Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-08-18
Herd Law.
CEDAR FALLS TIP Ana

1. DAn IL AisbS IL, aug. o, II.
EDITOR GAZETTE 1T is not that
we wish to aspire 10 public notoriety
through the papers, but there is one
very important question to which We
wish to call public attention-espe-
cially of the voters of our county--as
the fall election approaches, and hope
that we may be indulged--"this
once" at least, q small space in
your columns. The question to
which we refer is the Herd Law
which will, as you are aware, be
again submitted for our adoption or
rejection. This is very important
question one which should receive
our deliberate consideration, i'm order
to be ready to act and vote intelli
gently. Formerly, when our coun
try was but sparcely settled, with
cattle to compaie numerically with
an unlimited range" It was mat
ter Of economy, at least, to turn our
stock out upon the broad prairie
We could then do so to the injury of
no one; but times have changed. The
Herd Law is no longer matter OF
experiment. 1t has been adopted
and experimental upon by other and
less populated countries, and proven
success, i'm confirmation of which,
we would refer all skeptics on this
point to Grundy county. We would
further state why, in our opinion, we
should avail ourselves of the benefits
to be derived from this law, and for
which every intelligent voter la
Black Hawk county should put forth
a special effort to secure. 1t is well
known fact, that the fences are scarce
that will stand the present law Tor
cattle either). In other words, we
wish to say. that you can scarcely
find fence such as will insure the
collection of damages In case of tres
pass or destruction of crops; conse-
quently we are not only lega!izing
the trespassing of our stock upon the
highway, but virtually upon our
neighbours fields. Moreover, 1T lie
the next thing to an impossibility to
grow shade and ornamental trees
along our road fences without having
them continually broused. We have
ever failed to discover the justice, or
even the profit, of raising stock in a
thickiy settled country, seemingly,
just for tile purpose Of turning them
loose upon the public. We believe
that an excess of anything especial
ly stock-beyond our means is Diet.
riment TO ourselves as well as an an
noyance ard a damage to those
around US.
1t stands to reason that we can
fence our cattle with less expence
than we can fence our entire farms,
from the intrusion of all the cattle i'm
the country. Even il we should be
compelled to cut down our numbers
somewhat, half dozen good smooth,
plump cows are worth double the
number of poor, gaunt, roadsters,
any time. t 90 3" ~.ha -sI
Steers and young stock can be kept
upon the prairie west of US, some
time yet, very profitably-especially
80 long as we can get them herded
for one dollar and a fourth per head
for the season. Viewing tie subject
from an other standpoint, in the
light of the injustice of the present
system: Suppose for an instance
that neighbor happens to have q
load of produce upon the public
highway, which is left for few
moments, in the meantime my cows
devour or destroy said produce, why is
IL that said neighbor should not re-
cover damages i'm full for produce SO
destroyed? Simply, because they
are recognized as commoners, are
privileged and protected by law,
while my neighbours produce Is not
in this one particular.
Considering the old Stock Act in
any light we choose too-putting the
most lenient construction upon it
in our opinion, it is unjust, unprofit-
able, and of the most aggrduated
trespass conceivable, upon the prop
erty of others. We fail to see i'm this
particular, the dissimilarity of this
and highway robbery.
We deem the Herd Law not only
advantageous to the farmer, but for
Villagers as well. 1t would save
them time and perplexity to have
cows drove out in herds TO pastures
adjacent, and returned in the even
ing, the expense of which would be
nominal i'm comparison to the loss of
time and pailings missed, occasioned
by your COW "laying out, 7" besides be-
ing In constant fear of having your
gardens "foraged" upon. In any
conceivable light, we cali see no dis
advantage that might possibly be
argued against it, approximate to the
advantages of the Herd Law. g@
-g .aG aas -... .s d#. s. b. Fl.