The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1890, 1888-08-11
IN NEW MEXICO.
4 PICTURESQUE FEATURE OF SOuTH-
WESTERN SHEEP RAISING.

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Denss Mas Of Huddled woo,-An Ex.
pert shearsr as Work-Fatiguine Labor
Lambing time being safely past, the
spring shearing follows at once The
Navajos shear but once year, but
nearly all other sheep owners twice-in
May and September The shearing is the
most picturesque feature of southwestern
sheep raising It 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 It is light
ming thrice fabricated. Each man shears
from IS to 150 head day. and 1t 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 Is 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 trude
ing In from all quarters of the compass
Mexicans. Pueblos aud few Navajos.
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 woolly,
they jam 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 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 2,600 sheep are in. the gap is
closed and the ball opens.
Three-quarters of the area Of the corral
Is one dense mass Of huddlcd 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 the corral before
be could reach the ground Unable to
move more than their heads, with inglo
rious unanimity Of tail turned toward the
common foe. trembling and breathless,
the timid creatures await their fate
There Is a 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 It's four little
feet into bunch and ties them with
soft. coarse cord or thong Then he is
SAoAou UICh W b00 OuuCu lOr moro, ana
10 on until he has as big row Of captives
as he can lay out without crowding bis
'neighbors on either hand. Then graspinR
bunch Of legs in his left hand and the
keen sheep shears In his right. he wades
In It Is pretty sight to see an expert
shearer at work With lightning rapidity
and marvellous dexterity he drives the
heavy shears down through the dense and
matted wool. rolling it down from the
sides as If It were a solid fabric which
one might pick up entire; sliding the
razor like blades unhesitatingly over the
angles and into the hollows. 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 Tor improved sheep. and board
"a good shearer, therefore. makes good
money for this country, as he will shear
125 sheep a day.
Slowly around the corral PAGES the
scorer In his right hand is a pencil; In
his left Is piece Of cardboard. with mum
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
onds comes q cry from some part Of the
corral. "Viente-unol" "Cuarante-seis
"Numero cinco" as the case may be, each
yell delivered with that emphatic JUNCTION
which seems indigenous here Each man
receives number at the commencement
Of the shearing season. and it serves him
Is name until it's close. The YELL there
fore. means merely that Jesus Romero
temporarily dubbed No. 21-has Finished
sheartng sheep, and the scorer tallies
one to his credit accordingly.
Saving wood-an occupation which In
tho nnSf hoo
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 q
foot from the ground. and in this attitude
working twelve hours. with half an hours
lntermission for dinner.
4 In an incredibly short time the sheare1
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 be
was swimming 1t is pretty safe prop
osition that the world doesn't contain q
sorrier. forlorner specimen than shorn
sheep And at our New Mexican attitudes
from 5000 to 5000 feet above the sea
level-the dwindled wool wearers are
anxious for that proverbial TEN
pertng Of the wind
q Having sharpened his shears on 4 fat
sandstone. the shearer collars another
batch OF recalcitrant victims and goes On
With bis breakback job Meanwhile a
9tunted laborer gathers up the aeeces In
big piece Of burlap and carries his bundle |
% the corral Here. upon four tall, strong
posts set firmly In the ground and framed |
IN with boards at the top. hangs a huge
burlap sack from whose neck project the |
head and shoulders of man, who is busy J
tramping the wool down with his feet |
His companion. perched upon the boards |
pbove. takes the aeeces from the eatherer
Ind dumps them into the bag When the |
ack Is full it Is sewed up and rolled aside,
e place on the hooks being taken by an
empty one. All day long two little pals
anos are trotting about Inside the corral,
nrmed with wisps of greasewood, with
which they sweep into the corners each |
gtray lock Of wool. which would otherwise
be lost.
Meanwhile the sacks have been weighed.
md upon each has been marked it's wei9ht-
averaging 225 pounds-with the initials
pr brand marks Of the owner. and bloodie-
put equally important work has haan !