Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-21
Sheen Eyueii-i,c..

This il the time of year, after the
sheep are brought up and yarded for
WINTER, when tueir feet ought TO re-
q, i've the semi annual trimming. |
take it for granted that every practi-
cal sheph' ri possesses and employs
the Dana tot-clipprr. But l do not
believe, from my observations among
my neIghbors, that one in hdndred
use that invaluable lubor-saver, the
shepherds crook or sheep-houk for
short. | wish ] could persuade II hun
dr.d men who never used one before
To have one made and try II one season.
The would never he without 1t after
ward. Said one of my n-ighbors the
other day IA thoroughly progressive,
wide-awale farmer, TOO, VINO mas al
ways had 400 ar 50O sheep-"l wish i
had seen tt tool like that twenty years
u. o; it would have saved me man u
lame back and spell of rleunIallsm:
Every ilOckma-ter OF even nioui-
cum of eX erience knows that unless
t.uuch of She p are huddled cl Ise II
is u very considerable task to catch
them one alter another by the hind
lrg-for | consider il an OUT age 10
allow u sheep 10 be caught by the WOOL.
The chasing and lodging. the stoop-
ing, the kicking and struggling OF me
captured animal aie exceedingly IA
tiguing. | have had hands befor.
now tell me they would Father Haul
rails or cradle wheat all day than 10
catch stout wethers by hand for three
hours. And if it is very tedious and
tiresome to catch "A hundred or more
strong sheep wn,n they are closely
huddled, how much more Is 1t. TO
single out and cnase down one after
nm iher in II spacious yard where the
mast r wants IA, IN VII scattered
about so that he can readily detect any
points he ~ hooking Tor! He vans
Them TO run by him or Ia run ciiclinB
around, always keeping them with HE
marked side toward him, in order 10
choose crrIain sheep When the right
one is sighted then comes chase, a
dive, grip and struggle, for L thlnk
a stout wether can kick harder and
| faster than any other known animal
of its size.
Now, how greatly this is improved
by the use of n shet p-hook l can
| stand almost still in the middle OF "A
ward large enough to display 200 sheep
in, and with an eight foot hook reach
out and pull Il sheep up To me ike
| catfish, With lees than half the labor
REQUIRED by the cid method. There is
no b, nding of the back. The impulse
of the sleeps kick, instead OF being
driven along the extended bones OF
the arm point blank snd chug-chuy
| into the body, is impaired TO the HOOK
handle, which communicates II To the
hand and arm with niitigated force.
| When foolish young eve Is stand
| ing guard over her first lamo, what u
tremendous Task II il 10 Itch her
/ She faces the intruder constantly,
Keeping her eyes sharply ON INN, IL
steals up closely $ ep at n Time. WINE
the eve backs away aud the lamb Ioi-
lows; finally he makes "A despera Z
/ lu,ge aud clutch like catainouht,
aud his tingeis just Craze her wool
, Bur he gets the lamb
Nov with IA sheep hook in his hand
how mu-h custer and simpler his TASK
becomes. III the eve 10 be caught ID III
| "A sheep house among a number o.
other ewes and lambs. II Is baibarouS
to create AN uproar and set Them All 10
running around, trampling down
lambs, by making II mad chase amer
the foolish eve. Instead of that,
quietly reach out the hook around the
corner or between the Stats of hay
box and seize her 10y the leg either
the fore or hind leg-and no disturb,
unee l. created. lave seldom failed
10 capture the widest eve In Il twenty
acre held with the hook. The best
/ way il. ii possible, to clasp the hook
on the hind leg, lust above the hook
Joint. then pull To you aud up al The
same time, TO prevent the sheep nom
kicking loose.