The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-07-12
From the American Agricuiturist
COilDguy about Fruit Stealing.

!
! father.-So, you say my Oldest son, John
is promising. candidate for the State Pris-
on? and that, simply because he took few
pears and grapes from your garden.
| GaT3eAGr.-Yes, said so, and I'll stand
by it. In stealing, he showed that he had,
no true moral principle, and little regard for,
my rights and feelings as neighbor. Such
boy isn't safe if running at large, and
ought to be locked IN. If0ccasion offered
why wouldn't he slip his hand into a mer.
. chants money-drawer, and plunder its con.
! tents?
Father.-Be careful, Sir, what you insin
uate! John is as smart and as respectable
as any of my neighbors' sons. don't he.
lieye that taking a basket of fruit will destroy
his standing in society. You're rather pur-
itanical in your notions.
Gardeasr.-I wish, Sir, that he mint be
respectable, but his conduct of late has injtr-
ed him. His education must have been neg
lected. I'm afraid his father seldom taught
him the Savior's rule, Whatsoever ye would
that men should do unto you, do ye even 50
to them"
father.-Look here, Sir don't be so woa
derfully precise. You bear down too hard
nme and John. He was only coming cross.
lots, one day, and happening to see your.
grapes were ripe, he thought he might as
well I'LL his pockets, seeing there were. So
many. l believe, too, he went over by night
with some other boys, Just for the fun of it,
and got hat full of Seckel pears you had
enough more, didn't you?
Gordensr.-Such cases happen zoo often.
Suppose your sor just happened to see the
merchants It'll open, ard thought he might
take handful and there was a plenty,
what would the merchant happen to do with
John:
Father.-But hooking fruit isn't as bad az
| stealing money.
Gardensr.--"Yes, Sir, the law may nos
punish it as severely, yet it is as wicked and
as base. Nowadays, the products of gar
den and orchard are more valuable than they
were formerly. They are more various, rare.
| costly. Now, if lay out from fifty to a
hundred dollars to stock my grounds with
fine fruit for my family and friends, have I
not as much right to that property as to any
other, and ought not my rights to be respect
ed and guarded? And more than this, the.
loss Of money, vexatious as it may be, is
less difficult to bear, than to have fruits sto.
len, upon which ones care has been bestow-
ed perhaps for years. The disappointment
is not measured by the mere market value
Of such articles.
| Parents are much to blame for the loose
morality which they teach their children OF
this subject. And our legislators are to,
blame for not passing more stringent laws
against fruit stealing. Many years ago, an
association was formed in Salem, Mass, "for
the detection and punishment of trespassers
on gardens, fields and orchards"
The members pledged to each other their.
aid in ferretng out and prosecuting often
ders, and they offered rewards for all infor-
nation concerning thieves. They published
at their discresion, the names of convicted
offenders. And what think you, was the
result? For the first year, only one garden
belonging to The members of the association
was molested. Next year, it was reported
that 1.-THE evil had almost entirely ceased"
in that vicinity. Soon, the towns of Dor
chester, Roxbury, and Quincy, followed the
example, and with like good effects.
wish that every town in every State had
such associations. The "smart and respect
able" son John would soon be trapped, or
he and his father would have to leave for
parts unknown. The public morals would
improve, and horticulture would receive a
new impulse. ... HoNEsTus.