The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-20

! NUMBER OF men who have taken up sheep
herdlng have become so fascinated with it
| that they have stuck to it long after they
got over the trouble.
| vi course, it is not an easy matter to get
employment OF this kind but If the
owner OF the range knows the applicant
he Will be almost sure 10 give him work,
as he knows he is likely 10 get good ser
vice. The ray is small, about $25 a month
and provisions, which the man must cook
himself, exc pit when the sheep are close
to the ranchhouse. But this does not
! happen often. 1t is no matter whether
the sheerherder is an old or a new hand
the work expected of him will be the same
under any circumstances.
| Sheep ranges in California are scattered
all over the State, but the greater mum Der
OF them can be found in The foothills of
the Slerras all the way from Siskiyou to
1ehachapi, and on the other side of the
mountains The work OF cooking after
them lasts all ar, although more must
be dom at one time than another.
In the spring of the year there is not
much for the sheepherder to do, as grass
Is plenty after the winter rains and feed
can be found almost anywhere. At this
time the flock remains near the ranch
house In the valley and only needs occa-
slonal looking after. But as the summer
advances and iced gets scarce the flock, or
| band IS 1t is called in California, must be
driven to the hills.
1t is then that the sheepherder's real
work begins. the way it is done IN Fresno
! County is characteristic of the rest of the
| State, out the sheepherder's life Is if any,
thing little more lonely there than else
| where.
Along about May the sheep are driven
from the valley into the foothills and the
herder follows them, carrying all his camp
utensils with him and sleeping on the
ground with only the sky for roof most
of the time. In some places where there
is known to be feed enough to last several
| days cabins of shakes are erected, but as a
general thing the herder seldom sleeps
4 two nights in the same place.
| AS the flock advances into the noun
tains the herder finds things becoming
more and more lonesome day after day
until the time comes when be is absolutely
alone with the sheep. Not living crea-
ture to speak to except the overseer, who
| goes over the range occasionalIy, or some
other herder who leaves his charges lit
/ VIC VINO " get q 4Ch Al11QICo CDlu
ship. The sheep are little trouble and
keep pretty close to the feed line. High
in the mountains it is so scarce it keeps
| them busy TO get enough to eat without
doing anything else. All the herder has
10 do is TO see that they are not stampeded
| by wolf or other wild animal.
The herder usually spends his time rest
ing or preparing his own food. 1t is when
high in the mountains that man has time
TO conmun with nature if he wishes to do
so. The almost barren hills lying under
the clear blue sky and the awful silence
that hangs over the world are all likely
to make a man think of things he never
did before. He is really close to nature,
and if he does not hear voices in the night
and even see forms through the darkness
his mind is of different material than the
average.
As the season advances the silence be-
comes more intense. The hum of insects
that occasionally broke through the still