Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-02-18
For the Tribune L Telegraph

-. For the Tribune Telegraph
hessrs- Editors We have been an interested
observer for some time past, in the workings Of
the celebrated Hay and Wood Ordinance Of vour
city. we doubted from the first, its practical
benefit, and we have not yet had occasion to
change our opinion. We are freely disposed to
attribute common intelligence to ysur citizens.
and feel safe in asserting that large majority
of them--and We will venture to include nine.
tenths in the number--ars sufficiently yersed in
tie art of mensuration, to apply the rule to the
measurements of load of wood, and cipher ont
the contents; but lest some should feel difid.nt
in their mathematical abilities. we would reser
them to shert and practical rules to be found in
Da6offs SeAootmaster's assistant. with which
mathematical work, many ofths older heads are
supposed to have been familiar in their youth.
Daboll intimates that the product of the length.
breadth and height of pile or load, divided by
i2e' will give the contents in cords, and in our
Practice we have always supposed it to be true.
AS Tor the other tenth of the citizens, who are
supposed to be deficient in mathematics. we
doubt iftherc is ono who is destitute Of an intel
lgsnt friend who would not readily respond to
his call fer assistance, in such dilemma.
The most powerful argument which we have
heard advanced in favor of inspecting wood. is
that there are many widows who are liable 10 be
defrauded. Heaven bless the widows But they
too, have friends or nsigbors who would not be
likely 10 refuse their counsss when solicited
besides, il the aggregate amount which is now
pad Tor inspecting, were paid for the wood it.
sen, ana donated to them, it would result in quite
as much practical benefit.
Some OF the practical workings of the systam !.
seem to have been as follows: A somethiap wear.
ing clothes-ws will not say man-meets a coun-
: tryman on Main street bridge, and offers him n
. certain price for his load of wood. Countrvman
accepts and drives to the place dssi grated and
unloads but on his return to Main street, the I'M
supecting victim is seized by civil officer for
violating the ordinance, dragged before magis-
trate and fined We know not whether the a.
mount OF the tine or any part thereof, is paid to
the complainant, as a reward for his psrfdy. or
whether it is lost in its labyrinthine course to
the general depository, or is swallowed up in the
impeneratrabls depths Of the strong box-that in
immaterial to our case-but we do not envy the
feelings or the reputation of the miserable wretch
who thus exhibits traits, compared with which
the character of Judas Iscarriot stands forth in
bright and shining contrast. We havsyheard
of one or two other similar cases, in which the
wretched miscreants seem to gloat over their
trsschery
Again, let us suppose load of wood or hay to
enter the limits Of the city, at the northern or
southern extremity. a distance of mile and up
ward from where the inspector is supposed to be
officiating, and is met by citizen living on the
borders, who offers him price, mutually salts
factory, for his load in bulk. The countryman,
having, perhaps, learned by dear-bought expert
ence, that he is liable to become the victim of
per6dy, dare not sell to him, without first making
a journey of more than two miles, without regard
to the state of roads weather. to obtain the in
spectors ticket, and pay his five or fifteen cents,
for which extra trouble and expense. he justly
demands an advance sufficient to compensate
him. Who is benefited by the transaction?
Now, in candor, we wish to inquire, if A sells
to a load of wood or hay, at a price agreed up
on, and which is mutually satisfactory, whose
business is it except their ownl Why any in
reference by an ordinance, unless disagree
msnt arise In such case, it might be- proper to
refer to disintercsted inspector. But in order
to be fair,and showup both sidesiof the question.
we would not omit to mention that several cases
have come to our knowledge in which teamsters
have boosted that they had received tickets for
more wood than they actually had, through err
ror of the inspector. DO not the same individu-
ais suffer. whom the ordinance was intended to
protects We claim for the countryman, only
the same amount Of virtue as for the citizen.
As for ourselves, we sometimes sell few loads
OF wood or hay. but we never peddle either in
the streets: We deliver per contract, and there.
fore the ordinance does not affect us individually,
but still we feel it q CALLING yoke in principle,
passed for the especial benefit Of the city, while
ace kno,o Of ordinance passed for the protec.
ton Of its customers, ,chch has erer been enforced
II our memory does not betray us, an Ordinance
was passed upwards of a year since, prohibiting
cattle from running at large in the streets-or
Main strset,bu was it ever carried out inlpractice
Farmers suffer any amount of annoyance, from
having their sleighs and wagons robbed of eve
ry particle of hay or straw by halfstarved cows.
we have even heard one individual boast that
his cows found their entire living in the streets
by preying upon the farmers. Who is the Off
Ger entrusted with the execution of this ordi-
nance7 Is it the Marshal, or a Pound Master ?
If the city fathers wish to see how faithfully he
performs his duty. it is only necessary to visit
Market square, when load of hay is standing
there for sale. 1t is veritabls shame to your
city, to see with what impunity droves of cattle,
and even horses, are allowed to roam at large in
your streets, and voracously dive at every load
of hay which comes within its limits We have
in our mind at this moment, certain spotted
cow, the pest of Main street, whose owner suf-
fers her to roam the streets, annoying farmers,
and even grocers and merchants who exhibit
their vegetables and other produce at their doors
We have often seen her with her fore feet in
lumber wagon box, and we verify believe she
would climb ladder if she thought she could
find straw at the top.
All this may appear like complaining, but we
are not disposed to complain without = cause
We are aware that the city and country are mu
tuaily dependant on each other, but "whatis
sauce for the goose is sauce for the gandsr."-
We are willing to deal fairly, and wish to be
dealt fairly by in rsturn--to live and let live
But in our shortsigh tedness, we cannot see
why q few loads of hay and wood should be Sc
lseted as target for sharp practice, when there
is such an abundance of everything else, which
might with equal propriety demand attention
Why not, with the same propriety, appoint an
inspector ofbutter -four, or other articles of foodf
But above all, to change Sides on the question,
why not appoint an inspector of lumber to meas
ure it out to us-also, an inspector of scales and
me in h,z raexah.x