The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-02-10
SHEEpHERDERS In WEST
LONELINESS OF THE LIFE MAKES
A MAN MoRosE.

IN Caring TOR HIS Flock5 ne MUST
Endure Privatlons and Face Deadly
Enemies, Including cattIemen--
The Pay lc $40 Month.
Sheepherders In the far west are
having a strenuous time owing to IN
termittent renewals of the war with
their ancient enemies the cattlemen.
In Big Horn county, wyoming, a few
weeks ago, party OF masked and
heavily armed cattlemen made raid
on the sheep camps of Patrick Dunn,
on Broken Neck creek, killing over 800
head of sheep, destroying three sheep
wagons and their contents and driving
the shecpherders out of the country.
This is only one instance out of
hundreds, showing the constant danger
run by sheepherders. Cattlemen from
Montana to Arizona are fighting for the
preservation of their range, and many
sheepherder, IN the past few months
has been compelled to see his employ
er's property destroyed, knowing that
the first sign of protest will be the sig
nal for a shower of bullets in his own
direction Yet the menace of the cattle
interests is only small portion of the
sheepherder's troubles. In reality, his
Job is one of the most strenuous of all
employments, and yet the majority of
people think that the sheepherder has
a sinecure, with nothing to do but walk
about in the sunshine and fresh air,
and let his faithful shepherd dog do all
the work of herding. A few days spent
in any sheep camp in Montana, Wyu-
ming, Colorado or any other great wool
state, will convince the skeptic that the
sheepherder's life is anything but a
life of ease, and that the cowboy, the
soldier, the miner. or almost any 9th
er man whose position Is supposed to
entail great danger, does not take half
the chances of the solitary man whose
lot is cast on the sheep ranch. Not
only is there a great deal of hard work
connected with the sheep business, but
there is a larger loss of life among
those who actively engage in 1t than in
any other branch of the stock industry.
In Constant Danger.
In the summer time, when the sheep
| herder starts out with his band of
sheep and proceeds to find feed for his
| charges, he is in constant danger from
! lightning. Many sheepherders are kill
ed every year by lighting. their bodies
being found weeks afterward. Little
| notice Is taken of these tragedies--two
or three lines in a country newspaper
usually form the sheepherder's obitu-
| ary. The herder, who usually stands
| on an eminence In order to watch his
flock the better seems to offer a shin
ing mark for lightning Two years ago
three herders in Chouteau county, Mon
tana, were struck and killed, all inside
| of one week. There seems to be an at
traction about a band Of sheep that
draws the ightning-something that
scientists have not YET explained. In the
late autumn these electric storms are
the most violent and sheep herders
naturally regard them with a sort of
superstitious terror.
The death of herder near Greeley,
| Colorado, may be cited as an instance
of the constant danger from lightning.
The body of Adolph scrubli, sheep
herder. was found on the prairie last
July. evidently having been struck by
lightning. Two OF Scrubli's sheep dogs
stood guard over his remains, but In
spite Of their efforts, part of the body
had been deyoured by coyotes Some
silver coin In tine herder's pocketbooli
was melted. showing conclusively by
what agency the man had come to his
death.
In the winter, of course, the sheep
herder has an even more strenuous
time There is constant danger from
billiards., and there Is no means OF
gathering statistics regarding the num-
Der of mon who annually sacrifice their
lives in trying TO save their loclls from
the cold and snow. One severe storm In
Montana or Wyoming usually causes
the death Of at least half dozen her
ders, but tho ranks are always filled
with recruits, and the patient, courag-
ecus men go right on facing death In
the performance of their duty.
A Pathetic Case.
One of the most pathetic cases oi
this nature occurred last winter in the
Red desert sixty miles west of Raw
Inns, Wyoming. William Moody, g
sheepherder, and his dogs were caught
in terrible blizzard. The sheep per
ished by scores. but Moody did not
abandon the attempt to save his flock
AT last he fell in the snow and frozt
to death. His dogs for two weeks
stayed upon that spot guarding the
body Of their dead master. The animals
kept themselves alive by eating the
carcasses of the frozen sheep. They
fought off coyotes and when the her
der's body was finally discovered it was
with difficulty that it could be taken
from the watchful care of these two
animals.
The danger from wild animals in
the west is small in comparison will
other dangers faced by the shepherd
| or but II is IN no considered neyerthe-