Year: 1872




me and it's cooked you seem to be little nervous Tor
your hand trembles: / wish you would point it away
from me IL might 60 Off and hurt me- Mason was so
much struck by tho wOuIans GOODNESS, that with an
oath he slammed the stage door, and told her to keep
her valuabes" She was lucky" said the Californian;
"wth these road agents you can't sometimes most gen
orally tel how goodtempered they are, in how much
of hurry and they not always polite as fellow
who recently, at San Luis Rey, in written
notice begged TO intimate to the public that
he was about TO open telegraph onice
Thus the stories went around until one after another
we dropped TO sleep under the clear sky OF the mountain
with our feet TO the fire. and abundance Of blankets over
us. To who likes free outdoor life, think nothing
can delightful than the life OF farmer of sheep
cattle in Southern California. The weather is almost
always fine neither heat cold evor goes toexremes
you ride anywhere across country for there are no
fences; game is abundant the season. ana TO one VINO
has been accustomed to the busy life of great city ike
NewYork the work of sheep cattle rancho seems 10
be the merest play.


HERDING IN CALIFORNIA


The rancho from which write-the IeJoh II is called
to Inc, said above the finest properly III tho
United States in single hand III contains nearly
100000 acres and lies at the junction OF the sierra Ne'au
with the coast range, which bend around toward eacn
other in vast sweep and the bottom of the great
San Joaouin Valley Tho two mountain ranges do not
quite meet The TETON Pass, narrow defle, separates
them, and gives egress from the valley INTO inc LOS
Angeles country You may ride for 80 miles on the
county road upon this great estate it supports this year
over 100000 sheep; and it has peasantry Of its own
about whom I shall tell you something presently
The TETON is devoted to sheep; and here
saw the operation OF shearing-eight or nine
weeks are required TO shear the whole flock
as well as the various details Of the management OF
California sheep farm. What call at home ilOck Is
here called band OF sheep. These bands consist usually
of from to OO sheep and each band is in charge OF
a shepherd. OF course the sheep are scattered over
many miles of territory, but each band has limited
range defined somewhat by the vicinity of water, and
it is customary California to drive every night into
corral or incosure usually fenced with brush and with
a narrow entrance This corral is water, and the
sheep drink at morning and evening The shepherd
sleeps by in hut in the mountain part OF the
TETON Rancho, tpeStrd The corral is TO Keep the
sheep together at night and protect them in measure
against the attacks Of wild beasts, which, curiousy
enough too cOwardy TO venture after dark inside OF
low fence The tepsta is to protect the shepherd
himself against the attacks of grizzly bears, which are
still abundant in the mountains especially in the Coast
Range The tepestra is platform about u feet high,
built upon stout poles sody set into the ground. Upon
this platform the shepherd sleeps in the mountains at
the entrance Of the corral the grizzly bear cannot
climb pole, though he get tree large enough
to give his claws hold 1t is believe, not nfrequent
for grizzly to stand up at the side Of topcstra at
night and try TO out the shepherd. But all the





night.


THE WORKING FORCE OF ONE ESTATE.


The grizzly does not usually attack sheep The Cali
fonia lion, strong but very cowardy beast, the wild
cat the fox and the coyote the Sleeps enemies.
The lastnamed easily poisoned, with meal which has
srychuine powdered over it. The others are hunted
when they become troublesome, and as the Hon. on the
slightest alarm, takes to tree, and Will run even from
small dog, il is accounted a very troublesome beast.
Indians Spauards, Chinese, and some Scotchmen serve
as shepherds in California. The last thought the
best; and the Chinese make very faithful shepherds If
they properly and carefully trained They are apt
to herd the sheep closely together at first. Dogs
have found but little used in the sheep ranches Ihaye
seem They are not often thoroughly trained, and
where they are neglected, become nuisance. OF
course the shepherds have be supplied stated inter
walls with food. They usually receive weeks ratons,
which they cook for themselves At the Ton there
two supply stations; and every morning dOnkeys aud
mules sent out with food to distant shepherds
The raonmasters count the sheep they deliver the
ratiOns and thus all the bands counted once week
and any sheep missing they must be accounted for
The shepherd is allowed to kill sheep once IN so many
DAYS, but he must keep the pelt, which is valuable
Above the rationmasers the mayor domOs Each Of
these has charge of certain number of bands on
smaller estate there is usually but major dOmO 1t Is
his duty to that the shepherds compeent tnat
new pastmage is ready when band has need
for it.: to see that the cOrrals in





lambing time to examine the sheep to keep out scab,
which almost the only disease sheep subject to in
this State and to give out the ratons for distribution
On such estate the TETON there Is, finally gen
era superintendent and bookkeeper and storekeeper-
for here in the wilderness a supply Of goods Of various
kinds must be kept up for the use of the people.
blacksmith teamsters, plowmen gardeners. and house
servants make up the complement Of the Tejons com
pany The gardeners and servants Chinese, they
usually in this state, and very good men they are
civil, obllgng, and competent


FROM BEASTS MEN.


Beside these numbers fed from the home place. there
are on this estate about indians who have al
lowed to fence in small tracts Of land, which they
raise barley and other provisions and in some
plant fruit and vines. They form the peasanry Of
whom spoke above, and happy Olerably thrifty,
aud very comfortable people Their surplus produce is
purchased by the superintendent when their labor
used they are paid and they all have horses which
pasture on the general fields They have learned how to
pow shear sheep and perform some other useful labor
Now these Indians to the TETON naked, except
feeding miseraby on grasshoppers, worms,
and acorns, ignorant savage nOmads. They were first
brought here when part of this rancho used by
the Government an Indian Reservation Gen. Beale,
the present owner OF the TeOn, then Superutend
ent OF Indian Affairs in this State and he has
these people emerge from condition OF abb
solute barbaTism and wretchedness into degree Of
comfort prosperity greater than that enjoyed by the
majority of Irish peasants they have abandoned their
nOmadic habits; have built neat and comfortable houses;
fenced in ground which they cultivate. Their women
dress neatly, and understand how TO cook food The
men earn money sheep shearers. In some places
vineyards and fruit had been brought TO bearing
condition. In short these human beings sayages
and are-well, they civilized as good many who
come em grant ships from Europe TO NewYork. And
all this has accomplished under the eye and by the
careful and kindly management OF the owner OF the
Teon Rancho. IL seemed 10 a great thing for any
man achieve and certainly these people compared in
every way fayOrably with a similar class whom
on the Tule River Indian reservation, living at the