Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-10-16
Eflfftfn :Misrellany.
OUR FENCE SYSTEM.

Ever since Nick Bidde. we believe it
was. made the calculation which proved
that the cost of the repairs Of the fences
around farming lands in the United States
WAS more than the interest, or perhaps
principal. Of the public debt, the question
has been agitated as 10 the propriety ofsuch
a change in our system as would do away
yy.;s : large portion ot this expense. and
vet we appear to have made but little ad
vance towards the accomplishment Of 50
great reform. The main difficulty has
been that we send men to the Legislature
who are moral towards or arrant demago-
rues. and fearing To give offence 10 that
large class to Toe found in every communi-
". who have votes To give though no taxes
70 pay. no measure can lie adopted by leg
islativc bodies ~ in luce every owner of n
hog or COW 10 fence in their stock from
running on the highways. or searching out
the weak spots in their neightors, fences,
hy which they are enabled 10 get into their
fields Of grain or grass which look so IN
viting to the hali-starycd creatures The
same evil has been felt in regard 70 the in
Vulnerable army of dogs running at large,
which must not be touched for fear that
the owners who in most cases are not able
to feed them. 10 keep them At home, and
thus they are permitted to invade the sheep
folds If their ntirhhors, because, forsooth,
the owners Of these worthless ours NAV not
tee willing 70 cast their ballot at the ensu-
ing election for him who shall have faith
fully performed his duty in abatinC the
nuisance.
These evils must bc corrected, and will
he. we are confident, in due time. But as
for the former. the laws in existence are
already sufficient tn meet the case, If pro-
pcrlv carried out. The law OF the State,
rs decided 10y some Of our courts. and the
decision IS carried out in Montgomery
county. is to the effect that stock has no
right 10 run at large upon our public roads
fturnpikc or county,: that in taking from
the lundholder the quantity Of land for the
public highways, the right alone is parted
with that the original owners enjoyed of
securing to the objects of the road the free
and unrestricted use of the bed thereof tor
the purposes of travel by the public. And
any disuse and condemnation of the same,
for such public purpose, entities the origi-
nal proprietor to resume his entire owner
ship thereof; in the meantime he has every
other right to the premises. with the eX-
ception named, and the pasturage and other
privileges belong to him alone.
\ case was tried in one of our courts not
long since by which a turnpike company
attempted to eject a wheelwright from the
premises included in the number of feet
claimed by the company, and which was
used by the machanic for the storage of
the vehicles brought to his premises for
repairs. And the decision was in accor-
dance with the views above stated.
In Georgia the people are to be called
upon this fall to decide upon this fence
question. And General w. NJ. Brown, a
vice President of the State Agricultural
Society, has written long letter upon the
subject in compliance with the request of
several leading farmers of Clarke county,
where he resides, in which the following
startling facts are presented to the consi-
dcration of the public. He says that in
that county there are fifty thousand miles
of fence, making, at eight feet to the panel,
thirty-three million panels, costing, at 40
cents per panel, $13,200,000, and, as fences
have 10 be renewed every seven years, in
volving an annual outlay of 81 ,SS5, ia, and
all this to keep out Of the crops few
cattle, sheep and hogs worth, at the out
side, 100000. The fences of this country
are valued at nearly $4,000, 100000. In
Illinois alone So ,OOO,O00 will hardly cover
the expense. In Nebraska a fencing law
adapted to the needs of the country has
been adopted. The law throws upon every
owner of live stock the onus of keeping