The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-12-11
Incidents of shepherd Lie.

The following interesting paper was
written by Master A. P. O'Leary, one OF
the pupils of the Wasco academy.
I presume you know, or if you don't
know Twill tell you, that my father is,
in business sense, of the genus stock
man and diffefentia sheepman: In
other words, he is a grazier. / by no
means intend to convey the impression
that he himself is an herbivorous animal
but that he derives his income from
the care of such animals.
1t may be well to explain here that in
this sectien of the country sheep are
kept in large hocks or bands of from
fifteen hundred to two thousand each,
and Craze on the public domain: and
not, as in most of the eastern states, in
punches, we would say, of fifty or
hundred which are kept in a pasture.
During the greater part ofthe year the
sheep are kept on the prairie but during
four or five months in summer and au-
.tumn they are taken to Craze on the
fresh feed in the mountains. Sometimes
we have to drive them fifty or hun
dred miles to the mountains. AS it is in
the mountains while driving that the
life is most interesting, 1 will deal prin-
sipally with these times.
We set out a packer, q. herder and
two or three dogs, with band of sheep.
If we wish to be particularly fierce look
ing we strap a pistol and bowie knife
arounI our waists.
10 ~ o1o lattice hn
sheep feed where there is an unenclosed
space, aad pretty soon we see a man
coming as if he were Sheridan, twenty
miles away" and motioning wildly and
shouting as though he were the COM
mander of an invisible host, which was
about to engage in battle. By the time
he gets to us he is out of breath and
mad enough to fight. He begins with
''What do you mean by herding these
sheep on here? Don't you know that
this is my land? Get off of here as fast
as you can, or I will have you arrested
You are trying to eat mp all the grass "a
poor man has, Well, if we were green
horns he might terrify us, but we soon
become so used to it that it is an enjoy
ment and varies. the monotony of the
journey.
HIS says he is roor, and in that he
tells the truth. He usually has about a
section of land, COW and three or four
cayuses, or Indian ponies, but none of
his land is under ience. We generally
call them 'land poor" because they
have lot of land and do not improve it.
They will sell nothing to sheepman
and some will not keep you overnight
if you have anything to do with sheep.
Sometimes it is a woman who comes
to greet us, and then it is worse than
forty men, and we try to shift the task
of meeting her upon each others
shoulders.
Then we come to lane about thirty
feet wide, with barb wire fences on
either side. Usually, two wires and
posts about four rods apart is the style
of fence. The owners plant grain to
within two or three feet of the fence and
of course the sheep are bound to creep
under the wire for a taste of the grain
shoots. Then out comes the farmer
with his dog, ard the sheep are SO anx-
ious to get out that they do not think of
creeping under the fence but rush
against the fence and sometimes tear it
down for several hundred yards.
At last we get to. the mountains, but
we often have trouble. About four
years ago was packing for band up
on Eight Mile creek, and when / re-
turned to camp one day L found notice
there which read as follows: 1--WE will
give you just three days to leave, and if
you are not gone by that time re will
help you." The three days passed and
we received no help. We found out
that it was woman who had written
the notice, and on the last day her hus-
band came up to our camp to buy half
a mutton. N
We have very good opportunities of
hunting and fishing. We often kill deer
and the bears and cougars are always
bothering the sheep. One day called
cougar, mistaking it for my dog.
was herding this day for the herder
had gone to town and he left his dog
with me. The dog, which was yellow,
WtAb W camp tOWdioS SNSHiHS Was
in thicket when l saw. something yell
low and thinking it was the dog I began
to call it. Soon seeing what it was,
treed him but was Obliged to let him go
as left the gun in camp.
Last summer was herding in dark
timber, when one day my sheep split
and one part rushed by mt. l went to
! the lead and saw bear carrying off a
lamb. When he saw me he disappeared