The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1886-06-12
ON ASHEEP RANCH.
Dismal Life LED by the Wretched Next
ca.. HerieTs.

l. "I $H'' tttt
Herd Work 0nd Fu from Ecci-
ting Dogs.
This is il fine sheep country about
here, and the principal ranch on CaIam
ity creek is said to be the largest in
the State. | don't know the eEact nnm
Der of sheep owned by The proprietor
of this ranch. but it mast ran up into
the hundreds OF thousands, Twenty
years ago he was a bankrupt wool mer
chant. in feeble health to-day he Is 81
ruddy-faced, bale and hearty man of 10,
whose check is good for 500 600 any
day. With an original plant of 800
ewes. his flock has steadily increased
to its present proport.anS and they lib
orally oln on ii thousand hills. Sheep
require a good deal If eyre aud atten
tion and every man WHO undertakes
sheep raising is. not Successful at it.
A man who invests in horned cattle Will
get rich in spite of himself. Itrequires
IA peculiar sort of business sagacity to
manage sheep and max the Investment
a paying one. Dat here they are prln
cipai}y Mexican,, although necessity
forces Il few white men to turn to the
business temporarily as il mans of live
lihood. They never stay long att how
ever. There is an excruciating ono
tony about sheep h"rding which causes
a white man to wish he had never been
born after a few months experience.
Now that the railroad has beec put
through a great many big sheep mel
are importing Cinnamon from Califor
mia to take the place of the Mexicans,
who require n great deal of Watching.
II MEXICAN SHEEp-uERDGR.
The wants ola Mexican sheep-herder
are few. His ration is Il half peck OF
corn meal, Il handful of salt and a
double handful! of ehilies per day.
With this humble con,nissariat he will
keep up life. His idea OF luxury is an
occasional dram of mescal or anuau
diente and plenty of corn husks a,d to
bacco, out of Which he manufacturers
that Indispensable accessory to Next
can well-being. the cisaro. 4 Mexican
usually engages in strengthening at a
tender age and once began rarely relin
qulshes 1t. A Mexican is conser, ative
and content with the established q der
ofthings. They have made no
IN $50 years. This fact makes them
good sheep herders. Conservatism aud
lack OF progress are pilme requisites in
sheep-herder. After IL years faithful
apprenticeship at strengthening il Mex
lean boy has the trade learned and is
ready to peou himself for life. He usu
ally does. | have known a Mexican
herder, after twenty-five years faith
fui service, to die as many hundred dol
lars in debt to the man whose flock he
has carefully tended for il quarter of 4
century. That Is where strengthening
pays.
We will suppose, by way of ~illustra
ton, that IL practical he.ier has been
engaged to run il flock, and in the car
1y morning, as the first gray streaks of
dawn appear in the eastern Sky lie sal
lies forth to take charge of his woolv
mock, who are just beginning to awake
and leave their beddiag-piace. If he
is q Mexican he looks extremely pictu
rescue in his bright blue Jacket, with
Its double row of silver buttons, which.
oy the way, are not for use. but solely
Tor ornament, for a Mexican never but
tons his Jacket, else he would hide his
gaudy calico shirt. On his neither limbs
are leggings OF leather or backskin, to
protect his legs from the sharp thorns
through which he will be forced to
march. These are kept in place by a
crimson orange or blue sash, over
which is buckled a broad belt full of
cartridges. On his head is the inevita
Die sombrero, with its characterization
OF gold and silver lace. Ifhe is a sensi
bic man, his serape will be tied over
one shoulder and under the opposite
arm and he will carry Il Winchester
rife and "A sharp butcher knife.
II HERDER WHEN ON DUTY