The Portland daily press., 1896-07-04

| been damned Tor the purpose.
The area of MoCaughey's estate, as
described, almost equals the area of Con-
| necticut, or nearly one-half the entire
| area of Belgium. the Inter OF which
supports a population of over 100000
of highly civilized and well-proyided
people. But the repor5~says- and truth
fuIly-Ihat Mr.. MoCaughey ''sheared
1000, 900 sheep, though the same season
he lost $50, 000 head AS the drought
| came early, most of these sheep must
| have persisted before shearing, SO the nor
NAL number of sheep kept by this ''mod-
est grazier" must be fully 1850, 600.
Thus. as many sheep are kept by this one
Australian as are kept in either of the
great 'wool-raising'' States of Pennsyl-
vania, New York, Kentucky, or Colorado,
and the number of this MoCaughey
| sheep is exceeded by but seven States in
the Union. The whole of Vermont,
| whence came Mr.. McCaugheys fine
merinoes, has not more than one-third
as many sheep as this sheep king of Aus
tralia.
In Australia, as has been observed in
previous letters, the stations or sheep
runs, or the land of which they are COM
prised, are called ssquatters' and the
| owner OF master is called "squatter. -
There are many interesting features
and ever varying charms connected with
these sQuatter's lives. Of course, with
such enormous holdings the Cottages,
or managerial residences, are far apart,
usually from ten to fifty miles. These
cottages are almost always large, low
buildings, of but one story, with several
good-sized rooms, with broad verandas
on two or three sides, and they are rooted
with corrugated or galvanized iron.
Save during the excessive heat of mid
| summer, December, January, and Feb
| ruary, these homes are models of comfort
and ease.
In all save the bar barism Of the armed
| retainers and symbols of warfare, these
station homes resemble the baronial re-
! tirement, luxury, and self-satisfaction of
| the old feudal ages. No prince ever
offered more generous and splendid
| hospitality to friends of equal position
than these squatters offer to the intelli-
gent and worthy traveller or to their
invited or accepted guest. They do not
| live like farmers, even of the most
wealthy class, but like petty princes.
The family is surrounded with troops of
servants, goyernesses, companions and
visitors The 'social set'' is as scrupu-
lousy organized among many of these
"world holders" as among the most
| fastidious snobs of Europe and America,
| the 'shopkeeper''- means all re-
tail dealsrs-tradssmen and the common
| herd being given tina cold shoulder or
the tips Of the fingers. AS entertainers
these sqGatters are lavish in expenses
and sorupulous in forms and ceremo-
MES.
What would the wealthy farmer think,
to drive up to q cheap-looking ha bita-
tion," twenty miles from nowhere"
and, if entertained for tho night, he
should SEQ the ladies at dinner in full
evening dress-low neck, very lnw-and
the gentlemen with swallow tailed coats,
expansive shirt bosoms, and white
choSers. with the walters and funkeys
in the toggary Of the evening laokey at
a Washington beer garden?
| AT these luxurious homes there Is the
"best of eyerything," not only of solids,
but of fluids as we'll. No table is COM
plete without wine, whiskey, ale, and
other tasty beverages. But of late years
many of these ersa-while prinoely squat
tors have become managers" as the
| banks have closed the order of things,
and if should venture to suggest that
in no small number of failures this
"style," waste, and extravaganza had
| been potent factor l would offend only
| by speaking disagreeable truths.
| The legitimate expense Of running
| these stations is very considerable. If
the land is purchased, it means about
q, or 4.s0, per acre to begin with. If
leased, as much Of it is, the an nual rem
tai is farthing an acre in some parts of
| Queensland to three pence, or six cents,
per acre in much of New South Wales.
This seems cheap enough, but when we
| remember that nearly all these lands
need clearing and fencing against rab-
bits, with expensive water tanks, pad
docks, and Sheds the capital needed
for modest beginning as a squatter
would start a splendid bank in our coun-
try. The man with sufficient capital to
raise sheep on respectable scale" in
Australia has enough to enable him to
| retire in any country outside Of Austria
| liza.
In good seasons and with good prices
the sheep station is a bonanza, but with
low prices and bad seasons / have seen
nothing in all my travels more destruc-
tive to happiness or more ruinous to
hope than q half million acre station,
| with a quarter of million sheep. and
$40, 600 overdraft. unless it would be a
station with twice the acres, twice the
number of sneep and twice the oyerdraft.
While the climate, soil, and vegetation
Of Australia seem to be especially we'll
suited to the production of the finest
qualities of wool, the uncertainties of the