Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1893 — STORIES ABOUT SHEEP. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STORIES ABOUT SHEEP.

RISE AND DECLINE OF THE u MANIA FOR MERINOS. Bow the Famous Breed Was Introduced Into This Country—Washington’s Flock —Wonderful Wool Gathering—A WUd Breed in the Mountains—The Piney Woods Product. Columbus B-ought Sheep.

r O “the horse book" and “the cow book” the Government is about to add the sheep book. Experts have been engaged several months gathering the material for the story of the sheep industry. East of the Mis-

sissippi the work has been in the hands of Gen. Ezra A. Carman, for years the chief clerk of the Department of Agriculture. West of the river the ranch side of the sheep business has been most thoroughly investigated by H. A. Heath, of the Kansas Farmer. There is no politics in “the sheep book." Some people can’t think of sheep without confounding thorn with the tariff. Gen. Carman and Mr. Heath have managed to collect a great deal of interesting information, and have not formulated an argument either for protection or for free wool. There were wild sheep in North America when the discoverers came, says the Globe Democrat. The descendants of these wild sheep still inhabit theKocky Mountains. At a glance the wild sheep look clumsy, but when frightened they go over the rocks with the agility of the goat They are the best of mountain

climbers. They make their way to cliffs where nothing else without wings can follow. There is nothing in venison to approach this wild mutton. Englishmen who have eaten it say it surpasses the finest tame mutton of their country. On his second voyage to America, in 1493, Columbus stopped at a port in the Canary Islands, and brought live stock for hreeding purposes in the colony he was to found. Besides eight hogs, Cplumbus brought r a sufell hock of sheep* In 1530 Cortqz had .A falling out with the politicians in the City of Mexico, went to Cuernavaca and founded a great sheep ranch. The eight hogs imported by Columbus were the progenitors of countless thousands which stocked the Spanish possessions. From the Cuernavaca ranch of Cortez the flocks of sheep were driven in all directions. They occupied what is now Old Mexico awFStexas and New Mexico, and were seven driven into the Utah of today. Pizarro took some of these sheep with him on his expedition for the conquest of Peru, and the over South America, crossing ' tne Andes and occupying the great plains of La Plata. When Menendez came, ttf 1565, under commission of the King of Spain, to colonize Flor-

Ida, he brougnt 400 sheep, as well as 500 negro slaves, and San Augustine, “the oldest town In the United States, ” was founded. The traces of that Spanish origin are seen to-day in the sheep of Florida and Southern Georgia. Sheep played an important part in the early settlement of this country. The Catholic priests who established a string of seventeen missions for the Indians from San Diego to San Francisco had over a million sheep in flocks attached to those missions. Virginia in early times had a law prohibiting the removal of any sheep from the “collonie.” At that time tobacco was currency in Virginia. The colonial authorities gave a bounty of five pounds of tobacco for every yanj of woolen cloth made by colonists. But he was a Virginia states-! man— yohn Randolph—who said he “would go out of his way any time to kick a sheep.’’ Maryland had sheep ♦from the very beginning of settlement. The Swedes brought sheep into Delaware. They trimmed the taHs so as to leave a bunch of wool at the end like a lion’s tail. Ok was thought to improve the appearance, and also to make a better dHfctfie against fleas. « Kentuckians began early to improve Ifcrfrlfccka la 1809 the first mer-

inos brought into Kentucky, only of them, sold for $1,500. In the next three or four years the Kentuckians went wild on the subject of improved breeds. Prices mounted to fabulous figures. Samuel Long, of

Lexington, bargained with Mr. Trotter, of the same place, for one ram and one ewe. He agreed for these two sheep to build a four-story house

50 feet by 70 feet. The house cost $15,000. Thoroughbred sheep dropped in value long before the house was finished. Within six months after Long had completed Trotter’s house the same kind of sheep could be bought for S2O. Long kept his highbred ram and ewe until they were worth no more than ordinary sheep. Then lie killed them, in viced his neighbors to a barbecue and thanked God he wasn’t worth a dollar. Soon afterward he died of a broken heart. The craze for fine sheep to improve the breeds was not confined to Ken-

tucky. In New York State the merinos were eagerly bought at SBOO or SI,OOO a head, and even as high as $1,500. That was in 1810 and 1811. But the speculative fever ran only a short time. In 1815 merinos sold for $1 apiece. After the war of the revolution there was such a rush from the United States to import fine sheep from England that that country revived an old law to stop it. A penalty of £3 fine and three months’ confinement was Imposed on any person who exported sheep from England. One of the most enterprising sheep-breeders In this country was George Washington. He had a flock of 700 or 800. He bred them up until they yielded five pounds of wool to the sheep. Thomas Jefferson, as Washington’s Secretary of State, became so Interested in the subject that he concluded to “push the number of sheep” on his plantation, saying he “had never before considered, with due attention, the profit from that animal.”

After Washington’s death some of the best of his sheep were bought by George Washington Paike Custis and taken to Arlington. A new flock, with added fame, was created. Custis inaugurated the custom of annual sheep-shearing meetings. Gentlemen farmers came from the neighboring counties. The date was the 30th of April. The meeting place was the great Arlington spring, which gushed out not far from the Potorcac. Toasts were drank, speeches were made and prizes were distributed for the best specimens of sheep. While the merino mania lasted it overshadowed everything. The fever

• ran, like something contagious, from town to town and from farm to farm. The papers were full of it. Marvelous statements of the great profits to be made were in circulation. Farms were advertised as peculiarly adapted to merino sheep. The ■worst scrubs were given the, names of the most noted Spaniards. Ships were named

“The Merino.” A farmer in New Jersey who got half a bushel of potatoes from a single one used for seed called the product merino potatoes. Bull calves In Pennsylvania were advertised as “the pure merino breed. ” A

farmer’s wife named her tenth child “Merino Schmidt. ” Robert R» Livingstoh, of New York, known in American history as “Chancellor Livingston,” was largely responsible for the mania. Livingston was Minister to France. He went abroad, he said, to get information which would be useful to his fellowcitizens, especially in agriculture. Up to that time Spain had made the rest of the world believe that merino sheep could be raised advantageously only in that country. She had put the rest of Europe under tribute to her for this precious commodity. France, however, had begun to exferiment. Livingston siw, as he hougM, a great opportunity. He became convinced, after studying the merinos, that they would thrive in the United States. Through his influence as Minister he secured two couples of merinos in France and sent them home to the United States. He followed up this beginning with other shipments. But on his return to the United States in 1807 he was astonished to find that the subject of merinos had attracted very little notice. He set to work to enlarge the number of his merinos as fast as posssble. He wrote articles telling of the wonderful increase in the amount and quality of the wool which the merino cross insured. He was a sanguine man, and soon had his

neighbors wild about the new breed of sheep. The mania started, Livingston began to sell merino lambs at $l5O. Merino wool was made into blue cloth superior to anything that had been produced in the United States. Samples were sent through the country. Livingston’s sheadings were public affairs. At one of the meetings the famous Jaron yielded 11 pounds and 11 ounces of wool. Ex-President Thomas Jefferson and

President Madison caught the merino fever. Both had estates in Virginia. Mr. Jefferson wrote to United States Minister Erving at Madrid, asking him to send over some merino sheep. The Minister turned the matter over to Consul Jarvis, who managed to get twelve of the famous escurials on board a ship at Lisbon. Jefferson at Monticello and Madison in the White House exchanged letters congratulating themselves that the merinos were coming. Jefferson unfolded in detail his plan to make the sheep perform the greatest possible amount of good. He scored Livingston roundly for his lack of patriotism in accepting such high prices. Livingston had just sold four of his merinos for $6,000. “Since fortune has put the occasion upon us,” Mr. Jefferson wrote to Mr. Madison, “is it not incumbent upon us to so dispense this benefit to the farmers of our country as to put to shame those who, forgetting their own wealth and the honest simplicity of the farmers, have thought them fit objects of the shaving art No sentiment 1s more acknowledged in the family of agriculturists than that the few who can afford it should incur the risk and expense of all new improvements, and give the benefit freely to the many of more restricted circumstances.” That was pretty good doctrine. Mr. Jefferson then suggested to Mr. Madison his plan. He proposed that they “give all the full-blooded males we can raise to the different counties

of our State, one to each county, as fast as we can furnish them.” Mr. Jefferson in a letter to Mr. Jarvi? returned thanks to the Coi> sul for putting him in the way to “extend the imprbvcment of one of the most valuable races of our domestic animals.” Ho repented his intention to give each county in Virginia a ram. In that and other ways the ex-President disseminated the new breed through the State. He placed Virginia under debt to him for a period of great prosperity. Merinos became common. The bottom fell out of speculation. This importation of merinos from Spain for Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Madison was a great diplomatic feat. At that time Spain’s policy was to prevent, by heavy penalties, the sale of her sheep to go out of the country. Consul Jarvis made several unsuccessful attempts. Then, all at once, the opportunity came. Napoleon had invaded Spain. Europe was at war. By shrewd negotiations the United States obtained the privilege of trade as a neutral nation. From Maine to Georgia the skippers loaded their vessels with wheat, corn, codfish, bacon, beans, rice and other stores. They set sail for the Spanish peninsula. At Lisbon and Cadiz flour sold for sl7 and $lB a barrel; corn for $2 and $3 a bushel, other things in proportion. Just at that time Spain was in a distracted condition. Estates were being confiscated. Flocks were being broken. The famous sheep were on the market at from $lO to SSO each. Yankee captains, with the proceeds from their cargoes of provisions, bought whole flocks. These

sheep sold in the United States for SIOO and $l5O. The profits were enormous to the shipowners. Many sailing masters made fortunes in a single trip. In just twelve months there were brought over to this country 18,953 of these Spanish merinos. From the seaports the merinos were distributed in every direction. As early as August, 1811, a St. Louis paper announced that “this valuable animal is already introduced into Upper Louisiana, where it promises to flourish in great perfection. ” From Maine to Georgia and throughout the entire region east of the Mississippi, merinos fullbloods, half-bloods, and all degrees—weie for sale. Merino lambs sold for SI,OOO in the height of the fever, and came down to sl. In the piney woods of West Florida and'Southern Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and. Louisiana is one of the queerest branches of the industry. Sheep run wild. They roam at large in the pine woods and are selfsupporting. When shearing time comes round the owner hunts up his tiock, wrestles with it for the fleece, and pays no more attention to his property for twelve months. In Jackson County; Florida, a Mrs. Carpenter has a flock of 4,000 which grew from seven sheep. In some years Mrs. Carpenter has got as much as $4,000 for her wool.

To many people a sheep is a sheep, and that is all. There is as much difference in breeds of sheep as there is in races of people. Six centuries ago some of the breeds of sheep in England were no larger than rabbits or rats. In 1700 an English ox weighed 400 pounds; calves, 50 pounds; sheep, 28 pounds; lambs, 18 pounds. In 1800 the live weight of cattle in England was 800 pounds; sheep, 80 pounds; lambs, 50 pounds. Last year Armour & Co., of Chicago, killed over 2,000,000 sheep, and, the average weight was 99 pounds. Most of these were from west of the Mississippi, where the average weight is not equal to that east of the river. The human race is not all that has been growing better. What can be done with sheep is shown in the increase of the wool bearing. In 1840 the average weight of the fleece east of the Mississippi was 1.85 pounds; in 1850 it was 2.48 pounds; in 1860 it was 2.86 pounds; in 1870 it was 3.67 pounds; in 1880 it was 4.71 pounds; in 1890 it was 5.04 pounds. A better illustration of what can be done in sheep development would be hard to find.

But another great change is taking place. Its progress the past two years has been very marked. The eastern portion of the country is going in for mutton-raising instead of wool-rais-ing. New England, New York, and New Jersey began some time ago to banish the flne-wooled merino, and to bring in the English breeds for food. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin are now following. Wool-raising Is being turned over to the ranches in the West. The sheep-raising in the East is now primarily for meat. We are becoming a nation of mutton-eaters. Thechop is dividing honors with the steak.

A YEARLING MERINO EWE.

THE MOUNTAIN SHEEP, OR BIG HORN.

FAMOUS VERMONT MERINO.

THE PINEY WOODS SHEEP.

A SHEEP RANCH IN MIDDLE PARK. COLORADO.

THE SINGLE WOOL CLIP OF A NEW MEXICAN RANCH.

AN IMPROVED KENTUCKY SHEEP,

THE SOUTHDOWN, FAMED FOR MUTTON.