ranch,
which is about twenty-five miles south
east Of Santa Barbara. This island
contains about $4,000 acres, and on 1t
are 25,000 sheep. On Catalina island,
sixty miles east Of Santa Barbara, are
$1,000 sheep, and on Clementa island,
eighty miles east Of that city, are 10,-
600. Forty miles west of the same city
is San Miguel, on which are 1000 sheep.
Each one Of these ranches has q
sail vessel to carry freight, etc., to and
fro between the island and the main.
land, and they are kept busy the