Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-06-03
9epmtu1ent.
From the Farmer and Planter.
SHEEP AND DOGS.

SHEEP AND DOGS.
We re.publish in this number, from the
"Uuionville Journal" a"Repors on Sheep
Husband,y, readrbetors the Union District
Agricultural Society, by G. Gage, Esq,
Chairman of the Committee, to which e call
the attention Of al ano would be sheep rails.
ers in our State, and especially to the closing
remarks. Of the Committee, on dogs: We are
informed by the Committee, that there are,
in the District of Union, 1880 sheep, and
1876 dogs-not two sheep for each dog in,
the District to kill-a light job, indeed,
when it is known many a dog has slain his
score or more in one night. The Committee
recommended to tax dogs, or make them re-
ponsible for their acts. The former would
undoubtedly be the proper remedy, for the
evil, for as the Committee say, it is difficult
to detect a sheep killing dog. We, with the
assistance of several gentlemen of the House
and Senate, made a strong effort to get a bill
through the Legislature, on the last day of
the last session, which had been neglected
to be reported on in time by the Committee
that habit in charge, for the protection of
sheep and other stock; but, one clause in the
bill was objected to, and although its friends
were willing, and endeavored to amend it so
as to make it acceptable to an overwhelming
majority of the House, yet at that stage of
the Session, it was necessary to have the
unanimous consent Of the House to its a.
m~endment.. And on putting it to the test,
to our great morti6cation-we might, as some
of our friends say, add chargrin-one mem
Der, a single member, from the good old Dis
trict of Newberry, objected, (wonder if they
have more dogs in Newberry than sheepD
upon which a legal gentleman from Able
vile, who doubtless knows more about law
than sheep raising, moved to postpone the
further consideration Of the whole matter,
and 80 the bill was lost. However we are
not disposed to give up in despair, for al
though we shall not be a member of the next
Legislature, we have the promise of many
gentleman that soiU be there, to keep the ball
in motion ; and we are determined to vote
for no man who is not in favor of some law
for the protection of stock from the deprada-
tions of the thousands of porse than useless
dogs in our State. And we believe it would
be we'll to make it test in all the districts,
believing as we do, from having conversed
with very many voters on the subject, that
the advocates of some such law would be sus-
tanned in preference to dog protecting ,candi-
dates. We have conversed with gentlemen
owning packs of hounds, that were in favor
of a tax, and we found but little opposition
in the legislature to>a dog law Of some kind.
We believe that our State, especially the up
per division of it, is as we'll adapted to sheep
raising as any other in the Union; but be-
fore we car, ever raise that, most useful ami
NAL successfully, seme1sw+must be enacted
which will have the effect Of greaAy redu-.
cling the number of dogs now in it. We con-
versed a few days since, with a. gentleman
living in Pickens District, who Informed us
that, of a. flock of sheep of some so. or 60
head, we think, a year or two since, he
could not now find a single sheep; and we
have Jared not much better at a place. of
our OWN on the opposite side of the river
He informed US further, that a great mum:
Der of sheep in the range between Keowee
and Twelve Mile rivers had been destroyed
by dogs within the last year-that he knew
several clever gentlemen, the owners of packs
of hounds, that "followed sheep killing dogs,
and they knew them to be SUCH" Now, We
think such gentlemen should be made to re-
spond in ample damages for all the sheep
killed by dogs within the range of their fox
hunting excursions. Their dogs do more in
jury to the country than would ten or a hun
dred times the number of foxes they destroy.
We blame no man for fox hunting; it is a
healthful, enlivening sport; we followed it at
one time ourself with much pleasure, but we
kept no sheep killing dogs for our sport.