The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-06
SHEEP HERDERs A SAD SET.
They Do Not Belong to the Same
Glass as Cowboys

hlLsieS mEBdLil1l
In the character of the men who care
for the herds and fiocks can be found an
interesting subject for study. The cow
boy, if ne be the genuine article, is a man
who daily does feats on the range that
would win applause at a wild west show.
In his chase after the feet, unbranded
yearling he is compelled to ride at head
long speed over country that a fox hunter
would consider sure death. Danger con-
fronts him in varied form and no man can
be efficient eow-puncher who hasn't in
him the spirit of reeklessness. The writer
once witnessed q stampede of wild cattle
at midnight. A great herd was being held
in canyon of the MaZatZal Mountains.
The night was as dark as it is possible
for night to be a coyotes bark started
the nervous animals TO their feet and they
tore of. The TWO riding guards On watch
howied for help. Their sleeping comrades
were up in a twinkling. Each seized a
hcrse at the picket line and mounted
without saddle, stopping only to twist a
loop of his RATA about the pony's nose.
Barely dozen seconds had passed before
the camp fire was deserted.
The cowboys were plunging in the dark
river after the fleeing cattle, through
wild, rocky, unknown district, filled with
mesquite and cactus, cut up by dangerous
arroyos and canyons. By noon of the sue
ceeding day the drive was resumed A
half dozen steers had been left behind.
famed or dead in the gulches. while a few
OF the horses in the 'wrangler's bunch in
the lead were skinned and limping. But
the cowboys, their clothing in rags from
the thorny midnight ride merely joked on
their mutual appearance and solaced their
WEAKNESS with tobacco and endless song.
AS rule the cowboy is an American In
the plateau region he may hail from any
where, but usually comes from either Cali
fornia or from Texas. But they all fra
ternize making issue only over the liking
Of the Californian for a saddle with
single baTreled rig which is d saddle
with a single girth. The Texan despises
anything but double-cinched, though
usually he does not tighten the second
girth.
The sheep herder has a distinctly low
er social place. AS a rule he is a for
eiener, the few Americans employed be-
ing in positions of unusual trust. Most
of the herders appear to be Mexicans or
Frenchmen. 1t IS said that Basuues are
the best and most careful shepherds
They came from rprthern Spain, many of
them especially for this employment
Their wages are not bad, being usually
even higher than the pay for cowboys or
farm hands. but the nervous American
cannot stand the life. The everlasting
'baa' drives him mad. He cannot endure
the m0npt0ny and the necessary Sepdra-
ton from humanity, with only a dog for
company, for months at a stretch And
the diet, mainly tea aud mutton, is too
simple for his luxurious palate 1t is
fact that sheep herders furnish greater
number OF inmates for Western insane
asylums than does any other occupation
The shepherd. like the cowboy. is grad
ually assimilated 10 his surroundings and
naturally acquires much of the nature of
his charges.
ITO his credit Il must be said that he
is rarely unfaithfuI TO the interests of his
flock and its owner. There is nothing
poettcal about him, but he will risk his
life for the safety of lamb and will dog
gedly search all night if there be 2 stray.
He is a much quieter fellow than the COW
boy, even in his cups, when the wool has
been clipped and the hands are in town
for little fling. He has no wild yearn-
ing for idly shooting holes in the firma-
ment. He is happtest on a sunny hill
side, lying at ease. where he may over
look his flock and hear the ceaseless
Yoicing of its lamentation'