Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-08-07
CURTIS STORY
Concluded from Page Two,)

towns have sprung up in places where
five years ago the jack rabbit held
un%disputed sway, and have grown into
orderly, well.built and prosperous com
mnnlties. The number OF counties
has increased from nineteen TO TWEEN
ty'five, four OF these Boosting of u
~ seats in spots where five years AGO
there was not even n cattle ranch,
THE production OF iron and copper
ore has been greatly augmented, al
though there was q slight falling.off
IN the production of gold and silver,
Zinc Of late has become an important
and valuable product, and the output
from the Mardalena district In Socorro
county Is steadily on the increase,
Al n fair calculation. I believe that
the mercantile establishments In the
territory have increased more than
twenty per cent"
What shape Is your stock In"
"This has been a great year for
stock. There has been plenty OF water,
plenty OF grass and plenty OF snn'
shine. The lamb crop has been the
largest on record. and the average IN.
crease has been ninety.ive per cent,
That Is, out Of every hundred lambs
born. ninety.five have been saved, and
the number OF lambs 10 Il hundred
ewes has averaged more than 100.
They weigh much more at this time Of
year than they have IN ordinary years
"a lamb. which In Ordinary years
would weigh from TWENTY-FIVE 70
thirty pounds, now Weighs from fortv
to forty.five. This Is 10 be attributed
TO the excellent food on the ranges,
the good supply of water AMI the IA.
vorable weather. Well posted sheep.
men estimate the number Of sheep and
lambs in the territory at this time to
be in the neishborhocd of more than
5000. 900. If this estimate Is correct.
1t puts New Mexico a: the heal Of
the list Of sheep owning AMI sheen
growing commonwealths in the United
States. know Of n number Of sales
Of lambs for October delivery at four
and a fractioa cents e poun1-.that Is,
a lamb that will weigh seventy
pounds at the date Of delivery will
bring about SO. when last year at this
time ewes hale and hearty sold at
from 1925 to $3.50. Today the sheep
owner who weathered last years
hard times and who had 10000 ewes,
has those 10000 in good condition and
probably 10000 lambs. which later
will bring him more per head than his
ewes were worth per head last fall,
THE wool clip has been remark
ably heavy, and the f~leeces, owing to
the abundance Of feed and water this
spring and early summer, have been
the finest. longest and cleanest ever
produced in the territory. A number
of large sales have been made to my
knowledge at an average Of twenty
two cents per pound In the raw
while secured woods have been disposed
of by several large sheep owners al
an average of from sixty-two to sixty
four cents a pound.
THE native citizen of Mexican o.
Spanish descent is a natural and sue
~cessful sheep herder. He has the pa
thence, the even temper and the goo'
nature required. If his sheep ar
healthy and strong and If he has plent'
/, to eat, is paid fair wages, is vel
treated by his employer, he Is tn
ideal sheep herder Of the globe. b,
mature he is frugal and OF a c%ontente'
disposition. He loves the wide plains
. the boundless mesas, and under IN