The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-31
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN, Director.
Washington, D. c.
sHEpHERps oF THE DESERT.
Washington, D. c.

greatest Woodworking sections in the
world, and incidentally for one of the
most picturesque of American indus,
tries
The whole Southwest is character
lied by a striking contrast between am
old, crude civilization which is dying
out and new and modern one which
is almost explosively alive. This mod
ern current of life has trickled in
along the railroads somewhat incon-
gruously and with surprising results.
like water let into a desert by means
of an irrigating canal.
But a few miles back from the rail-
roads. the leisurely. picturesque life
Of the-old Spanish Indian regime
goes its way little disturbed. So Al
buquerque is a thriving town, much
more metropolitan for its size than
similar town in The East, and as thoro-
" American as chewing gum. But
within days ride of 1t are Mexican
villages where witchcraft is still prac-
tised and where they still thresh grain
as in Biblical times by driving a flock
of goats around the threshing floor.
4 Business of Contrasts.
This contrast Is nowhere better seen
than in the sheep business. Its com
lnercial machinery of buying and SELL
ing and insurine, centered here in AL
buquerque, is as modern as Wall
street. 1t is carried on by shrewd and
Kworried-lOoking men who drive enor-
watch the stock market with keen in.
tensity, and take frequent trips sto
New York and Boston. But the actual
care Of the sheep is in the hands of
Mexicans, who carry on their trade as
it was carried on for generations be-
fore the railroads and the gringoes
came
A change is coming slowly in this
end of the business too. The ten
dency is to raise more feed for the
test-E i
fences. improve the breed and take
better care of the stock. But this
change is coming slowly. For the
most part, the sheep are still raised
on the open range as they were
hundred years ago. For this work
Mexicans are indispensable. and their
methods and habits are as unchanging
as the mountains
The sheep range Is most of the
state. Part of it is public land, part
of it is in the great Spanish land
grants and part under the forest serv-
ice, but altogether it is a stretch of
mountain and desert and mesa land,
unfenced, untamed and untamable. To
realize the sweep and emptiness of II
you must see it. There are many high
points from which you can look across
a hundred miles of wilderness and see
nothing that you can certainly Identify
as the work of men.
Following the Herds.
The sheep are ranged in the noun
taiHs during the summer. and are
driven down to the barren-looking
mesa-lands when the first SHOWS come.
They are brought together once a year
for shearing and dipping at some head.
quarters The rest of the time the
sheep herders (never called shepherds
in this country follow them across
the range. 1t is common for these
linen TO be away from home for six
months, and they have been known to
stay for eighteen months. They are
lazy fellows. but they know sheep as
well as they know themselves, and
they have one great virtue-they will
stay with the herd. These men are
not usually inspired by any great
loyalty to their employers, but they
are inspired by a loyalty to the sheep
which is almost instructive. They are
of peon stock and no doubt in the
old days the peon who deserted the
sheep Jared badly. There was a
whipping-post and cat-of-nine-tails
waiting for him at best and a load
from a musket at worst. For prac-
teal reasons he would rather die with
the herd in blizzard than came home
without it. Thus loyalty to the sheep
| has become almost race trait with
the Mexicans, and one of inestimable
value to the gringo capitalists who
! own the sheep and take down the
profits. The sheep herder gets his
bacon and beans and perhaps $40
month.
The Organization.
| The organization of sheep outfit Is
| as exact rs that of an army. The own
! ersof all the sheep is known to his en-
! pIoyes as Ell Patron (the boss). the
sheep are divided into small herds.
and in charge Of each three herds IS
sort of superior officer or overseer,
! who proudly bears the title OF Caporal.
In immediate charge of each herd is
chief herder known somewhat grandly
| as the Mayodomo, and he has an as
| sistant herder known as the Ayudante
and a cook and packer called Cam
pero Each of these officers treats
his immediate superior with certain
Difference, aDd is proud OF his own
authority The Capora1 is directly re-
| sponsible to the Patron for the sheep
in his charge, and he in turn holds the
| Mayodomos directly responsible. He
| accepts excuses no more than did Ma.
| poleon.
When everything goes well the life
of the sheep herder on the range. es-
pecially in the summer, is not a hard
one: but all sorts of dangers menace
these troops of plating foolish crea-
lures who are worth SO much money
and perish so easily. Drouth wipes
them out. storms overwheim them,
coyote. wolf and mountain lion hang
on the TANKS of the herd and take reg
ular toll
A Race With Storm.
Weather is their worst enemy, anu
nowhere is the weather more in
calculable than in New Mexico. Thru
out most of the state. for example. it
is safe to leave the herds in the rich
mountain range until October; snow
seldom falls before November But
few years ago winter came month
ahead of time, and deep wet snow
fell like the band of death on hun
dreds of herds that were among the
mountain tops. separated from the
land owners by deep canyons wherA
the drifts piled up higher than mans
head. Most Of these herds that were
more than a days drive from safety
persisted to the last sheep. But there
was one young caporal who had his
,. da..s, dr-isa infn the