Wichita eagle., 1888-07-25
IN NEW MEXICO.
PICTURESQUE FEA1LRE OF SOUTH
WESTERN SHEEP RAISING.

LaIIDlIl1 IlI-lo D6HA5 oaASAy Pooss w
spring shearing follows at once. Inc
Navajos shear but once a year, but
nearly all other sheep owners twice-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 o table and shear thirty
to forty head a day per man, to watch
the operation In New Mexico. It Is light
ming thrice fabricated Each man shears
from IS to $50 head day. and 1t is Of
record that In q contest single man has
shsared over 200 sheep between sunrise
and sunset. The shearing point is chosen
usually as near the railroad as possible,
to save carriage. it 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 all quarters Of the compass
Mexicans, Pueblos and few Navalos;
the first flock Is brought down from the
hills, and the fun commences. With
shouts and caraioes 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 woolly,
they lam into the corral. from which they
are to emerge in few hours the shorn
and shabby shadow of their former selves.
and likely patched with many a crimson
nick Within the Enclosure are from fifty
to eighty shearers, each with his own par
ticular station at the inside Of the fence
And now the 2, 500 sheep are In, the gap Is
closed and the ball opens.
Three-quarters of the area Of tho corral
is one dense mass Of huddled wool. It
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 tho corral before
he could reach the ground Unable to
move more than their heads, with mglo-
rious unanimity of tail turned toward the
common foe, trembling and GREATNESS.
the timid creatures await their fate.
There. is a grand rush OF the shearers.
Each man grabs q sheep by the hind legs
OF 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 a bunch and ties them with
soft, coarse cord or thong Then he is
rushed back to the bunch for more. and
SO on until be has as big row of captives
as be can iay out without cr0wding his
neighbors on either hand Then, grasping
a bunch of legs in his left hand and the
keen sheep shears in his right, he wades
Ia It is pretty sight to see an expert
shearer at work With lightning rapidity
and marvellous dcxterity he drives the
heavy shears down through the dense and
matted wool, rolling it down from the
sides as il it were a solid fabric which
inht iclr
razor like blades unhesitatingly over the
angles and into the hollows. hidden 10y
their thick coat, but seldom nicking the
slsin 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 70, this country. rs he will shear
l25 sheep a day.
Slowly around the corral PAGES the
scorer La his right hand is n pencil; Ia
his left is a 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
it's own across the card Every few sec
prds comes a cry from some part of the
corral Vicente Unol" "Cuavante- sells"
"Numero cincor' as the case may be. each
yell delivered with that emphatic JUNCTION
which seems indigenous here Zach man
receives a number at the commencement
of the shearing season, and it serves him
as q name until its close. The yell there
fore. means merely that Jesus Romero
temporarily dubbed No. 2l-has finished
shearing a sheep. and the scorer talIies
one to his credit accordingly
Saving wood-an occupation which in
the east has some notoriety as spine
sprainer-is simple nap as compared to
thsoNew 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 las feet, bent
till his hands are within three inches to q
foot from the ground. and in this attitude
working twelve hours, with half al hour q
intermission for dinner.
In an incredibly short time the shearer
has done with his six or eight first victims
and unties them ell They go skipping
back to their companions. hooking and
possibly feeling something ike boy
whose clothes have been stolen while he
was swimming Ii is pretty safe prop
ositior that the world doesn't contain .
sorrier. foriorner specimen than q shorn
sheep And at our New Mexican attitudes
from ZOO to 5000 feet above the sea
ievei-the dwindled wool wearers are
doubtless anxious for that proverbial tenn
perlng of the wind
Having sharpened his shears on fat
sandstone. the shearer collars another
batch of recalcitrant victims and goes on
with his break back Job. Meanwhile q
stunted laborer gathers up the feeces In q
big piece OF burlap and carries his bundle
to the corral Here, upon four tall. strong
posts. set firmly in the ground and framed
In with boards st the top. hangs a huge
burlap sack from whose neck project the
head and shoulders of man, who is busy
tramping the wool down with his feet.
bis companion, perched upon the boards
above. takes the aeeces from the gatherer
and dumps them into the bag When the
sack Is full 1t is sewed up and rolled aside.
its place on the hooks being taken by an
empty one. AL day long two little pals
amos are trotting about Inside the corral,
armed with wisps of crossword, with
which they sweep into the corners each
stray lock of wool. which would otherwise
be lost
Meanwhile the sacks have been weighed,
and upon each has been marked its weight
averaging 225 pounds-with the initials
OF brand marks Of the owner, and hloodier
but equally important work has been
going on q little way from the corral. at s
stout post The sheaTers must eat. and
there Is nothing SO cheap as mutton So
while the multitudiuous cnck OF the
shears fills the rare. bright air. two strap
ping fellows are busy all day killing AID
dressing fat wetAers- Close by are the
smouldering camp fires and greasy kettles
OF The men, who eat like sin,