Evening capital., 1888-07-02
IL NEW MEXICO.
A PICTURESQUE FEATURE or SOUTH
WEST CRN SHEEP RAISING.


pert shcssrer at work. Fatiguing Labor.
Iambing time being safely past. the
spring shearing follows at once The
Navaios shear but once year, but
nearly all other sheep owners twicc-in
May and September. The shearing is the
most picturesque feature of southwestern
sheep raising 1t would fairly paralyze
an eastern wool grower. whose men lay
their subjects on table and shear thirty
to forty head day per man, to watch
the operation in New Mexico 1t is light
ming thrice fabricated Each man shears
from Is to l50 head a day. and it is of
record that in contest single man has
sheared over 200 sheep between sunrise
and sunset The shearing point Is chosen
usually as near the railroad as possible,
to save carriage. 1t being much cheaper
and easier to transport wool on the hoof
than in the sack. A corral about 10 feet
high Is built of railroad ties or cedar
posts; the army of shearers comes trudg-
ing in from oil quarters of the compass
Mexicans, Pueblos and few Navajos;
the first nock is brought down from the
hills. and the fun commences. With
shouts and carajocs and flying sticks. the
flock is turned In toward the corral, the
littlo band of goats serving as an advance
" ~
they jam into the corral. from which they
are to emerge In a few hours the shorn
and shabby shadow of their former selves,
and likely patched with many crimson
nick. Within the inclosure are from fifty
to eighty shearers. each with his own par
ticular station at the inside of the fence
And now the $500 sheep are in. the gap is
closed and the ball opens.
Three-quarters of the area of the corral
Is one dense mass Of huddled wool 1t
seems impossible that living creatures
can be packed so tight. A rat tossed
upon their backs would have to run on
wool to the other side of the corral before
he could reach the ground. Unable to
move more than their heads. with inglo-
rious unanlmity of tail turned toward the
common foe. trembling and brcathless.
the timid creatures await their fate.
There is grand rush Of the shearers.
Each man grabs sheep by the hind legs
or by the wool-if he be ambitious he
takes one In each hand-and runs to his
place dragging his reluctant victim back
ward behind him. Then he throws the
sheep upon Its side. gathers its four little
feet into bunch and ties them with q
soft. coarse cord or thong. Then he is
rushed back to the bunch for more, and
so on until he has as big a row of captives
as he can lay out without crowding his
neighbors on either hand. Then, grasping
bunch of legs in his left hand and the
keen sheep shears in his right. he wades
In 1t Is pretty sight to see an expert
shcarer at work With lightning rapidity
and marvellous dexterity he drives the
heavy shears down through the dense aud
matted wool. rolling it down from the
sides as If 1t were solid fabric which
one might pick up entire; sliding the
razor like blades unhesitatingly over the
angles and into the hoilows. hidden by
their thick coat, but seldom nicking the
skin. The current wages for shearers are
two cents per head for common sheep,
three cents for improved sheep. and board
good shearer. therefore, makes good
money for this country. as he will shear
12J sheep day
Slowly around the corral PAGES the
scorer In bis right hand is o pencil; in
his left Is piece of cardboard, with num-
bers from one up to the aggregate of the
shearers running down its left hand edge,
and each number commanding line of
its own across the card Every few sec
onds comes cry from some part of the
corral .'Viente-unOl" "Cuarante-
"Numero cincoI' as the case may be. each
yell delivered with that emphatic JUNCTION
which seems indigenous here. Each man
receives a number at the commencement
of the shearing season. and it serves him
as name until its close. The yell. there.
FORE means merely that Jesus Romero
temporarily dubbed No. 21-has finished
shearing a sheep. and the scorer tallies
one to his credit accordingly.
Saving wood-an occupation which in
the east has some notoriety as a spine
sprainer-is simple nap as compared to
the New Mexican fashion Of sheep shear
ing. which is perhaps. the most fatiguing
work In the world. The sheep is on the
ground. the shearer is on his feet. bent
till his hands are within three inches to
foot from the ground. and In this attitude
working twelve hours. with half an hours |
intermission for dinner.
ln an Incredibly short time the shearer
has done with his six or eight first victims |
and unties them all They go skipping
back to their companions. looking and |
possibly feeling something like a boy
whose clothes have been stolen while lie |
was swimming Il Is pretty safe prop
osition that the world doesn't contain a |
sOrrier. fOrlorner specimen thanma shorn |
sheep And at our Now Mexican attitudes /
from 5000 to 5000 feet above the sea
level-the dwindled wool wearers are
doubtless anxious for that proverbial TEN
pering Of the wind
Having sharponed his shears on q Fat |
sandstone. the shearcr collars another
batch Of recalcitrant victims and goes on /
with his breakback job. Meanwhile a
stunted laborer gathers mp the fleeces Ia /
big piece Of burlap and carries his bundle |
10 the corral Here. upon four tall. strong 1
posts. set firmly In the ground and framed |
IN With boards nt tho top. hangs O hngo
bllrI1D sack from whose l1rrk rrnIorf fho