The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1917-06-14
EASTERN WOOL EE-
PERTS VISIT OREGON
Representative of Swift & Co. On
Tour To Learn Conditions
In Sheep Country

To gain a personal knowledge of
conditions in the wool growing states
of the west, ]. F. Kesseler and H. S.
Bloomfield of the Boston office of
Swift 4 Co., were in Enterprise Satur-
day and Sunday. They are on a tour
taking them thru Montana, Idaho,
Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, and
other western states. and they came
here under the chaperonage of Frank
A. Clark, who thus was enabled to
pay brief visit to his home and
friends.
The Swift house is selling agent for
he Columbia Basin Wool Warehouse
company of Portland, of which Jay H.
Dobbin is president. Mr.. Kesseler
and Mr.. Bloomfield wanted to see
what the president of the warehouse
company looked like, and how he
and other sheepmen of this part of
the northwest conducted their busi-
ness. They had hoped to see shear
ing plants at work, but the weather
was too rainy, altho w. H. Durham
is now working on F. w. Faleoner's
bands, on Swamp creek. While the
visitors were disappointed in not
finding shearing under way, they
learned enough of conditions here
to convince them that Wallowa coun-
ty sheepmen are among the most pro-
gressive in the west and are alert to
every opportunity to improve their
herds and their wool.
The continued decrease in Ameri-
can production of wool is matter of
vital concern to the large eastern
houses dealing in it. If they can
not get what they need In this coun
try, they will be obliged to turn to
other lands for supplies. But if pro-
duction in America can be stimulated,
they are ready to do their part along
this line.
Mr.. Kesseler said that little Eng
land grows, from small bands scatter
ed over the islands, almost as much
wool as does vast America. But
sheep have practically disappeared
from farms of central and eastern
states, where small flocks could be
raised as in England. The sheep
were sold off during the period of
low prices four to eight years ago,
and farmers have made little or no
progress in restocking.
The greatest single obstacle proba-
bly, is the dog. At every farmhouse
there is at least one dog, and these
animals not only worry and kill sheep
at home but travel far at night to
harrass other bands. At the best
they scare the sheep, causing them to
: pile, and smothering those under
meath. At the worst they develop the
: habit of attacking and killing both
old sheep and lambs. So, what
might develop into great industry
is held in check by worthless dogs.
Another factor against the revi-
val of the sheep business in the east
is found in the ignorance of most
: farmers of how to care for the fiocks.
The majority of the farmers never
have handled sheep, and lack the
specialized knowledge of how to
grow them.
SO the sections of the west where
: sheep have remained in the hands
of men who know how to handle
them, and who have the facili4ies,
must continue to supply the greater
part of the wool grown in the United
States. And there is every prospect
that prices will remain firm for
years to come. However the east
ern visitors learned many things
about the hardships of the flock mas
ter. They learned that high price
, does not always mean an abnormal
, profit, for seasons like the winter
, just past call for heavy expense for
feed, or entail serious loss, or both,
. 81 that the ranchers' profit may be
lrss than in times when prices are
l1wer. - Enterprise Record = Chief
tain