Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-08-06

sHEARING SCENES ON SANTA
CRUZ ISLAND.
Pursuance OF sheep Roaming about
Unattended-sheep shearers VIII,
Work by the Piece and are Des-
perate Gamblers.

RcA0to 6A@nDAoAo.
Travellers who pass up and down the
Southern coast Of California never fail to
notice with interest the group of islands
20 the seward side OF the Santa Barbara
channel. Their peculiar outlines, their
isolation. aad the apparent absence Of
human life, render them objects of curl
osity so long as the vessel remains within
sight. They are by no means, however,
SO desolate and uninhaoited as one might
suppose from a passing glance. That is
about all, ~ the way. that most people
are able TO obtain. The company that
controls the largest OF the group is very
strict in its enforcement of a long -estab-
hshed rule that strangers shall not land
thereon, while the difficulty of access is
such that few except those who have
business there ever care to undertake the
journey.
The islands OF Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa
and San Miguel are utilized as sheep
ranges, and finely adapted for that pur-
pose are they. There are no coyotes,
lions OF other animals which are so de-
structivc to sheep on the mainland, while
the cookie burr, which is such nuisance
and dcteriorates the value of the wool so
largely on the shore ranges, is unknown,
at least on Santa Cruz island. There be-
ing no danger from any source, the sheep
on the Islands are allowed to wander at
will without herders, the only care be-
slowed upon them being at the semi
annual shearing.
On Santa Cruz island, which, by the
way. is of considerable size, being from
twenty-seven TO thirty miles In length by
about four In width, the sheep. rearing
business is carried on upon an extensive
and sD stematic scale. The shore line of
this island is marked by ranges of hills,
which afford fine pastutage, the moist
atmosphere of the ocean promoting
heavy growth of natural grasses and af
fording an abundance of feed. which
keeps green much later than on the main
land.
Between these parallel ranges of hills
is a lovely valley of large extent, where
are located the headquarters of the COM
pany, and in which is large extent of
arabic land upon which hay is raised by
the thousands of tons for use in periods
when the natural feed runs short. This
hay is stacked up under shelter, and
sometimes kept for two or three
years in readiness for any demand that
-.--s-J ---;~a -This idaa luaa aual,Ad- yaars
ago by the occurrence of season of ex-
traordinary drouth, during which it be-
came necessary to kill thousands of sheep
for their pelts and the little tallow that
adhered to their attenuated sides.
Although many thousands of sheep are
kept on the island, it is not necessary to
employ any one to look after them, except
during the shearing season. At such
times u large force of shearers, generally
native Californians. is brought over from
the mainland. These men are expert
equestrians, as we'll as knights of the
shears. and their first task on reaching
their destination is to round up tie sheep
or at least so many of them as it is dc
sired to keep in the shearing corrals at
one time. These corrals are located near
the island headquarters, in the centre of
the great interior valley.
When everything is in readiness for
operations to commence, horses are sad
died, and bright and early in the morn
ing the party of hundred or more
vaquera shearsmeu starts for one end of
the island. Arrived there they string
---A------.~--.-.i-e--s. 'esEr0urffuSs
across the island, and then. with much
hallooing and squirting of horses and
scrambling over rough hills and across
rugged barrancGs, they work their way
back toward headquarters, driving the
constantly increasing band of sheep be-
fore them. 1t is an interesting spectacle
both to watch and TO participate in as
the sheep arc driven in dozens and hun
dreds and thousands toward the point
where they are TO lie shorn Of the great
masses of wool which cumber their backs
and make travel in the hot sun grievous
task.
Arriving at the great cora the sheep
are driven in, the horses unsaddled and
turned loose and the riders proceed to
the shearing shed, which quickly be-
comes scene of the greatest animation.
From the great corral open number of
small pens, nd into these are driven
enough sheep to keep the men busy for
az. tBufG- tne- sun Is not overhead. the I
dust aud odor from the sheep is almost
sitting. The men strip to the buff, fire.
Quently wearing nothing but pair of
overalls strapped about the waist and a
tied around the head. |
Their bodies glisten with perspiration,
there is perfect Babel Of talking, |
swearing and other noise.
The work is all done by the piece, 5
cents being allowed for each sheep. Con-
seaucntiy the men work at the top of
their speed. A sheep is grasped by the
hind leg, thrown on his back, firm hold
taken by one hand and both legs of the
shearer, and in an incredibly short time
the fleece is removed The writer timed
a number of shearers. and found that the
most expert consumed just four minutes
and a half in taking fleece, while the
average time was about seven minutes.
As soon as the fleece was taken of the
sheep was turned into pen with his
shorn mates. The shcarer ran with the
fleece TO the end Of the room. put it on a
bench, called out his name and was given
brass check representing cents In
value. The tally keeper also entered a
record OnnnSif,. the nnnn of eanh sshoarer
as the fleece WAS deposited.
Another man seized the fleece, weighed
il, called out the weight. which was also
entered in book, rolled up the wool,
tied il up and tossed it.into a bin. whence
il was removed subsequently, and packed
in the great sacks used on this coast Tor
such purposes.
Through the shcarors an overseer
moved continually, taking note OF the
manner in which the work was done.
II any we c too careless in their haste
and cut the flesh Of the sheep they were
hardlng more frequently than was I'M
avoidable they were admonished In such
language ms one may perhaps imagine.
h,,t could scarcely be repeated, and IL