Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-03-02
ny AND FERRIS VISIT THE
HAMILTON RANCH
an at 2:sO a. m.. 20 Take Train to
tbe Wild Ranch Along the Rio
Grand River.
; CHIEFLY 4 SHEEP COUNTRY
co,s They are Disappointed With the
Size Of the Rio Grande River
There.

NnyS lhfy
Size Of the Rio Grande River
There.
No The Ledger:
mel Rio, Texas, Feb. "a, 1916.-
with Mr.. Hal Hamilton we took a two
m. train for the Hamilton ranch of
"a 900 acres, So miles west Of Del
p;o This ranch is bounded on the
auth BY the Rio Grande River and
an the north by the Southern Pacific
railroad. The extended water front
an the river makes it very valuable,
for on this entire ranch there r but
fow small water holes. In time deep
uslIs will be sunk for water. There
i Init one house on it and that a small
brilding for the manager and his
/ family, a Mr.. Foster. We left our
train at 6 a. m. in this vast wild, with
M human being in miles Of us, ex-
cent the shepherds with their fccks.
The starry heaven was beautiful, but
the quiet and stiffness was oppres-
i've. Finally, we heard the coyotes
cbattering and barking at a distance
IN all directions. A man came for us
with a spring wagon drawn by two
small mules, as we were expected.
Il Loading in the dark we were driven
B three miles to a herder's camp.
Around the camp fire were four dark
Mexicans preparing breakfast. We
had for breakfast black coffee with
sugar. freehalies (beans) baked with
bacon and camp bread. We enjoyed
the coffee, which met the chill Of the
morning. By this time daylight was
putting the beautiful starry heavens
TO sleep and the bleating Of the sheer
and young lambs clamored on the
morning air. There were four di-
visions Of lambing ewes around US
with 1900 ewes in each division
Lambs had been coming for 2 weeks
and several hundred every day. These
divisions are kept three To four miles
spart with four TO six Mexican herd
ers with each division during the
Anbing season Of 80 to 40 days, after
that one man with each division. A
herd travels three to five miles per
day, grazing, and at night the herdeI
makes his bed on the ground anc
sleeps with his flock. While lamb
Ing each morning the ewes with young
lambs are cut out Of the flock ant
kept in the rear with a herder, and al
the lambs grow strong enough To
travel and fed, they are collected into
new herds.
The manager had been notified by
Mr.. Hamilton that he would be on
the ranch that day to inspect the
skeep and the manager, through his
'hustlcrs" who hauled water and
supplies to the shepherds, notified
the shepherds to have their sheep al
certain hills or valleys of the ranch
at certain hours Of the day. So W.
travelled from herd to herd and saw
the sheep and lost no time in locating
them. Mr.. Hamilton with Mr.. Eos
ter, the manager, Mr.. Roy Ferris AMI
l travelled in a two-seated spring wag
on, drawn by relays Of mule teams
that day and visited ten fiocks o.
sheep, each flock containing about l,
500 sheep mot counting the lambs
It was a great day, full Of interes
from beginning to the end. AT day
light for some time we viewed will
interest the cutting out Of the eve
with the young lambs. Often the ew'
would attempt to abandon her lamI
and feed on with the herd. But tn
shepherd would lasso the W am
take her back to her lamb and tie he
to a bush for q few hours, until sh
was contented to stay. The entir
work was systematically manages
and the Mexicans under the manage
ment of an American boss are exper
shepherds.
Satisfied with first camp we start
ed on our days ride. Mr.. Hamlltoi
and Mr.. Foster, yJho drove the mules
occupied the front seat and Roy an
the real with our guns, and VIVA
a day we had; occasionally ducks, bu
mountain quails. bob-whites, JAG
bbits, cotton tails were plentiful
and occasionally a coyote in sight
We had fine shooting. At noon W
stopped at Fosters home and had
good dinner, the only house on tn
ranch Of 10000 acres and no othe
homes near. Here Mr.. Hamilton wa
drilling a deep well. Here he KEEP
his horses and wagons for the hust
lers and supplies for the shepherds
six miles from, a railroad station. A
dinner we had quail, out Of season
and we discovered at the table Their
was a game warden. He ate qual
with us. We were guests Of Nh. Ham
ilton's and that passed US. Here W
had a fresh team and we drove tn
entire afternoon from sheep herd t
sheep herd. While they inspected tn
sheep, we used u guns. Twice j
that afternoon We were on the ban
of the Rio Grande and looked on tn
shore line Of Old Mexico, which look
ed peaceful.
We did not arrive back TO Foster
home until Q o'clock at night, a beau
tiful moonlight night, warm an
pleasant Wa had n fine quail sur