Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-06-24

Why Maintain Road Fences?
There is trite maxim. that poor
fences make bad neighbour Poor and
insufficient fences have always been
prolific projenitors of neighborhood
quarrels. litigation. and law suits. Moth
ing will provoke the ire so quick-of
even the slowest TO anger-as breaches
Of cattle through bad fences.
Nine-tcnths of all the hard thoughts.
hard and har-her words between neigh
bor-, are originated by iaruaons OF cat
tie. horses. hogs, and sheep from the
roadside. Why continue 10 nurse and
foster such breeder of contention, dis
pute. and quarrel' Let us veniilate the
subject. and see.
Competent judges saw. '.that the
amount of money. labor, and time in
vested in fences is equal to the cost of
all the buildings in the State. Mind
YOU. this estimate was before the COM
pletion of the q Torn HaR'') OF this
prodigious expenditure for fencing. BY
far. the larger share falls upon the
shoulders Of those least beiitied 10 carry
il. Ii is heavy burden. enormous tax.
merciless penance, 10 which the farmers
ought no longer To voluntarily subject
themselves. a penalty not demanded
by law, or called for by any absolute
necessity in the case. but. only observed
AL ~
behests Of custom. The law and custom
are at.xaricnce in this matter Say the
Law. every man must keep his cattle
within his own bounds" while Custom
demands of him to build fences exclusive
~ for the benefit of his neighbour. To
state il laconically, saws the law. fence
the cattle ia: says custom. fence the cat
| tie out.
Those who have built, maintained.
and kept in repair. the fences of the
country. without the aid OF the arithme-
tic, would hardly be prepared to find
the cost of the sum total of the fences in
the United States. figured up to six
hundred millions of dollars. or those in
the state of Maine exceeding the sum Of
twenty five millions of dollars (S25, 900
oO), or 7s.l25 miles of fence in this
State. OF these enormous sums. il is
assumed that one-eighth part. or s3. lbs.
90. or 1906 miles are in road fences.
Add 10 this 10 per cent, 10 cover cost
for changes and repairs, and 6 per cent.
for interest (money is now worth 9 per
cent, and we have an onerous tax Of
sS,Sa5, 625, borne by the many, for no
other earthly reason, than, that the few
may have the poor privilege of pastur-
ing the highways. Even these figures,
high rs they are, do not cover the whole
cost. or reveal the whole truth. Com
parsiively speaking. but a very small
share of the fencing material in the State
Is of cedar, SO that it is but fair to
assume that all of the fen ces must be
renewed once in twenty years-miles
and miles Of fence have to be renewed
once in every five years-so that one
twentieth Of the first cost must be add.
ed. swelling the sum up to s3.523.542.
Then there is a additional (see Me.
Rpt. 1860 yearly TAX, which cannot be
set down at less than one hundred and
fifty thousand dollars for breaking
through snow-drifts caused by such
fences. Let US recapitulate the cost,
damage, and loss which may fairly be
charged TO road-fences, rs follows:
Firrs cost Of fencing the roads, es,lssco
Cost for changes and repairs, sls sO
Interest on The ssne NJ per cent nd 80
For breaking roads. isosoe
Teal cost Of highway fences, es,y7s, 80
VI this enormous and unnecessary waste |
and expenditure Of money, material. labor.
and time. with an equal distribution, each |
farmer in the State is liable for the sum o, |
e73.e7 once In 70 years la addition to . year.
ly tax Of el5.75 to support private bur
deu and psbiie ssisosoe.
True, II the hungry. hgAway cattle, prowl |
ing along the roads by day. and BY night,
. vigilsnt search for acme open gate, or
iweak place In the fence, do make brsscA,
go through" and do damage, the Law
points out redress In ''impoundinx.'' or
sction for ''trespas." but be who has ONES
heen caught and entangled Ia The inextr.-
cable mssbss II The ''impoundisg law.n
win - very likely to Be to- cautious to.biss