The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-05-16
MONTANA MEN PUT
SHEEP in ALASKA
PENWELL AND ASSOCIATES TO
RUN LARGE BANDS ON THE
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
Climate Said to be Ideal for the
Woolies and Million Head Can Be
Accommodated There; PenweH
Explains His Plan.

other western sheepmen, Will run
sheep ON a large scale on the Aleu-
tan Islands off the Alaska PENN
suIa, according to an announce
ment made by Mr.. Penwell. Mr..
PenweII and his associates have al
ready attempted such a venture,
and put 1 900 sheep on the islands
last year. They viii take 5000
head there the coming August, and
as many more as they can finance
before the year is out.
The sheep are on the two islands
of Unalaska, where the aviators on
the round-the-world flight, landed,
and spent two or three days. Every
test made of the feasibility of rum
ming sheep on the Aleutian islands
indicates that the place is. ideal for
these animals.
Contrary to the general impress
sion," Mr. Penwell said, there is a
relatively low latitude there. The
latitude is parallel of the latitude
that goes just north of Vancouver
Island, and is exactly the same lati-
tude as London. This condition, with
the Japanese current, keeping the
islands almost entirely free from
snow, makes the outlook extremely
bright for the successful raising of
sheep. The snow never lies longer
than a few days, and they never
have as low temperature as the
sheep-raising states of the north
west
1--WE could put 100000 sheep on
the islands," Mr.. Penwell continued,
'and it is not necessary to make the
/ int ROT hnir
care. They can Craze the year round
Our experience on islands off the
coast of California has taught us that
the raising of sheep on these islands
is less expensive than on the MAIN
land The cost off the California
coast has been $100 to $3.50 per
$500 on the mainland. From the
Aleutian Islands we can move wool
by boat to oBston, through the canal,
for $3.50 per hundred pounds, as
against $2.25 from Montana by rail-"
Foot and Mouth Disease
Mr.. Penwell told of the foot and
mouth disease in California. He
said that the removing of the ban
in some parts did not mean that
conditions were any better, but that
IhCy al z lAOI AlOpClQIt co Tic I6u0Tdl
government has taken absolute
charge of the battle against the dis
ease.
The government forces have con-
centrated their efforts to the quaran- |
tined areas. The disease has hurt the |
cattle industry more than it has the t
sheep industry, Mr.. Penwell said.
There have been 10000 sheep killed |
in, To1ifnrrio IN, oFf - |
out the disease. People of the state
are badly frightened on account of
the plague, the Helena man said. but
expected to bring about a favorable
change in the near future.
Shortage of Wool
Mr.. Penwell has recently gone
thoroughly into the matter of wool
industry, and declares that there is
throughout the world.
On this subject, he saaid:
"There is a world shortage of
wool. At the beginning of the war,
the manufacture of wool for civilian
that notwithstanding the huge con-
PllOh vi WCGt lOl WdI puIpOSSS, L
at the end of the war there was a
after the close of the
war, consumption of wool for civil
ian use was resumed.
For the past five years there has
been used in the whole world each
year some two hundred and fifty
million pounds more wool than has
been produced each year.
sThat this excess of wool used
over the wool produced is growing,
is evidenced by the fact that the
world consumption of wool in 1923
was three billion three hundred mil
ion pounds; the total production was
Two billion eight hundred million
pounds, or world shortage last year
If five hundred million pounds.
"The reason for this shortage is
perfectly apparent: The big ranches
With free ranges in America, South =
America aand South Africa, are be-
ng settled up by farmers. The con-
sequence, of course is that while for
nerly the range was mostly free, L
here now of necessity must be an
Investment in land much greater
han the investment in livestock.
uG IGSulI VI oil ILLS Is that II uOW
equires from 81 to $3.50 a head to
.un sheep year, where formerly
en- or twelve years ago, it could be
lone for one dollar a head a year.
This is such a burden on the indus
ry that it Is only the most favored
ocations that the business can be
and still pay these excess
i've expenses. Generally, for this
eason, many wool growers are fore
ID out of the business, hence the
hortage in sheep and wool produc-
ion.
''To illustrate: in 1910, Montana
,roduced forty million pounds of
WOOL In 1923 it produced fifteen
million and most of the western
tates have had similar experience.
"It is estimated there are eighty
our million less sheep in the world
oday than in 1913.
"This shortage of wool exists not
the fact that large
art of Europe and practically all OF
lussia have been out of the market
prv largely eiupa fho war AS