By LEE JUILLERAT
John Lane¹s father, Denis C. Lane, was among the earlier arrivals. Denis emigrated from County Cork to Lake County in 1912, when he was 12 or 13. He worked in New York City as a box boy until he earned enough money to buy a train ticket to travel to Lake County, where he was employed as a desert
herder by Irish sheepmen who had arrived earlier. Lane eventually cobbled together enough money and sheep to go into partnership with Tim Murphy in 1918. Lane soon bought out his partner and gradually expanded his land holdings and sheep numbers.

Sheep were kept at Lane¹s Adel area ranch during the winter, where they were fed hay until March. Then, two bands of sheep, each with about 1,000 ewes, were trailed to the nearby Eastern Oregon desert for lambing. Rambouillet was the breed of choice because they produce large amounts of wool and add weight easily. Wool was the primary source of income. Each June, the sheep and lambs, with each band now totaling more than 2,000 animals, were trailed about 80 miles to graze in forested pastures. June was
also the month for shearing. Wool was taken to Lakeview and sent by train to mills. During the summer grazing, the family hayed at the ranch.