The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-01
Owners in Every Case Must Remove
Them at Once
Or They Will Be Prose-
cuted by NJ. S. s. P. A.
Report of Society's Agent Who
Visited All the Islands.

The Society for the Protection Of An
lmsls have been carefully looking after
The subject OF the sheep which are win
sered on the islands of the Maine coast.
The report was made at meeting OF the
Iociety yesterday by John McManus of
south Portland, who visi ted the islands
along the coast for the society and in
Testigated the condition of affairs.
An abstract of the report follows:
Hon. Stanley 4. Pullen, President M.
S. S. p. A., Portland, Me-:
Sir-The Main> State Society for the
Protection of Animals having chartered
the yacht Jessie for the purpose of con-
Quoting an agent along the coast of
Maine, to investigate the condition OF
sheep on the islands, and see what prepa-
rattons il any the owners had made Tor
the feeding and sheltering of their fiocks
during the winter months, and being
selected to make the Investigations, and
REPORTING facts. respectfully submit the
following statement:
INSTRUCTIONS
were to begin the investigations where
left oil last fall at Port Clyde, and sail
easterly as far as Jonesport, taking In all
the islands on the way, note the number
OF sheep on each island, amount of
acreage, wooden or barren. water supply,
name OF owner, and any Information
that would be or benefit to the society.
In compliance with said instructions
the yacht left Portland September 18th,
1900, and sailing east arrived at Seal Har-
Dor September 10th.
Here follows a detailed statement OF
every island visited by Mr.. McManus
from Seal Harbor to Green Island, off
Port Clyde. The amount of work in
volved in this undertaking can be well
understood when it is said that Sc ISL
ands were visited In all, carefully ex-
plored, the condition of the sheep upon
them looked into as well as the means
of food supply, water, and shelter pro-
vided. This information, together with
the owners name of the sheep on each
island is given with great exactness and
care by the agent in this report.
. In conclusion, MIR, McManus says:
l have respectfully to say that afte r
careful Investigation, and information
OF the islands mentioned in the report,
where sheep are kept during the year,
especially islands destitute of shelter and
water, / find that tbs complaint made in
regard of cruelty to sheep are, with
some exceptions, true.
OAOOE Oc OhQEL11
consists in placing sheep on barren ISL
ands without food, shelter or water, and
keeping them in that conditi on the year
round.
As a rule the owners of sheep do not
live on the islands. and they make no pre-
tence of feeding or sheltering, and rarely
visit their fiocks except TO place the
rams about the month of Deoem Der,
shearing the fleece in the spring. and
taking away this young lambs In the fall
for the market.
The owners claim that loss of one
tenth Of their fiooks each year is cheaper
than feedi Ig, and II compelled to feed
six months OF each year, would have to
give up sheep raising, as there would be
no money in it. The barren islands on
the coast of Maine have scant vegetation
In summer, and during the winter the
sheep are driven from Sheer hunger to
subsist on kelp, sea weed, etc. Domes-
tioated sheep will not eat kelp or sea
weed, which in my opinion gees to show
that 1t is mere question Of hunger that
drives them to this unnatural food.
1t is true that In the summer time
sheep will leave their pastures and at low