Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-07-03
Sheep in a City Park


room for another where Willie" Is.
His teeth closed on a sheet of manu-
script paper in the writer's hands.
upon which -e shook his head in dis
gust and sided Over TO tie caretaKer.
Willie o-sen makes the people
laugh. said Nelson. i have sat ou
oencn over GEAR Belmont. when the
band was playing and thousands OF
people were around me. The first
thing you know Mr. Willie hops Up
on the bench and sits down besiae
me always carry bottle of sprinP
water with nipple on the edge
1t. Well, takes out that, bottle an
presents. 1t to Willie who grave
shuts his teeth on the nipple ana
takes a long drink. Then | puts the
bottle back in my pocket, just as
though it was nothing unusual But
you ought to see the women and child
rem stare, and hear others roaring
with laughter. Willie does look fun
ny with that nipple in his mouth"
During the winter the flock is feo
three times day on oats, bran, hay
and little cracked corn. One quart
of oats and bran makes a meal for
each sheep. In the early spring,
when grazing begins, they have two
meals daily. In the summer oats,
bran and cracked corn are necessary.
The days program in April includes
breakfast at 1880, exercise in the
park from 8 a. N. to II; dinner at I
O'Clock and a second outing from
1880 to $50 o'clock. In summer the
flock remains outside the barnyard
from morning until sunset.
The caretakers permit the sheep to
Craze along the ridge connecting
''Ridge!and," the home of Superin-
tendent Vogdes, and the return drive,
bordering the Speedway; down in he
valley beyond the sheep barn; up
on the opposite slope, through the
picnic grounds near Belmount man
sion and around the front of thar
building. They are ever on the alert,
because their charges are cute as
Nelson expresses it. The sheep are
kept away from the drives and flower
beds, but not without difficulty. OF a
sudden one will make a dash for the
forbidden lands. A dozen follow close
behind, and they are frequently a
quarter of mile away before being
overtaken.
RUM calculated Hopkins. Some
of them lambs can run like race
horses. You should see them in the
mornings, when they first get out on
the green. They match up and run
regular races with each other. it's
the thuth I'm telling you. Hopkins
remembers "Old Nicholas and xii.
braith," caretakers of the first .fiocks
of sheep in Paramount park, II or Is
years ago. But they weren't as good
as Nelson" he says Nelson loves
the sheep, and believe they love him.
Two fine little collies, Dot and Mary,
assist the tenders in their duties.
There is a great hubub in the barn
yard when the sheep are about to
leave it.
Come on Come on now. Were
going QUIT" calls Nelson, as though
he we're addressing a group of chile
rem. Immediately the chorus O.
ba-a-a-as becomes deafening as the
flock moves toward the gate, the
sharp little yelps OF Dot and Mary
adding to the din. "They all under
stand every word l says" The care
takers never strike an animal. The
worst that Nelson can bring himself
say after long chase is, Get back
there. you old fool, you'll"
The animals are out on the parlze
lands every day in winter, unless the
weather is unusually severe. They do
not dislike snow and cold, but are
usually kept in the barnyard when
snow falls, as there is no grazing out
side. Moreover, frozen crust OF
snow Is extremely dangerous. The
average sheep weighs 200 pounds,
and many others tip the scales at $50.
badly wounded legs result And
in consequence, their little hoofs pen
citrate the frozen crust, are broken or
| then Hopkins and / doctors them, :
says Nelson. "Doctoring sheep Is
much the same thing as doctoring a
man. You bandage 'em up and keep
EN- quiet till they gets well. But
they don't have much Sickness
little cramps now and then, which
oil LIMOS u oh tn ~