, 1923-09-30

interviewer IN the early history OF
all lands and was a vital factor in
early settlement. I recall the old
Jpinning wheel of my childhood
(which adorned every New England
farm house.
OF course this evening I intend
to confine my remarks more di-
rectly to the past. present and
future wool conditions in Wyoming.
The first flock was driven in short
ly after Wyoming territory was or
ganized. In 1870, the Durbin
Bros. of Cheyenne trai.ed sheep
from New Mexico into Southern
Wyoming and the next few years
witnessed other importations from
the same source OF supply. In these
cradle days of Wyoming. the losses
among sheep trailed in from the
south were appalling. Adverse eli
matte conditions coupled with woe
full inexperience exterminated many
flocks.
About 1880, some hardy stock
growers began trailing sheep from
Oregon. 1 was on the trail that
year as embryo cowboy, helping to
drive 1000 Oregon cattle across the
territory of the Circle Bar ranch on
Running Water. and / recall my
amazement over the fact that sheep
made better time on the trail than
cate. Sheep would average nearly
Is miles per day and cattle only
10. Two years later I was trapping
en the headwaters of Green River
in the western part of Wyoming
territory and saw numerous bands
Of sheep trailing in from Oregon
and Washington over both the old
Cublette trail and the Lander cut
off. Some herds were very large.
running up to four, five and even
six thousand head.
This importation of western
sheep continued FOR many years,
and was the main source of supply
from which our ranges were so
swiftly stocked, that in 20 years
Wyoming became the first state in
the Union in wool production.
Between 1880 and 1890. there was
a series Of very Improbable years
in the cattle business. and it was
during this time hat the sheep in
creased rapidly. until 1t was esti-
mated that there were more than
a million sheep in the state. Ten
years later, this number had in
creased to $500. 900 and since that
time the number has varied from
three to five million.
The methods of handling sheep
In Wyoming have been slowly
changing, almost from the begin.
ming of the industry. t'or many
years no emergency feed vas pro-
vided and losses from hard winters
were staggering. Many conserve
tive bankers considered the sheep
industry unduly hazardous and
favored cattlemen in their loans,
Gradually the more far-sighted
sheep men started the practice of
buying and storing corn, oil cake
and hay at convenient places on
their winter range. to be used in
cases Of emergency. Another
change has beer in the improved
methods of lambing, and every year
sees more and better shelter sheds
provided for ewes and lambs during
the Landing period. One of the
main reasons for increased protec-
tion during the Landing season is
the fact that the lamb is relatively
more valuable now than when sheep
were run almost entirely for the
wool they produced.
In the carly days wethers were
grazed until they were three years
old, but in recent years every lamb
not needed for replacement in the
flock is sold for three times the
value Of the fleece of a full-grown
Aheep. Hence, every extra lamb
saved is ar immediate and direct
addition to the income of the sheep
business. CO.