The Opelousas courier., 1885-09-19
EIGHTY THOUSAND SHEEP.
How a Brig California Range 10 Manage

comes up to San Francisco twice a
year to secure provisions, clothing.
lumber, ETC., for Sc on Santa Rosa is
land, being owned by the great sheep
raiser, A. Z. Moore, who owns the Is
land and the $4,000 sheep that exist
upon it. The island is about thirty
miles south Of Santa Barbara. and is
a miles in length and Is in breadth,
and contains about $4,000 acres of
land, which are admirably adapted to
sheep-raising. Last June, Moore clip
ped 1914 sacks of wool from these
sheep, each sack containing an aver
age of 40 pounds of wool, making a
total of SIS, TAO pounds, which he sold
at q cents q pound, bringing him in
S112,349.80, or a clear profit Of over
$4,000. This is said to be a low yield,
so it is evident that sheep-raising
there, when taken into consideration
that shearing takes place twice a year,
and that a profit is made of 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 ranging 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 Of fifty days work, and
the average number of sheep sheared
a day is about ninety, for which five
cents a clip is paid, thus S4.5Oa day
being made by each man, or some
thing over 5000 for the season, or over
$500 for ninety days out of the year.
Although the shearing of ninety sheep
a day is the average, a great many
will go as high as 11O, and n man
has been known to sheer 125. OF
course every man tries to shear as
many as he can, and owing to haste,
frequently the animals are severely
cut 10y the sharp shears. If the wound
is serious, the sheep Immediately has
it's throat cut, and is turned into NUT
ton and disposed of to the butchers,
and the shearer, if in the habit of in
1icting such wounds frequently, is dis
charged. In the shearing of these 3d.
900 sheep a hundred or more are in
iured to such AN extent as to necessi-
ate 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 of 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 several of the
goats, exclaims in Spanish "cheva'
(meaning Sheep. The goat through
its training understands what is want
ed, and Immediately runs to the band
and the sheep accept it as their lead
er, following wherever it goes. The
goat in turn follows the man to what
ever point he wishes to take the
band. To protect the sheep from con-
tracing disease it is necessary to give
them a washing twice a year. Moore
having so many on hand found it nee
essary to invent some way to accom-
plish this, whereby not so much ex-
pense would BIZ incurred and time
wasted. After experimenting for
some time he had a ditch dug eight
feet in depth, a little over one foot in
width, and 100 feet long. In this he
put 600 gallons of water, 1000 pounds
of sulphur, 100 pounds Of lime,
and 6 pounds of soda, all of which is
heated to 1902. The goats lead the
sheep into a corral or trap at one end,
and the animals are compelled to
swim through to the other end, thus
securing a bath and taking their medi-
cine at n and the same time.
The owner of the island and sheep,
A. P. Moore, a few years ago purchas-
ed the property from the widow of his
deceased brother Henry for 100000.
Owing to ill-health he has rented it to
his brother Lawrence for $4,000
year, and soon starts for Boston, where
he will settle down for the rest of his
life. He still retains an interest in
the Santa Cruz island ranch, which is
about twenty-five miles southeast of
Santa Barbara. This island contains
acres, and on it are 5000 sheep
On Catalina Island, sixty miles east of
santa Barbara are 10000 sheep, and on
Clementa Island, eighty miles east of
that city, are 10000 sheep. Forty
miles west of the same city is San Mig
uel, on which are 1000 sheep. Each of
these ranches has a sailing vessel to