Reasons for Not Remaining In The Sheep Industry
10/08/07 10:00
If there are “Reasons for Having Become Involved
in the Sheep Raising Industry” there should be
reasons also for not remaining thus involved.
These reasons I think might well be listed in three classes: first, mismanagement, second, the financial crash of 1929 which upset availability of finance,
These reasons I think might well be listed in three classes: first, mismanagement, second, the financial crash of 1929 which upset availability of finance,
As told by Francis Allen Esplin
If there are “Reasons for Having Become Involved in the Sheep Raising Industry” there should be reasons also for not remaining thus involved.
These reasons I think might well be listed in three classes: first, mismanagement, second, the financial crash of 1929 which upset availability of finance, 0interest rates and everything connected with finance and which triggered the depression of the thirties and; third, the drought of several years’ duration.
For the first reason, mismanagement and mistakes in operating, I take full credit (?). All of the errors and faulty practices I think might be traced directly or indirectly to my efforts to tend the business and still be with my family more. Having such a nice, pleasant family, I feel that I might to a large extent be excused in this.
For the financial crash of 1929 I take no credit or blame.
The drought which was and is always a problem in Southern Utah and the ranges we used in Northern Arizona and Eastern Nevada became worse, causing great loss and much additional expense. Numbers of animals grazed on private ranges for part of the year and had to be cut below an economical number to operate. One year the winter forage was so poor that it was necessary to feed corn, cotton seed cake or some supplementary feed, creating also the expense of a truck and an extra man to freight this feed to the sheep on distant ranges. The purchase of this supplementary feed was of considerable concern, too.
When you consider even a quarter pound per day per sheep for two or three thousand head, the amount is very large. During another winter or two at this time, through early summer, rain caused some feed to grow, we failed to get later rains to fill the lakes and storage reservoirs, so it was necessary for a sheep man to have and maintain a truck with a tank and troughs to haul the water to wherever the feed was -- often great distances. It was even necessary in many cases to purchase the water.
No one without almost unlimited finance and credit, neither of which we boast of, could operate very long under these conditions. The result was that, instead of nearly every man owning a few or many sheep, greatly overstocking the ranges, only those best financed and equipped could remain in business.
Now the ranges, being relieved of over-grazing, have improved; government grazing allotments are established; each sheep man has his own operating base -- knows where he can or should graze his animals, and can much better control his operating expenses.
The year 1932 marked the end of an era in the lives of the Frant Esplin Family -- an era quite eventful and filled with pleasures and attractions, especially for Glenna and Kent and for Don for a short time.
This year also began a new way of life for them, one in which Don, Laurel and Paul were to miss the pleasure and interest of camping, horseback riding and most of the pleasures common to ranch life. Except for an occasional day trip with me to the top of Square Mountain for a load of coal, theirs was an ordinary life.
In this new way of life we had to live in strict economy, often being without a car or employment except that of our own making, in which we usually paid in produce off the farm or wood we wrested from the mountains or coal for hauling for others. It was still a good life. I was home most of the time to enjoy my wonderful family. We cold see after a few years that we were gaining, financially -- until we began again to become involved in debt, in a very small way at first. This involvement resulted in our opening in 1940 the Esplin Feed and Seed Business in a new building which, acknowledging all sources of assistance, resulted in us again paying all of our obligations and having a little for retirement.
If there are “Reasons for Having Become Involved in the Sheep Raising Industry” there should be reasons also for not remaining thus involved.
These reasons I think might well be listed in three classes: first, mismanagement, second, the financial crash of 1929 which upset availability of finance, 0interest rates and everything connected with finance and which triggered the depression of the thirties and; third, the drought of several years’ duration.
For the first reason, mismanagement and mistakes in operating, I take full credit (?). All of the errors and faulty practices I think might be traced directly or indirectly to my efforts to tend the business and still be with my family more. Having such a nice, pleasant family, I feel that I might to a large extent be excused in this.
For the financial crash of 1929 I take no credit or blame.
The drought which was and is always a problem in Southern Utah and the ranges we used in Northern Arizona and Eastern Nevada became worse, causing great loss and much additional expense. Numbers of animals grazed on private ranges for part of the year and had to be cut below an economical number to operate. One year the winter forage was so poor that it was necessary to feed corn, cotton seed cake or some supplementary feed, creating also the expense of a truck and an extra man to freight this feed to the sheep on distant ranges. The purchase of this supplementary feed was of considerable concern, too.
When you consider even a quarter pound per day per sheep for two or three thousand head, the amount is very large. During another winter or two at this time, through early summer, rain caused some feed to grow, we failed to get later rains to fill the lakes and storage reservoirs, so it was necessary for a sheep man to have and maintain a truck with a tank and troughs to haul the water to wherever the feed was -- often great distances. It was even necessary in many cases to purchase the water.
No one without almost unlimited finance and credit, neither of which we boast of, could operate very long under these conditions. The result was that, instead of nearly every man owning a few or many sheep, greatly overstocking the ranges, only those best financed and equipped could remain in business.
Now the ranges, being relieved of over-grazing, have improved; government grazing allotments are established; each sheep man has his own operating base -- knows where he can or should graze his animals, and can much better control his operating expenses.
The year 1932 marked the end of an era in the lives of the Frant Esplin Family -- an era quite eventful and filled with pleasures and attractions, especially for Glenna and Kent and for Don for a short time.
This year also began a new way of life for them, one in which Don, Laurel and Paul were to miss the pleasure and interest of camping, horseback riding and most of the pleasures common to ranch life. Except for an occasional day trip with me to the top of Square Mountain for a load of coal, theirs was an ordinary life.
In this new way of life we had to live in strict economy, often being without a car or employment except that of our own making, in which we usually paid in produce off the farm or wood we wrested from the mountains or coal for hauling for others. It was still a good life. I was home most of the time to enjoy my wonderful family. We cold see after a few years that we were gaining, financially -- until we began again to become involved in debt, in a very small way at first. This involvement resulted in our opening in 1940 the Esplin Feed and Seed Business in a new building which, acknowledging all sources of assistance, resulted in us again paying all of our obligations and having a little for retirement.