Evening journal., 1898-08-13
AUSTRALIAN SHEEP YARDS
Work That Is Like War, as General
sherman Once Described
the Latter.


The shearing season in the wool
countries is the most important and
the busiest of any which occur in
sheep rearing. The swagman has an
opportunity which he does not like
and usually disregards, and the Eng
lish cadet has no reasonable excuse
to remain idle. The opening of the
sheds is not simultaneous, for, as the
hot weather comes down from the
equator, those runs away baclI-where
it is too hot to curse and one never
sees the kangaroo-start cutting out
some weeks before sheep walks in less
temperature but cooler regions. The
shearcrs and the musterers travel in
their own mobs, and in many cases
work the same circuit. Shearing in
Australia is earlier than in New Zea-
land, 30 much so that, when the merry
band has tailed out the contracts
with the "cornstallI," "gum-chewing
and ''banana" squatters of New South
Wales, Victoria and Queensland, it
ships to Maoriland, and, playing The
blades on the sheep of the Three Is
lands. returns in time for the early
wool clips among the God-forgotten
backs of Queensland.
Prior to the shearing is the sheep
mastering For weeks the homestead
has been bathed in red clouds of sand,
which rise from the drafting yards
as the sheep play SILLY devils" when
they are worked. The yalders. with
despair written on, their faces, know
that they are coming to the end OF
their oaths and the dogs to the limits
of their endurance. Drafting on cool
days is possible and may be compassed
with but few detonations of sui
phurous character; but on n scorcher
when meat can be cooked on the zinc
roofs and blisters are raised by the
drinking water yard work of any de
scription is-hell, to accept the meres
and inadequate Australasian colo
quialism. The wool washing crew il
another band of experts who ''huml
the billy" from shed TO shed. The,
scour the wool and attend to drying
and packing. In New Zealand tleece
are bnled up without washing, but tn
sands of Australia increase the weigh
so much that the expenses woul'
swamp the returns. The bales vii
hold about Is fleeces, though this is NJ
hard-and-fast rule. An approximat
value is R10 and the carriage price /
oil contract. The groan of the wheels
the cracking of the whips. the crea'
of the load, denote that the clip is al
most gathered, and when the journe
begins the patient bullocks work wit
n will till they drop on the burnin
sand. exhausted by the scanty foot
the shortness Of water. the pitiiess su
and the strain of the weight. Th
journey is always far one on thos
back runs, but where they ship b
barges the monotony contains pleas
ant change. To load the BARGE an
slowly to float down the stream is q
idleness which all men appreciate.
To He upon bale and gaze upon III
snow-topped mountain range. n
winding river, the forests on tn
slopes, the undulating paddocks mel
ing into space, to listen to the blea'
ing of the sheep. the lowing of the ca
tie, the neighing of the horses, engeI
der n passion for the life, which seem
supreme. 1t Is finer than the life {
cities. It lifts the idle dreamer to
paradise of nature where, with gu
and rod, horse and dog, he can enjo
sport, indulge tastes and love animal
-IOndOn Sketch