Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-24
BILLIARDS. EFFECT
ON THE SHEEP
George Austin Brings Latest
News From Wyoming
Ranges.
DAMAGE IS 0vERESTlMATED.
Tales OF Suffering Among the Herders
danger 10 FIocks A,crtcd by
Feeding Facilities.


The havoc wrought by the recent
blizzard on the sheep ranges Of Wyom-
ing and Idaho Is not as great as 1t
would have been in former years. ana
has been overstated By the rurnors ac-
cording to the report brought back by
Geo. Austin from the Wyoming ranges
today.
Mr.. Austin Is president Of the Heber
Land and Livestock company. ana a
week ago when the blizzard was at us
height, he was summoned by his son
Andrew NJ Austin who was In charge
OF the company's ilocks in Wyoming
TO come at once and help In saving the
sheep. He has been In the lield ever
since until yesterday when he left for
Salt Lake, and he says that now the
greatest danger Is past. unless very Sc
we're storms follow late In the spring
So far the losses IN his company are
not over per cent. and Mr. Austin
expresses the belief that the losses
will not total 10 per cent for the en-
tire season. which Is unusually low for
a severe winter. Statements that loss
es are now 30 per cent, are overesti-
mates, he says, except In cases where
the sheep are extremely weak and far
removed from feeding centers. From
all reports the heaviest losses are on
the Red Desert, where some Utah and
Wyoming men winter their ilocks.
To be able to weather storm like
that which is just subslding In Wyom-
ing without a great percentage Of loss
marks a new era In sheep raising. The
way II was done was to resolutely re-
IN "a har la n 10 ir
flocks far away from the railroad, and
then to keep In touch with hay sup
ply that could be delivered quickly to
the sheep wherever they might be
when overtaken by a blizzard. 1t has
been found that sheep do not freeze 10
death with the low temperatures. so
much as they starve on account OF the
frozen Ice over their feed supply. and
when hay can be rushed out to them
over the railroad. they Will survive the
most severe billiards..
AT the present time the hocks of the
Heber Land and Live Stock company
are being fed from baled hay carried
to them on the railroad and then
hauled by wogan 10 the camp grounds.
Three outfits are kept constantly en-
ployed delivering the hay. and the
weaker sheep are taken out OF the
range herds and put on feed" Out OF
ABOUT 5000 sheep in the company's
Hooks 1000 are now on feed. and will
remain so until better weather comes
MIR. Austin found his son, the COM
pany's foreman, snow-blind when he
arrived, and one of the herders suffer.
Ing from frozen face Both OF these
men have been released from duty and
are now under medical treatment, while
the held operations are In charge OF
John II. Austin, who will remain on
the ground til the winter breaks.
George Shanks Of Heber City, vet.
Gran sheep herder, who has wintered on
many Wyoming ranges. had an expert
snce In this blizzard which was trying
IN the extreme, and which tested his
pioneering resources. The fact that
previous billiards. had taught him to
carry In his pocket a flask OF coaloi
through the winter saved him great
suffering and perhaps his life. On the
day the storm first blew up cold. cut
ting wind accompanied Il, with n drop
In the temperature TO 20 degrees below
zero. This wind gradually rose 10 a
gale, and then the snow began to come
IN sheets and drifts, till the herder
found It impossible to work his flock
against II back towards camp. Instead
OF deserving them, he remained out all
the night following them as they drift
ed with the storm away from his head.
quarters, and on the next day he ar
rived with them at the railroad, after
drifting for seven miles, and as the
banks OF the grade formed the most
sheltered places, he had to work like
trojan all day keeping his flock of the
railroad tracks where they wanted 70
lie down. Along the bottoms he found
a good deal OF willow brush, and with
the aid Of his flash Of coal oil he was
a. bic To make a fire which probably pre-
vented him from being badly frozen.
1T was striking example OF loyalty
20 ones employers" said Mr.. Austin m
narrating the experience, "and one fea-
ture Of II was that Shanks didn't think
he had been doing anything unusual, OF
that ne had rlsked his life.
"There's humane side TO this ques.
tlon Of winterng sheep" concluded Mr.
Austin that ought to he ventilated
there is no need for owners TO let their
focks starve and freeze In the hllz.
yards. They ought to respond quickly
to appeals for help. and go TO IN,
ground personally TO encourage theli
herders, and see that hay supplies ar'
brought In. Dumb animals depend or
their owners, and the weaker ones, IN
stead OF being allowed 10 die, ought I,
be dri%n 10 feeding grounds near tn
railroad. When I left yesterday morn
ing most OF tho snow was gone, eNcep
where Il was piled up In drifts and thu
worst Of the danger was over"
An interview with Cashier Chas.
Burton Of the State Rank of Utah. thI
morning confirms the conditions re
ported by Mr.. Austin as being genera
nmong Idaho, Utah and Wyomln
ranges Banks no longer conside
sheep q good risk unless the nocks ar
near feed. and most IT the owner
now have n supply Of hav located 70
emergencies such as that caused b
recent hiz2ards. In cases whore thi
preoaution was not taken. the los
must have been great probably ove
% per cent. OF course feeding ha
through the winter takes a great den
of profit out ~ sheepraising, but the
Il is the high prire Of mutton and woo
that makes II possihle for the shee
men 10 go 20 this expense. and max
the investment paying one.
at the time of the Alta snowslide
thls year" snid Mr. Burton "the free2
ing that followed the January thai
made conditions hard I'm norther
Utah and southern Idaho, for the thai
produced sloppy condition, While
when Il frOze hard made II lmpossibl
for sheep 60 Craze over large area
and knew Of ono herder who was fore
ed to drive his nock four days withor
food, 20 get them OF the fee area"
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