Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-01-11
For the American.
STOCK AT LARGE.

Mr.. Editor,-I will not undertake to
say whether the Commissioners, in regula-
ting by order what stock shall be permit
ted to run at large in your Township, ex-
ceeded their authority, or acted wisely, but
the discussion of the subject by Justice"
in your last issue, suggests question to
my mind which cannot answer as some
others may: "what right has any man to
the public highway, as pasture for his
stock?' answer, no such right exists
The roads have been taken from the own
ers Of the soil for purposes Of travel, and
are not the property of the public even,
for any other purpose. They may be, and
are, put to other uses--the thing is allow
ed; but no man can show the shadow of
right for such use. Strange as II NAV
sound, yet the highways do not belong to
Mr.. Il, or Mr.. b, for grazing purposes,
any more than they do TO anybody else;
although their continued use of them
would seem to imply preemptive right.
When highway is changed or closed, the
stock Of these presuming gentry must 60
somewhere else to Craze, as the soil reverts
to its original owners.
If this view of the case be correct, what
right has any man to complain, when told
his stock must Ego to grass somewhere
else than the roadside2 that the people
want the highways. for travelling, and will
not have them used as pasture lot for the
unruly stock of thriftless owners? for, as
general rule, have found the owners of
this character, where the roads were de-
pended on for stock range.
Good farmers and careful poor men
take better care Of their stock than to al
low it to range atwil over the country
at the risk of being astray when wanted
| know there is q different class of men,
and often clever, easy fellows at that, but
few wise men would choose them as guides
in the management of farm or stock
Personally would not object to others
pasturing the highways, under proper re.
strictions, though, l confess, l do not
know what these are. l know it is nui-
sance, which should be speedily abated, to
have the bright, green, grassy walk on
either side of the highway, rooted and
ruined for years, by the unrung, long
shouted gentry belonging to neigbbor G,
over the way, who believes in barshare
stock that make the roads like plowed
field, and gil the side drains, and ruin
them faster than his more careful neigh
bors made them; and who believes, not
only in feeding his hogs in the road, but
every hoof he owns, that will not run of;
educating them to become so shrewd in
taking care Of themselves, that they will
open the ncighbors' gates and bars with
great dexterity, stealing all outside, and
then taking an occasional nip of the re-
served rights inside. Ringing the hogs
would be good as far as it went, but just
here is the rub: The careless man, who
owns all the outside pasture, is the very
fellow who wont ring his hogs; and if he
did, the chances are it wouldn't be half
done, or done half the time.
However, I am willing to see it tried,
aud yoking the unruly cattle too, which
bave trespassed on my fields and patience
until hayo wishal for the Ohio stock
law; and, by the way, / believe our next
Legislature could not render the agricul-
turalists of this State better service, than
by the enactment of similar law.
End my neighbors thinking aud talk
ing on the subject, and we live in an age
when the people seem TO care very little
for old notions and practices, when they
think step forward should be take1.
sra Pro Bono PUBLIco.