The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-03-17
Herding Sheep i'm the Far West.

1t is generally supposed that prison life is
about the most lonely life men lead. Ex-
perience has taught me to think otherwise.
While admitting that the life of prisoner
is by no means joyful one, yet there are
many things within his reach that help to
break the monotony. He has. as general
thing, books and papers to read. by which
means he can keep himself posted on the
doings of the world from which he is shut
away. There is not day but he sees some
one, and where there are others you are
never alone.
But will tell you of a class of men
whose condition, as far as loneliness is con.
cerned. is far below that of the prisoner.
These are the sheep herders of our far west
ern states. The life of the herder is truly
lonely one. The COW boy is very seldom
alone, and he has pony to ride; sO if his
life is one of hardships and prvatiOns. it is
enviable compared with that of the sheep
herders. The herder will take 1000 or
2.50O sheep away perhaps twenty miles
from the nearest ranch where he will re-
main all summer He has little hut stuck
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inclosure for the sheep at night. The cabin
is usually about 8x1O feet with no floor but
the ground. He has sheetiron stove about
the size of water pail, and on it he does
all his cooking. The rancher sends him
enough food at one time to last month or
so, and for that length of time he is not
very likely to see human face. His food
consists chiefly of bread and bacon, but if
he is anything of a hunter he may have
fresh meat all the time. for game is plenti-
full in many parts of the far west. The
rancher will often furnish the herder with
rifle and ammunition. for the prairie wolves
are very plentiful and destroy many sheep.
The ranchmen will do anything in order to
have them killed off. There is bounty of
about 81 on one. of these prarie wolves.
which induces the sheep herder to kill all he
can. In early spring he suffers from the
cold winds and storms that sweep with
great violence across those bleak and un-
sheltered plains. In mid summer he suf-
fers from the heat. There is no shade or
shelter from heat or cold on those plains.
Sheep are not like cattle; they travel all the
time. feeding as they 20. So the poor
herder is compelled to keep travelling from
morning till night, except about three hours
in the middle of the very hot days when the
sheep will lay down. At such times the
nordor may Do IOunQ with MS mead under
bunch of sage brush mainly trying to keep
off the sun. After walking fifteen or
twenty miles over hill and dale during the
day. it is quite late, very often dark. when
he returns to his hut. He has his sheep to
fasten up for the night. which usually takes
until nine o'clock. after which he gets
something to eat. When he and his dog
have dined they seek rest on pile OF dry
grass. At the first peep of day he is astir.
After hurried breakfast he turns out the
sheep for the day. He has no dinner more
than piece of bread that he has carried
with him.
He never sees paper and knows nothing
of what is happening in the world. He can
not leave his sheep for ten minutes night or
day. Sunday never dawns for him. Half
of the time he could not tell you the dav of
the week. Usually the herder is down.
cast. melancholy being; he seems to have