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Show The mildness of the cove weather made of it an excellent location for lambing headquarters, regardless of the lack of good water and electricity. A canal ran just above the corrals, and hoses siphoned water to the water troughs. Lanterns furnished night light in the sheds. One large kerosene lamp hung from the cabin ceiling above the long, rectangular table that, with side benches, was capable of seating ten or twelve people. Two or three tall milk cans stood along one wall and a long-handled dipper was used to ladle drinking water that had been hauled from Gunnison. A large, wooden barrel stood outside the door and was kept filled with canal water for other water requirements. LAMBING TIME The ewes ranged all winter east of Axtell in the hills reaching from Mayfield to Salina. As lambing time drew near they were driven into the new corrals to await their time of delivery. A newborn lamb was taken to an individual pen-with the mother following. She was turned into one of 150 individual pens (4 x 4) along each side of three long canvas-covered sheds. At night a "night man" roamed the corrals with a lantern in his hand, and each new lamb received the same treatment. The man also made sure the lamb was able to suckle its mother. If a ewe had insufficient milk to feed her twins or 197 |
