The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-11-16

We know Of no question of greater i'm
portance 10 farmers, or woolgrowers at this
Tune, than how to secure protection from
Sheep dogs. % & F1 : n
We have no statistics at hand lust now
to show the amount of actual loss from the
ravages of dogs on sheep, but It must
amount to an enormous sum annually in
the State of Ohio. Indeed, money in
vested IN sheep is becoming so very inse-
cure that thousands Of farmers are embar-
rassed and deferred from engaging in that
department of cur agricultural interests,
nom the simple fact that that species Of
property Is so very unsafe And the re-
markls common among farmers that at
is no use to keep sheep, for they will be
killed by the dogs and we think it is
safe to say that not one farmer out of
twenty. who has kept sheep for the last
tive or ten years, but has 1t more or less,
and often very heavily. from the depreda-
tlons OF worthless dogs, for scarcely a sin
gle night passes but some one has his
os And the value of sheep killed annually,
IN the State, must exceed the value of all
the dogs more than FIVE hundred per cent.
More than twenty times perhaps in the
last thirty years / have gone out in the
morning to find my sheep scattered over
the farm, some dead, others dying, and
still others staggering and bleedings re-
curing several days to ascertain which
ones to kill, and which to try to doctor
1fone can keep cool under such circum-
stances, 1T will be because he let's patience
have her perfect work p and what is re-
gS!ss Iarka5Iss scarcely ever can the dogs be
But the question is: What is to be done 2
And the solution of this question is IS
delicate and difficult as it is important.
But difficult as 1t is, all agree that some
thing must be done.
8 We suppose none will deny that every
person keeping dog, contributes to the
dagger and precarionsness Of property in
sheep lIf so, then tits proper That per-
sons contributing to the danger, should
Also con ntribnte to the protection of such
properly From this base-of reasoning
we start out to look for a remedy, and the
following Is the best that occurs 10 us at
the present time
Let the laV require that every dog shall
have on its neck a band. and 10 that, band
shall be attached ring, cord or check
cards, or checks could be Manufactured by
the State I'm the penitentiary perhaps) at
a very small cost. which, at dollar piece
to each county or township consider able
revenue, creating a fund, from which any |
person losing sheep by dogs, land failing |
TO identify such dog, and receiving dam |
ages from the owner thereof may draw |
an amount to cover his or her actual loss.
Such ring, card, or check and stamp should |
serve for one gear only, and each year
could be made Of different material, (say
brass, tin, copper, iron. &c }, and to be re-
newed annually in q certain, month. of
each year. q - IL .zFs--E - fs-it -l-l--
And some township officer Tsay the
Township Clerk to have in charge as well |
as the selling of such rings, cards, or
checks, and q penalty of . fine, or short
for harboring any dog over
three months old not having on It the |
above requirements of the law. -
And all township officers to be held re-
sponslble for the enforcement and execu-
ton of the1provisions of the law, would,
we think, secure its success. = 10y
And the idea here suggests itself, that |
in localities or counties. where mo sheep |
are kept, such fund might % applied 10 |
the heneft-of the people of such locality |
or county, (say to gIve temporary relief to
persons in want) or any surplus not need |
ed for indemnifcation of losses contem
plated above, might be- thus applied; of |
course. here, Wer only refer the general
features of such a7law. ~ a''' :; -
81 Now, the effects of such alaw would be,
first, to reduce the number Of dogs, which
would be a God send even aside from any |
woolly or sheepish considerations, and also
to indemnify person for the loss of pro =
perty sustained by the depredations Of
their neighbors dogs. over which they |
have now nc. practical control a. s8GE i
Now. the effect of this communication
is to call attention to the subject, and if |
any one can suggest something betteIY let |
it be forthcoming. for we intend to roll IN
petitions by the thousands at the earliest
convening of the legislature ss
u A BowMAN.
Fuscarawas Township, Nov 10, 1871,