Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-27
Shepherds Of The Desert
BY Frederic j. Haskin

Albuquerque, NJ NJ, Aug. 24.--This
city is headquarters for one Of the greatest
wool-Towing sections in the world, and
incidentally for one of the most pictur-
esqucs Of American industries.
The whole Southwest is characterized
by striking contrast between an old,
crude civilization which is dying out and
new and modern one which is almost
explosivcly alive. This modern current
Of life has trickled in along the railroads
somewhat anonymously and with stir-
prising results, like water let into 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 Albuquerque is a
thriving town, much more metropolitan
for its size than similar town in the
East, and as thoroughly American az
chewing gum. But within n days ride Of
it are Mexican villages where witchcraft
is still practised and where they still
thrash grain as in biblical times by driving
flock Of goats around the tbreshing
floor.
BUSINESS or CONTRASTS.
This contrast is nowhere better seen
than IN the sheep business. It's commercial
machinery Of buying and selling and in
suring, ceDtered here in Albuquerque isa,
modern rs Wall Street. IL is carried on
by shrewd and worriedlooking men who
drive enormous distances in high powered
cars, watch the stock market with keen
intensity, and take frequent trips 10 New
York and Boston. But the actual care Of
the sheep ia in the hands Of Mexicans,
who carry on their trade as IL was carried
on for generations before the railroads
and the gringos came.
A change is coming slowly IN this end
OF the business, too. The tendency is 70
raise more feed for the sheep, build more
shelf ers and more fences, improve the
breed end 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 indi.-
pensable, and their methods and habits
are as unchang.ng as the mountains.
The sheep range is most OF the state
Part Of IL Is public land, part Of it is in the
great Spanish land grants and part under
the Forest Service, but altogether IL il
stretch Of mountain and desert and
mesa-land, unfenced, untamed and un-
tamable To realize the sweep and emptines
OF 1t You must see it. There are many
high points from which you can look
across q hundred miles Of vii derness and
see nothing that you can certainly identify
as the work of men.
FOLLOWING THE HERDS.
The sheep are ranged in the mountains
during the summer, and are driven down
70 the barren-looking mesa-Ands when
the first SHOWS come. They are brought
together once a year for sheering and
dipping at some headquarters. The rest
Of the time the sheep herders never
called shepherds in this country follow
them across the range 1t is common for
these men TO be away from home for six
months, and they have been known 10
stay for eighteen months They are law
fellows, but they know sheep as well as
they know themselves, and they have one
great vlrtue-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 10 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 load from a musket at worst.
FOR practical reasons he would rather die
with the herd in a blizzard than come
home without IT, Thus loyalty TO the sheep
has become almost a 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