Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-07-10


S'st3 mace humble herders dance.
but out OF times paradoxical evolution
there has como a shifting OF postion--the
sheep il ahead OF the steer, the former
cattle baron Is now a sheep raiser HIM
self and the picturesque COWBOY has eX-
changed iariat for shepherds crook.
The phenomenal gains OF the sheep in
dustry In Wyoming must not be construed
10 mean that the cattle business has been
entirely ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS is still a
cattle state and will remain so, but there
Is more OF the HolSten, more of the Short
horn and less OF the nondescript. Herds
are not 20 large as they formerly were
but they are oataiogued in a different
class.
But to return 10 the chief topic, which
Is sheen. There was In the early DAYS of
the west a prejudice against sheep raising.
because 1t was cassed as a tame" occu-
patton. Tho cowboy was a picturesque,
histiy-respected figure The sheepherder
was q mollycoddle in public estimation
Cowboys were prone to become blbulous
and make targets Of towns, sheepherders.
II they imbibed at all, skunk off into soll-
tude and had their bout with Bacchus
entirely free from gunpowder saturnalia.
Wyoming Is now the banner sheep raising
ueaNo VI Nnt biluuf tNbpolnB ItNhHs WHICH
formerly stood first: Montana, another
strong rival; Utah. the natural home OF the
sheep; Oregon and other states from
whence came the mutton chops and the
wool clips OF the world.
The introduction OF sheep into Wyoming
dates from the year 1878 when Jim Davis
heFded a small band down near Muslxrat
canyon at Rawhide Buttes. In about the
year 1889 John Morton and j. j. Hurd and
others came up from the Union Pacific
country with bands OF sheep. In the year
1892 the Platte Valley Sheep company was
organized. The introduction OF the sheep
business met with decided opposition.
Ranchmen and cattlemen objected 10 any
one invading what they considered their
perduistes-the free use OF the public
range About 1898 a number of sheep out
fits were visited by armed bodies OF ranch
men and cattlemen who were called g an
uysackers" ON account OF being dlsgu al
with "a gunny sack over their heads, and
who marked off headlines on the range.
Sheep wagons were burned, sheep shot and
dubbed to death and herders shot at and
mstreated
The sheepmen at this time. with few ex-
cepuons, We're without fixed habitations
and were content to start the herders out
wagon aud In some instances with pack
outfit, The increase In prices from $3.50
and ss,6O for grown ewes to 81 gave the
industry an impetus in 1896 and people on
gagged In the business to such an extent
that Il has rapidly increased IN volume
and extent up 10 the present time II
speedily became apparent that the business
had come 10 stay. and men who had been
the most bitter "gunnysackers' engaged In
II and are today wealthy men,
sheepmen began To see the need Of fixed
habltation and secured permanent, puar-
tiers aud DO d. hi land and ranges, and a.
the present 10 no sheepman thinks OF en-
gaging IN the business without hayins
at least one-ffth OF his capital Invested "a
land and range. The present plan OF man
aging the business is on much safer lines
than Il was IN the past Now nearly every
sheepman provides grain and hay in larg,
quantities.
Experienced and rar-seeing sheepmen lM'
J, A. Williams, John Morton, Or. Wilson
W, r, Hamilton. r NJ, Gibson. l. DEE
Richards and other are putting thousand
of dollars into irrigation and agriculture
products. and the prediction Is freely made
without fear OF contraction, that within
five years this vicinity on completion %
the irrigation enterprises nov building wi.
b. a second For, Collins Ia It's sheep-teed
ing industry
The sleep business IL vastly more pro
fitable than the cattle and ranch business
The cattleman has TO wait three years fo
much OF a return; the sheepman has hl
wool clip aud his lambs the first year IN,
gsoNth of the sheep business during IN,