Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-07-23
THE BOARD FENCE.

THE BOARD FENCE.
ashoo, shoe, get home, yol plaguy
crittersl cried Mr.. Babcock, waving
his arms as he chased dozen sheep
and lambs through gap in the fence.
1t was wooden fence, and when he
had succeed in driving the animals the
other side of it, he lifted it from its re-
clining position, and propped it up with
stakes. This was an operation he had
found himself obliged to repeat many
times in tho course of the season, and
not only of thnt season, but of several
previous seasons.
Yet Mr.. Babcock was neither slack
nor thriftless in fact, he rather prided
himself on the orderly appearance of
his farm, and not without reason. How
then shall we account for his negli-
gence in this particular instance?
The truth was that this fence formed
the boundary line between his estate aud
that of Mr.. Small and three genera
tions Of men who owned these estates
had been unable to decide to whom it
belonged to rebuild aud keep it in re-
pair. If the owners had CHANGED to be
men of peaceable dispositions, they had
compromised the matter aud avoided a
quarrel ; but if, on the contrary, they
belonged to that much larger class who
would sooner sacrifice their own com
fort and convenience than their so-called
rights. this fence had been source Of
unending chickering's and strife.
Aud of this class were the present
: owners. Again and again they had
coApsulted their respective LAWYERS on
th& subject, and dragged from their
hiding places musty old deeds and re-
cqgrds, but always with the same result.
@"I say it belongs to you to keep it in
,yrepair that's as plain as pike staff"
) A-hir- -2ahancka Mnnld- -aay,41----.-.e- azsS.-
And says it belong to you,-any
fool might see that" Mr.. Small would
reply, and then high words would fol
low, and they would part in anger, more
determined and obstinate than before.
The lawyers fees and the loss by dam
ages from each Others cattle had al
ready amounted to sum sufficient to
have built fence round their entire
estates, but what was that compared to
the satisfaction of having their own
way?
There was not wanting in the neigh
borhood peace makers who would gladly
have settled the affair by arbitration !:
but to this neither of the belligerents
would listen for a moment.
AT last, one day, Miss Letitia Gill. n
woman much respected in the village.
and of some weight as land-ow and
taxpayer, sent for Mr.. Babcocl1 to come
and see her on business; n summons
which he made haste to obey, as how
could lie 90 otherwise where lady was
concerned.
Miss Letitia sat at her window sow.
ing up n seam, but she dropped her
work and took off her spectacles whom
Mr Babcock made his appearance.
90 You got my message; thank you
1or coming, I'm sure. Sit down, do. I
suppose my man Isaac. told you 1
wanted TO consult you on matter of
business,-a matter Of equity, I may
women folks should be the best indoes
about such things, you know there's
Isaac, to be sure, but then he lives On
the place, and maybe he wouldn't he
exactly impartial in his Judgment about
our affairs
'Jes' So" said Mr.. Babcock
"Well, the state of the case is tb;s
When Isaac came up from tho ln,,,.
meadow to dinner, they're mowino T The
meadow to-day, and nm unc,,oneonIu NV
good yield there is.-when he came ny y
to dinner. he found that certain stra r. I,
COWS had broken into tho veoetohia
garden" 'ese'''oie
HE did, hey"
Gon can fancy the riot thew mado
i declare, Isaac was almost ready to uso
2!oIahe language. I'm not snre that he
didn't say Deuce and I'm not certain
ne d1o say darn and after all, I
couldnt feel to reproach him very
severely, for the pains he has taken
with that garden is something amazino.
working in it, Mr.. Babcock. earIv mn;
late, wedding and digging, and water.
ing, and now to sec it all torn md
tfampled so that you wouldn't know
which was beets and which was cucum.
temper. " io'So "py oooy +
IL If So" said Mr.. Babcock.
:, ana that isn't all, for by the looks
OF things they must have been romnom'
ing fnll hour in tho orchard and cio.
VERIFIED before they had rot ;nto tI,o
garden. just you come and COO ~ a5 S'a
putting on her snn-bonnet IN Me- ice = ,.;t:n a.n
precinct. o"ih"eed
"Yon don't happen to know those
ANIMALS did tho mischief ?" said Mr
"well. didn't observe thom in nor.
tlcular, but Iseac said there was ono
WIN particular white mark: soma.
thin% like n cross on her haunch."
Why, that's Smalla old Brindle "
cried Mr.. Babcock. 81 know the mork