The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-10
IN NEW MEXICO.
A PICTURESQUE FEATURE OF SOUTH
> WESTERN SHEEP RAISING.
Shearing the Flock "A sheep Ranch,
Dense Mass ut Huddied Wool-in IL
pert Shcarer ut Work-FntIsuins Labor.

pert Shearer at Work-Fntisuing Labor.
Landing time being safely past. tie
spring shearing follows AZ once The
| NavaIos shear but once year. bat
nearly all other sheep owners twice--in
May and September. The shearing Is the
most picturesque feature Of southwestern
sheep raising 1t would fairly pamlyze
/ an eastern wool grower. whose men las
their subjects on table and shear thirty
to forty head day per man, to watch
the operation in New Mexico II l. light
ming thrice fabricated Each man shears
from - TO $50 head a day. ana u D. oi
record that in contest single man has
sheared over 200 sheep between sUnrisc
and sunset The shearinS point is CHOSEN
usually as near tho RAILROAD as possible,
to save carriage. it being much cheaper
and easier to transport wool on the hooi
than in the sack. 4 corral about ID feet
high IS built of railroad ties or cedar
posts; the army of shearcrs comes ,rudg.
ing in from all quarters OF the compass
| Mexicaus. Pueblos and a few Nayalos,
the first flock is brought down from the
hills, and the fun commences. With
shouts and carajoes and flying sticks. the
flock is turned in toward the corral. The
little band OF goats serving as an advance
guard and pilot Fat. rotund and woody.
they Jam into the corral. from which they
are to emerge IN few hours the shOu
and shabby shadow of their former selves
and likely patched with many n crimson
nick. Within the inclosureare from dily
to eighty sheaFers each with hi, own par.
tlculsr station at the inside Of the fence
D I 81 D .l fr. g. D.. ia
closed and the ball opens.
Thrce-quarters ~ the area OF the corral
| Is one dense ma.s OF huddled wool 10
seems impossible that living creature,
can be packed 50 tight \ rat tossed
upon their backs would have TO rM Ola
wool to the other side Of the corral before
lie could reach the ground Uuab.e 10
move more than their heads with iuglo-
rious unanimity Of tail turned toward the
common foe. trembling and breatAlcss
/ the timid creatures await their fate
! There Is 4 grand rush of tho shearcrs
| Each man grabs a sheep By the hind legs
or by the wool-if he De ambitions De
takes one in each haud-auI runs I'D his
! place dragging bis reluctant yirtiu back
ward behind him Then Dee throws abe
sheep upon its side. gathers its Jour l.'tls
feet into bunch and ties thcm with "a
/ soft. coarse cord or thong Then Zee o.
! rushed back 90 tho bunch for moro. and
so on until he has as big a row Of captircs
/ as he can lay ont without cr0wdng IDS
neirhbors on either hand Then. ga ping
/ "A bunch of legs in his left hand aad the
keen sheep shears in his right. he wadcs
Ia Il i3 p pretty sight 90 soc an expert
shearcr at work With lightning mp,dity
and marvellous dextcrity be drives thc
heavy shears down through the den5e and
matted wool, rolling il down from the
sides as if it were solid fabric which
one might pick up entire, sliding the
razor like blades unho,Jatmgly over the
angles and into the holloWs. hidden Ly
their thick coat. but seldom nickmg the
skin The current wages for shcarcrs ARE
two cents per head for common sheep,
three cents for improved sheep. and board
A good shearcr, therefore. makes good
money for this country. as he Will shear
10 sheep day
Slowly around the corral PAGES the
scorer Ia his right hand is "a pencil, Ia
his left Is a piece of cardboard. with mum
bars from one up to the aggregate OF the
shearr.s running down its left hand edge.
its own acro,, the card Every few sec
onds comes a cry from some part Of tho
corral 'Niente-unow "Cuarantc sels!'
"Numero cinco" as tho case may be, each
veil delivered with that emphatic junction.
which seems indigenous here. tach man
receives a number at the commencement
OF the shearng season, and II serves nm
as a name until lis close The yell. there
fore, means merely that Jesus Romero
temporarily dubbed No 2l-has finished
shearng n sheep. and the scorer tall!es
one to his credit accordingly
Saving wOod-an occupation which IN
the east has solao notOrioty a. spine
sprainer--is a simple nap as compared 10
the New Mexican fashion OF sheep shear
ing. which Is. per&ps, the most fatiguing
work In the world The sheep is Oh tho
ground the shoarer is on his feet. bent
till his hands are within three inches 10 IL
foot from the ground. and IN this attitude
working twelve hours. with half All hours
intermisson for dinner.
In an incredibly short time the shearer
has done with his six or eight first victims
and unties them all They go skipping
back 10 their companions, looking and
possibly feeling something like boy
whose clothes have been stolen while 10
was swimming 1t is pretty safe prop
osition that the world doesn't contain
sorrier. forlorner specimen than shorn
sheep And at our New Mexican attitudes
from :. 900 70 :. 600 feet above tho sea
level-the dwindled wool wearers ere
doubtless anxious for that pro.crbal TEN
pering OF the wind
Having sharpened his SHEARS on fat
sandstone. the shearer collars another
batch of recalcitrant victims and goes on
with his breakback job Meanwhile
stunted laborer gathers gp the teeces Ia
big piece Of burap and carries bis bundle
to tho corral Here upon four tail strong
posts, set firmly In the ground and framed
in with boards al the top. hangs a huge
burlap sack from whose neck project tho
head and shoulders Of man, who - busy
tramping the wool down with his feet.
bis companion. perched upon the boards
above. takes the ilceces from the gathercr
and dumps them into the bag When the
sack is full ii is sewed up and rolled aside,
its place on shc hooks being taken 10y an
empty ono All day long two little pals
800, ~ ,o..fpf, 81 .uf inSita tla corral