Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-05-10
MARY'S LITTLE LAMB.
HOW HER OvERCOAT WAS TAKEN
OFF AND WHAT WAS DONE WITH 1T.
Ahcnring the sheep In the Oldcn Time In the
Green Mountain state.
from the Century Magazine.1


hundreds or thousands Of grade sheep
or full bloods dotting the terny pastures
Of the hill country or the broad levels OF
the Champlain valley, rank with English
grasses. From old Fort Drummer to the
Canada line one could hardly get..beyond
the sound Of the sleeps bieat unless he
took to the great woods, and even there
lie was likely enough to hear the inter
mittcnt jingle Of a sheep bell Ginning
with the songs OF the hermit and wood
thrtshes, or to meet a flock driven clat-
teriug over the pebbles Of a mountain
road; for q wildwood settler had his lit
tie herd Of sheep, to which he gave in
a"~- ~ frecdny efnr'nr Gods, and
ham. Capt. J. +. trecla-ons-
the freedom grain
patches, and were shseHMA' from the
chill Of winter nights in a frame barn
bigger than their masters Lighthouse.
In June. when the May-yeancd lambs
were skipping in the sunshine that had
warmed fhe pools and streams till the
hull frogs had their voices in tune, the
sheep were gathered from the pastures
and driven over the dusty roads to the
pens beside the pools on the tapped
mill fumes and washed amid apothcr of
Of rushing waters, shouts Of laughter of
Of men and boys, and discordant, plain
tiT bleats Of parted ewes and lambs.
- fhr!pyr1f fr On 1ornr 40 n Nh, ~~o.{
event Of the shepherds year, the shear
ing, for which great preparation was
made within house and barn. The best
the flrr afforded must be provided for
the furnishing Of the table; for the
rhcarecs were not ordinary farm labor
ers, b 1t mostly farmers and farmers
SOFAS. and as we'll to 90 as their employ
CT, VINO was likely enough to shear, in
lis lrn, for them. Whoever possessed
the jkill Of shcaring g sheep thought it
not beneath him to ply his well-pail
hn1dicraft in all the country round. For
these the fattcd calf was killed and the
green peas and Strawberries were picked.
Jhc barn floor and its ov~crllanging
>cailoiis were carefully swept, the
stables were Uttered with clean straw,
the wool-bcnch was set up, and the reel
full Of twine was made ready in its place.
Those were merry days in the old gray
barns that were not too tino to have
swallows holes in their gables, moss on
their shingles, and a fringe OF hemp,
maywoed, and smartwced about their
Jagged mdcrpinning. There was Jest
ing and the telling Of merry tales from
morning till night, and bursts of laugh
ter that scared the swallows out of the
~cobwcbhed roof-penk and the sitting hen
from her nest in the leftover hay-mow.
Noighbors called to get a taste of the
fun and the cider, to see how
the flock "evridged" and to engage
hands for their own shenring. At noon-
ing, after the grand dinner, while the
older men mapped on the floor, wool
bench or scaflold, with their heads pill
lowed on soft places, the young fellows
had trials Of strength at pulling stick
or lifting "stiif legs" The skillful
wool tvcr was rarcr than the skillful
shaarer, and in much demand in his own
and ncighhoring townships. He tied
the tleeces quickly and compactly, show
ing the best on the outside, but with no
clol Of dirty locks i'll the middle; for in
those days wool had its place and dirt
is place, but the fleece was not their
common place. The catcher was an
humble but not unimportant member Of
tile force. He must be alert and with a
sheep ready for each shearer as wanted.
and was never TO take mp q sheep by the
woel. hut with his left arm underneath,
Just behind the fore legs, and his RICH:
Hand Grasping a hind leg. And there
was the boy to pick up locks, discardiDq
the dirty ones, which were swept out.
doors. Ones hack aches rs he remem.
crs this unpleasant duty of his boy
y hood, when he was scotfed by shearcr
and seeded hv the wool tyer, and otter
rad the added labor OF carrying til
wool TO It's storage. Fourteen fleece
tied up IN a blanket was the load. which
II they had been Of nowadays weight
would have burdencd n strong man; bu
a tiycround fleece was a heavy on
then. l have never been present at on
Of the modern public ~shearings, whic
n before the swallows do, Will
win:er j, still diminishing with spring
AID ale celebrated in the local PAPER.
but | doubt if they are such hearty an
~cn!oyahle seasons as the old-fashione
s~he2r!ngs were.
The ~Wool-buyers secured the countr
AZ or after si.earing time, aud drove the
bargains with the farmers. The sma
lots of wool were hauled in bulk t. SON
centra! Point of shipment. while IL
larger clips were sacked Oh the grower
premises Tho sack was suspende
through a hole Of its own diameter in s
upper floor and a few heeces were throw
II, when the packer lowered himself in
II and pisral and trni tho uool q : - w.