Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-12-31
RAISING SHEEP WITHOUT CARE.
Scenes on tie Islands That Lie OF the Coast o.
California, Opposite Santa Barbara.

Scenes on tie Islands That Lie OF the Coast of
California, Opposite Santa Barbara.
A correspondent of The New York
Commercial Advertiser, writing from the
islands opposite Santa Barbara says:
No human being now lives on either
San Nicholas or Anaca pc, but Santa Cruz
and Santa Rosa are both inhabited by a
few men, who utilize the islands for the
pasturage of large bands of sheep Here,
by the way, will remark that in Califor-
MIA every collection of animals of any
sort is called band" 4 herd of cattle,
a flock of sheep, party IF Iudians-any-
thing and everything that walks-when
seen in numbers is known as a band, and
it is regarded as sure sign of being
''tenderfoet" to use any other term.
Some years ago twas ascertsined that the
tive islands last mentioned offered unusual
facilities for the raising of sheep, and
these were taken from the mainland.
Santa Cruz island if undsr the control of
a company, while Santa Rosa is owned by
one man.
There are two reasons why these is
lands are favorable for sheep. On the
mainland in all directions grows weed
which bears very large burs, and the
sheep In feeding around get numbers IF
these in their wool, and SO reduce It's mar
ket value greatly. On the islands none
of these burrs are found, On the main
land, too, it is necessary to have herders
employed to see that the sheep do not
wander away, and also that wild animals
do not devour the young and defenseless
lambs. On the islands there are no wild
animals and the sheep need no herders,
ard a ra allnyyaA n uan4ar OF will nrrirr-
the greater part of the year no more than
half g dozen men are needed on either
island, but when shearing time comes
which comes every six months-there is
a lively seems for a while. Large parties
OF shearers are brought over from the
mainland, and they must be expert riders
as well as skillful handlers of the shears.
Many horses are kept on these islands,
and as soon as the shearers arrive these
are caught and saddled. and all hands 20
to one end of the island which is quite
hllly, and partly covered With husk and
timber The shearlng corrals are about
the center of the island, and the men
form a line some distance from each
other reaching from shore 30 shore
and so sweep it clear of the sheep,
driving all before them to the corrals.
rhIs process is repeated from the other
end of the island, and in this way few of
the animals escape.
The scene in the shearing sheds is an
interesting one to the observer who has
never been presented to such a spectacle
10 California. Fifty or sixty swarthy
natives or half-breed Indians. stripped TO
the waist, are gathered in d long shed
open at the sides. On one side is the
corral where the sheep are waiting to be
deprived of their coats, which in this eli
mate grows SO rapidly that the clipping
process takes place twice a year. Each
man goes into the corral, which has num-
erous gates, and, Selling sheep by the
hin legs, drags it on the shearing floor
under the shed. Here it is thrown ON It's
back, and the shearer holds it motionless
with his legs while the rapid snip, ship
of the shears cuts the wool from the ami
mails body. Walking up and down the
length of the shed is a boy with can
full of peculiar com position, which he
is ready at call to apply to the wounds
unavoidably made by the shears upon the
animals which are more than usually OBJ
streperous It is the mark of good
shearer never to send a blood stained
fleece to the packing bench, but some
| times the sheep struggle SO that it is al
most impossible to avoid wounding them.
Each man, as he finishes taking the fleece
from the sheep, runs at full speed with it
to the other end of the shed, where he
| hands it to the packer, while a tally
keeper" gives the shearer brass check
representing the value of five cents, aad
at the same time enters a record upon a
book opposite the shsarer's name.
The celebrity with which an accomplish
ed shearer will remove heavy fleece is
remarkable, and there is always more or
less rivalry between the men on such occa-
slons. Whenever visitors are present the
swiftest men make point of getting up
! a match, and 1 have held the watch and
| seen fleece removed in just four min
! utes and twenty seconds from the time
! the sheep left the corral. This, of course,
| is rapid work, the average time being
| from eight to twelve minutes per sheep.
The stand ard price is cents head, and
| as the men are given their board, it is
| seen that very fair wages may be made.
| The work Is very unpleasant, however.
| The dust and scent of the sheep rises in
| clouds and is perfectly sitting, while the
effort to hold struggling animal in pos
| ition and at the same time remove the
wool without injuring it is trying, both
to the muscle and the patience.
After the days work Is done the men
| gather in thsir quarters, and with greasy
packs of cards, gamble away the checks
| which they have received for their labor.
1t often happens that the shearers go
| back to the mainland after hard IN onth's
labor without a nickel to show for all
| they have done, while someone more for
tunate with the cards will have gathered
in good store of checks without having
touched a sheep.