The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-15
DESTRUCTIVE SHEEP.
Denuding the Sierras of Underbrush,
Herbage and Flowers.
Special Agent Wilson Speaks of the
Destruction That is Going On-Yo-
semitic and Big Tree Parks.

Special Agent E. w. Nelson, of the De-
partment of Agriculture, Washington,
d. G., now on this coast, says the sheep
OF the SIerras are working sad havoc to
the grass and heritage of all kinds.
Almost the entire Sierras are de-
nuded," said he II travelled for $50
miles in the mountains, and the entire
distance the ground was nearly as bare
as great gravel bed. It was difficult
many times for us to get grass enough
for our horses.
The sheep are everywhere. High in
the Sierras, 10000 and L, 600 feet up, graz
ing contiguous to the snow, are count
less thousands of them. They are even
away up on Mount Whitney, not on the
very cone, perhaps, but 1900 feet up.
We only saw two or three places in the
most inaccessible parts Of the public do
main where the sheep had not been.
There Is most striking difference in
the appearance of the growth where the
sheep have been kept out by Government
officials.
THE TROOPS PATROL.
I'm the y yosemite National Park and on
the three Big Tree reSerN atoms the herb
age, wild flowers and other growth are
1lourishing in luXuriance and great va
riety,
'Of course the sheep have not attacked
! the first growth, but they have MOI only
cleaned OUT the grass and all the wild
flowers and plants but the underbruSh.
They have driven the deer out. Bears
and mountain lions and "A few other ami
mails remain. There is 10 doubt that this
denuding OF underground viii lessen the
rainfall in the san joaquin and other
valleys.
Our trip was full of inter est aside from
what has already been related. Some
features Of it, however, We're very sad,
or instance, in our explorations in the
Mesquite Valley, which is ut the north
west end of Death Valley, in June, we
one day came across the trail Of a man
( leading a horse. That trail was but two
or three days old, and the man had due
holes here and there in search OF water,
without finding ANY,
1T was very hot and we followed the
trail for several miles thinking we might
catch up with him. At last we came to q
turn in the trail almost at right angles,
and here the man had dug for foot in
the sand. lie got no water though, and
evidently discouraged and weak, he
turnedsa9ruptly oil in another direction.
THE PITTABLE PAKr or IT
! Was that not over 100 yards away was a
water hole, the only one for about tortv
miles, containing fresh water There are
/ streams Of water as clear as crystal in the
! Mesquite Valley, bat it is salt | am sat
Istied that the furnishing man and his
| weak and thirsty horse both died on the
/ desert. We would have followed him,
| but in that terrible sun, with the bright
glare Of the desert ali about US. we dared
not do it. The man was probably a pros
pector. Many OF them come wandering
over the desert each year They know
! the desert is dangerous. but the danger
/ seems to them only an argument that
! the mines in the mountains about are
rich in gold, and, oftentimes alone they
| brave these wastes only To meet death
This is only one Of many instances
that came to my notice. The camp of PAN
amint, in the Panamint Mountains. next
to Death Valley, which in the flush times
had 5000 or 1900 people, now has but
! three old miners. Many stone founda-
! tons and walls are there, and on the floor
Of one old building we saw a billiard
table that was deemed to costly to freight
| out Mammoth City and Pine City, at
the head of Owens Valley, each in its day
with thousands people, had but soil
tary inhabitant. He was a grizzled Old
! Rip Van Wrinkle of a fellow who lived
in Pine City"