The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-05-26
Ranch and Miners Life in the Wild
West VS.. Farm Life III Maine.

send you few notes by the way for the
benefit of those who think their lot in life
hard because they are located on the old
homestead, the heritage handed down by
their ancestors, engaged in that most
healthful avocation. filling the soil. in
Maine, where we believe more happiness
can be enjoyed than elsewhere on earth.
Ii the Maine farmer could witness and
experience the ills and Inconvenience in
cident to his occupation elsewhere, his
pinesS. In my recent visit to the west,
after leaving st. Paul. Mimi, soon
came to the prairie lands Of Dakota,
through which the Great Northern Rail
road passes. Here is stretch OF thirteen
hundred miles OF unbroken pralie-not a
tree OF bush as faI as the eye can see.
Farm houses are built close to the ground,
OF logs with the crevices chnked with
mud The high winds. which rage unob-
structed over these vast plains. would de
moliSh any modern eastern house. En-
ten>ive wheat fields meet the eye and
this is the only crop raised here. Its fail
ure means starvation.
The surface of Montana is called bench
lands, on account of its high altitude
above the level of the sea. Many of its
high, arid plains are five thousand feet
above sea level. Our ranch, which is in a
ravine in the IIighwood Mountains, was
reached by taking livery team at Fort
Benton and making a drive of fifty miles.
Here we met my son, c. f. Libby, who
was a well known cattle man in Waldo
county He has consented to imprison
himself in this wild pastoral country for
short term OF years, with the hope OF
gaining competence and returning to
Maine. as | believe ten ont of eleven in
tend to do who 90 west.
Sheep, which is our speciality, are man
aged as follows: They are run in bands
of 2500 each, and are cared for by a
her'leI and two intelligent, trusty sheI-
herd dogs, who keep with the sheep dur
ING the livelon9 day. to protect them
from the ravages Of wild animals, such as
cayotes wolves and mountain lions. which
would ravage the tlocks if left alone. The
herders' life is lonely in the extreme. placed
as lie is sometimes several miles from any
living soul, out on the foothills OF the
mountain>-as it will be apparent that
twelve thousand sheep must occupy a
large space. After following his sheep
.lh all dow b. jn, i,t,, ba
fold ol corral al night. which is an en-
closed space large enough for this great
number, and fenced high enough to keep
out Wild animals. He then goes to his
little cabin, made OF poles and mud. there
to cook his food and in company with his
ever faithful shepherd dogs to spend the
night listening to the howling of these
animals, whose hunger sometimes drives
them to make attacks on his cabin. The
only individual he sees is the loss. who
visits him once each week with Il necessary
supply of the coarsest of food The at
tachment between the hertler and his dogs
is wonderful and the following incident
illustrates its force: We were told that
ON one OF the ranches half breed came
M over a cut bank one day suddenly. and
the little doc being near him snapped at
him and received kick from the French
and Indian for his ncivilitq. This was
instantly resented by the hcrdel. who lev
cl,d his rifle and sent a bullet tbrouoh
the heart of the l.alf-lreeG. and pushed
his body over the cut bank to become
food for the wolves. If the farmers bows
of Maine were subjected To such a lonely
life insanity wol,ld be tl,r result NJpn
must be bred up to the business. Nor
wc4ianS and >cutchmcn make better. hand
ers than men from the east.
Ihe shacks uccln,ird by the cun,,nou
well-to-do ranriluuan would NOT cost In
Maine one hundred dollars to huild and
aienearlv devoid OF furniture. exrcut what
Is actually needed for what We eastern
men would call \ srantv existence If
tile BUILDINGS in Waldo county and I'll.
furniture. carriaues and other anne,d,,..
OF our New ENGLAND life. coud be sold At
cost. and we should content ourselves tn
live in Maine as these rich rancbmen live
in the wild west. we could make money