Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-09-03


Residences of the Feudal Ages
Generous ospitality-Under Fav-
orable Conditions Sheep Raising IS
a Veritable Bonanza.
In the east, middle and southern
state of America sheep are raised on
the farm in the west they are raised
on the ranch" while in Australia they
are raised on the station" As the
ranch" of our great west is but the eX-
tended pasture Of the eastern, middle
state, or southern farm, so the sta
ton" is really but an enlarged ranch,
though the social and business impor-
lance of the great station owner Of
Australia is neither shared nor even
dreamed of by the active, intelligent
and industrious sheep raiser of any
portion of the United States. Of course
the whole ESTATE" or land devoted to
pastoral use by the head or manage
ment, comprises the station, and yet
the idea conI eyed in the word 'station"
is the central point or what may be re-
The stations in Australia are as
large as the principalities of the mid
die ages or as many modern dukedoms.
[ incline to think that ten of the larg-
est Australian stations, if united,
would equal the whole of Belgium.
One James Tyson has about 1000, 600
acres, or a territory nearly as large as
three states like Rhode Island, one and
One-half Delawares, or even One-thir,i
the size Of Vermont or On-seventeenth
the size of Vermont or one-seventeenJh
900 sheep or the equivalent in cattle.
One Mr.. McCaughey has one station of
l 1,214,8 acres, with some 100000
sheep. James Wilson has $4,000 acres,
or just 1000 square miles, in one sta
tion and over 400, 900 sheep. [ have a
friend III the interior, whom [ visited
recently, who has 100000 acres and
100000 sheep. One can drive 100 miles
on straight line on his estate. Of
; this 100000 acres 10000 are freehold
and the rest is leased from the govern
ment of New South Wales on long time
for a definite annual rental. [ have
another friend a member of the New
South Wales parliament, who holds
100000 acres in Queensland, on long
lease, at an annual rental of 1 farthing
of IL cent per acre. Recently the
government sunk an artesian we'll on
this land that flows 100000 gallons
per day, according to newspaper re-
ports. Most of this station, [ am in
. formed, is good land
All these stations, like the petty
dukedOms of Europe, are named, and
the names, when pronouGceable, are
not easily forgotten. But their names
serve a better purpose than mere orna-
ment. AS there is a considerable diff
ference in altitude, latitude, soil, Vege-
tation, breed or care of sheep, there is
a very noticeable difference in the wool
and the reputation of the station has no
little influence on the price of the re
spective clips. In the English trade
reviews, or prices current, the names
Of the stations of Australia become as
familiar to a large business class as
are the names of the nations of the
globe to the average educated man.
A communication was sent from the
headquarters of one of Mr. Nc
, Caughey's stations, and is as follows:
: '*Mr. McCaughey is a Ieviathan
among squatters, the king of sheep
owners, the largest shearer of sheep in
the whole world. Including freehold
and leasehold, he has 3,000,0 900 acres
of land. This big station in the River
ina he calls a mere stud farm. 1t is
only trifle of 1000 acres of freehold
and 5000 of leasehold The rest of
his land is on the Darling, where he
has two stations, TooraIie and Dunlap.
A million Of the acres are near Hugh
enden, in Queensland. In the las
drought of eighteen months in the west
his losses in sheep and lambs totaled
no fewer than $50, 900. All the same,
he can still boast that he shears his
million year. This is the record, not
only for Australia, but for the world
Mr.. McCaughey can claim to be the
greatest single sheepowner on earth.
Out of his wealth he has beautif1ed his
home, cultivated the breeding stock
and experimental in irrigation on his
station. He has spent 100000 in test
ing what water will do in the western
country. The visitors were taken
around the station, and were shown
the splendid Vermont sheep that Mr..
McCaughey imported some years ago
at a cost of thousands of pounds ster-
ling, for breeding purposes. The party
were also shown the irrigation plant
that pumps the water from Coonong
creek, which has been damned for The
purpose"
The area of McCaughey's estates, as
described, almost equals the area Of
Connecticut, or nearly one-half the en-
tire area of Belgium, the latter of
which supports population of over
100000 of highly civilized and we'll
provided-for people. But the report
! says-and truthfu1ly-that Mr.. Nc
Caughey "sheared 100000 sheep,
though the same season he lost 5000
head" AS the drought came early,
most of these sheep must have persisted
before shearing, so the normal number
of sheep kept by this modest grazier"
must be fully 100000. Thus, about as
many sheep are kept by this one Aus
tralian as ere kept in either of the
great ''wool-raising'' states of Pennsyl-
vania. New York, Kentucky or Colo
RADIO. and the number of this Nc
Caughey's sheep is exceeded by but
seven states of the union. The whole