The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
THE UP-To-DATE SHEPHERD
HE BIoHsI NO PIPES, NOR DOES
HE CARRY Il CROOK.
nut re Manages More sheep Than His Ancient
PrototJpe-TendinE F1oeEs on the Western
Pi~ains-FestiVIttea or the shearing season.

nut Ho MANAGES More sheep Than His Ancient
PrototJpe-TendinE FIoeEs On the Western
Pisins-Festivitiea or the shenrinE senson.
From the 81. Louf, Globe. Democrat.
WICHITA, Kan, Fob. l0.-one Of the coming
great industries Of our country, and one that
may be said to have already arrived to n large
extent, Is the raising OF sheep. Many parts of
tho West are peculiarly adapted to this indus.
try. There is unlimited pasture on the vast
plains and ~prairies. Sheep flourish bost in a dry
atmosphere. and this is to DO obtained in the
dryest possible form In such q climate as that Of
Kansas and other far Western States.
Few people not interested in the sheep indus
try have any idea how largely we are indebted
to Mexico for the roplenishinR of our iocks.
Hundreds Of thousands OF sheep are driven into
the United States every year from the domin-
ions of the Montezumas. or course, sheep are
bred largely in many of our Southern States,
but very little attempt has been made as yet by
Southern breeders to improve the character of
their flocks. Western breeders. on the con-
trnry, devote a great deal of thought and care
to improvinR tho different breeds. Their motto
Is always Excelsior" They arc constantly
striving to produce better lambs each year.
Few people have any idea of the great wealth
of many Of the men engaged In shecp.raising.
Here in Kansas We have several sheep-raisers,
whose checks are good for seven figures.
Tho question is often asked why the United
States cannot produce woolen fabrics equal In
quality to those made abroad. We have Just as
good machinery and facilities and workmon.
The only trouble is that we have not as vet been
able to produce as good q quality Of wool. I
think tho reasons for this are that tho sheep.
raising industry in Europe Is ono which has
existed almost from time immemorial, while
in our country 1t is only In its infancy. In
years gone by our sheep-raisers have paid
little or no attention to improving the
breeds, but this serious error ia now being
rapidly corrected by the shocp.raisers of
our great West. The sheep one sees In the
West differ largely in appearance from their
brethren of the East, Their. legs arc longer.
thicker upon their backs and sides. There 10
nothing in which the real is more different from
tho ideal than the life Of n shepherd. We are
all familiar with those beautiful portrayals in
oil of lovely maidens, dressed in white, with
sayly colored. ribbons. and with similar por.
t%raiturcs OF handsome young men. elegantly
playing upon pipes. II you IS visit u asy Of tho ehe
great sheep ranches of the far West you, win
Females Fer alec as ass eay ySSRe Pfs Sp psRee OF se shas to have have
fallen into what an ex.President Of the United
are no shepherdesses on tho plains OF the far
West, The sheep are tended by men. roughly
attirod. and Of speech and manner as rough as
their clothes. But they are noarly always good
fellows. with hearts rs gentle and tender as that
9f the %Gentlest woman, but brave, withal. as
upon pipes or dance graceful dances around
May.poles, like the shepherds who find so much
eoiors. IN B iH' ' Icy d have Se' . l M 9H ssd OF TH tse
weather the trees and plants. the running
flocks. which I do not believe the shepherds Of |
the oil paintings ever possess.
The life Of a sheep herder on the plains is q
very monotouons one during the greater mart OF
the year. There are no divorsiors OF any kind.
Here In Kansas rain seldom falls. and day fol.
nV n " I'm n NNndtnn nNNaaatNn nf adj |
blue sky and sunshine. The sheep herder has
nothing to look st but sky and earth. blending
ing the only object that diversiies the prospect.
.bso hoS ara , no o oOEnd i, save the blsatinE Of his
the shsS aRsP sPe se q 0 thss ,H,nss to 1Sm iR.o ssa t h'% e sss
with which their mothers. pick out their own
Tsstsniss 99sf' e. r41 e g. lSs, ey oM Their ro ability svI to
though 1p,gh # be among the bleatinE Of loo others.
tion. That is when that. dreaded disease tho
Charles Cha 1tn,a Re =" Is dedliEEh, Al novel Of "!t |. Never
and how his worthless shepherd, .Abner. do.
serted his service rather than remain and fight
brceks out every sheep must be sheared I and
washed and anointed with some medioament
haired dog E Eroneer What a'e msn 0@ p am Oo q long long
and he will be able to form a faint idea OF what
scnb Is among sheep.
sheep corral, the shepherds, whit have been 80
lonely all the rest OF the year, find themselves
men In the railroad towns who make aIbusiness
OF shenrlng sheep. and they come out to the
and tho lonely corral is transformed into a busy.
bustling village. 1t has been said that there
the tools and implements used by biacksmiths n
the shoeing of horses since horses were first shod,
Tld paintings Of blacksmith shops made by artists
mat comparatively early, day the man OF the
ses'n noM Maa IN Ths sh s.m 5Sol se whirh the mi0S SIaG ok mmihtsss
with equal truth in, regard to tho methods OF
shenrinG sheep. Other implements have been
clippers with which we are all familiar in the
CLIPPING Of horse. but nothing has as yet been
SO well and satisfactorily as tho old.fashioncd
ssheaIs which were in uso in The days when
OF the lovely shepherdesses and handsome shop
herhs with their crooks and pipes;
Sheep sh"arers are paid for their work at q
may rest assured. therefore, that they work rap
idly and ALLOW no grass to grow under their feet
large shed called the wool she'd. in which thorc
% S1bsr openings ngs communicating with the pens
joet for his work goes into one Of the pens.
draEs It into the wool shed through he
communicating opening made for the pur-
that Of a Transformation scene in n pnntomimc
transforms tho animal from a thickly covered.
chilled. and friehtoncd spectre. Which. ailowSsd
to escape from the hands that have despoiIei
him OF his, heece-not inaptly called a golden
fleece, for his owner will soon exchange IL for
gold In, the Now York or Boston market-runs
through a door Mt the opposite side of the wool
shed. and again resumes its rambles over the 1
open prairie In search OF sustenance.
a very important functionary In sheep shear.
ing 10 the tar boy. And what I'm the namo OF
all that is good is tho tar boy !" / hear some
reader ask. Well. the tar boy Is nothing more
nor iess than a boy with a bucket OF. tar and a
And what In tho world does he do with
a bucket OF tar and a brush r. asks Mr.. Reader.
Do they tar and feather the poor sheep II they
as that. You must know that while there is
whatever that the most f~anaticai
c%onstrpe as cruelty in tho shearing Of a sheep,
nevertheless oven The most careful shearer wifi
sometimes nip the skin a little with his shears.
When that happens he calls out loudly, Tart
and me tnr boy runs to him and with his brush
smears n little tar over tho nippcd place, export
cnce having proven that there is nothing 40
healing to wounds on a sheep as pine tar. A