Western sheep ranching was run for wool, not meat.

Evidence

Wether mutton, four and five years old, is sold when there is any demand for it; but except at Charpiot’s, in Denver, I never saw mutton on any table, public or private, and wool is the great source of profit, the old ewes being allowed to die off. — Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 168

Categorization

• SHARE: A niche detail about the near-absence of mutton from any Colorado table—perfect for someone who reads rancher memoirs or food history.