Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-01-03
Drove sheep 1000 Miles.
TIC travel 1900 miles on foot with 80,
600 sheen is A stnpendpus undertaking

TIC travel 1900 miles on foot with So
600 sheep is stupendous undertaking,
vet this feat was accomplished recently
by Il herGers, headed by r. ii. DAILY, ii
livestock dealer and ranch man of Oma-
ha and Stevenson, Neb., says the Shep-
herds BaIletin.
Mr.. Dsly passed through New York
the othec day on his way to the Cana
dian northwest, on business trip. and
at the Astor house gave vivid descrIp-
ton Of how the sheep were herded. The
Journey was from Santa Fe, ,in New Mex
leo. to Stevenson, in central Nebraska,
and it was undertaken primarily to de-
feat the railroad company.
Il have for over 25 years been engaged
in the handling of sheep. being what is
called sheep FEEDER he said. A
sheep feeder is man who receives
the animals from the :a0ges into the
teed lots, where they are fattened for
market and he is distinguished from a
breeder who grows his sheep on the
range. Last March | contracted with a
Mexican living in Santa Fe to buy so 900
sheep.
lowing to difficulty with the rail.
way company in the matter of freight
rates, | determined to have the sheep
'trailed through to Nebraska, which, in
western parlance, means driving them
overland.
81 selected my men at the same time
| contracted for the sheep. | also pro-
cured two of the heaviest grub wagons
had on my ranch, four strong mules,
aud two good saddle horses, together
with all camp utensils and other neces-
sAties for the trip. The wagons, mules
etc, sent down to Santa Fe by freight
Altogether there were II men in my en-
ploy, detailed to bring the sheep through.
CARRYING at Santa Fe, We at once set
about getting the sheep ready for the
| long drive The Mexican with whom |
had contracted for the 80, 1000 had. in
turn, cub contracted with Numerous
small Mexican ranchmen for the required
number. His agreement was to deliver
at Santa Fe the specified number and
quality of animals.
"There were several reasons for buy.
ing in this way. For example. the Mex.
leans in the outlying districts know moth
ing of money drafts and checks, and gold
would have to accompany every pur-
chase, and to traverse the wild hills and
canyons OF Mexico with money in ones
possession would be positive madness
unless, of course, one had well-armed
company as bodyguard.
"Well, the small bands OF sheep were
speedily brought in, and they grazed
around the town until my Mexican friend
told me through his interpreter that he
was ready to turn over the lot.
Next morning the wethers were
started on their 1O0O.mile tripto Nebras.
ka, divided into five bands, each in
charge of herder on foot. One extra
man went along to act as night watcher
The cook travelled In the wagon and the
foreman of the gang rode on horseback.
"Our $4,000 lambs were run in six
bands, with a herder in charge OF each
We left Santa Fe on the hrst day Of
May. and the weather was hotter than
blazes.
"We reached the little town of Stew
enson on the oath day of September
just about five months from the day we
started. The second band had overtaken
US, and we went through the town to
my ranch with the 90, 600 odd sheep.
"The fog of dust we raised nearly
smo thered the place The sheep came
through the entire drive in good condi-
ii ,n-much better than if they had been
in"