The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-12-16

vi ACtSsuot bic1u three times ddN
is the rule, and whatever is over,
goes to the dogs.
Not long ago met farmer who
had moved from Michigan and set
tied in Middle Tennessee. ofl
course he wanted to raise sheep, for
Michigan farmer takes to that as |
naturally as duck takes to water.
He was delighted with the pros
pect-dogs excepted. He told me
that he wintered his sheep here at a |
cost of ten cents per head, while in
Michigan it cost him one dollar
But a greater advantage still was, |
that be had never lost young lamb |
here from cold, whereas in Michi- |
gan, in winter, the loss was large
Lambs dropped in Tennessee, even
in midwinter, were healthy and
thrifty, and grew like pigs, whereas
in Michigan, the chances were
AGAINST the tender new comers at
that time of year, being able to sur
vive
But all these advantages were well
nigh nehtralized by the hordes of
internal dogs which roamed over the
country, catching sheep as cats catch
mice. This man was wrought up to
the point of demandinga dog tax of
twenty-five dollars a head.
REMARKABLE DOG DEVELOPMENT.
1t is a sadly significant fact that
every one of the thirty counties
(from every division of the State
the returns from which have been
sent in, contains more dogs than
men. There is not an exception
Where all the duplicates ale made
out it is probable that not a county
in the State but what viii show a
greater number of dogs than men.
Is not this positively discourag-
ing? Can people, supporting such
numbers of non producing animals,
ever attain wealth? A sheep is
producer; every one is an item of
wealth; every pound of wool sent
out of the State brings cash quickly
in return. But dog produces moth
ing. He is consumer, a non-pro-
ducer, tax upon labor, an unmiti-
gated curse, and, where they exist
in numbers, they are sure indiea-
tion of the poverty of the popula
ton. On the other hand, sheep are
an emblem of civilization, thrift,
wealth. Where you find them in
greatest numbers you find wealth,
industry, comfort, intelligence,
thrift. Where dogs are the rule and
sheep the exception, you find power
ty, idleness, shiflessness, ignorance.
THE CURSE.
The returns from the thirty conn
ties taken as a basis, indicate that
there are about 100000 dogs in the
State listed for taxation. The man
ner of listing them in many counties
is exceedingly defective, so that
tens of thousands will escape taxa
tion, but even supposing that 225.-
600 is the correct number, what do
you suppose is the yearly cost of
their support? Not less than four
millions of dollars each year. If
what was fed to the dogs was fed to
the hogs the net result would be
more than four millions of dollars
worth of pork annually. With thst
amount of money brought into the
State each year you would hear less
of "hard times" down here, and less
complaint that there is no money in
the country"
An average dog will, at the lowest
calculation, eat five cents worth Of
bread and meat daily. Multiply
this by the number of days in a year
and dogs in the State, and we end
that they cost largely over four
millions of dollars annually, TO say
nothing of the sheep they destroy,
and the immigration they hinder.
What they consume outright
would fatteu more than four millions
of dollars worth of pork, which
would bring yearly into the country
largely over forty thousand dollars.
And this in the face of the fact that
there are counties in this State the
people Of which do not enjoy the
distribution Of as much as forty
thousand cash dollars among them
from all their exports combined.
) TWO DOGS TO ONE MAN.
In every one Of the thirty coun ties
the returns from which arc in, there
are more dogs than men,
In Cheatham County there are
$50 men and ], ,999 dogs, or nearly
three dogs TO one mani I should
like to know how many sheep there
are, and If there is not constant
complaint in Clleatham that "there
is no money ia the country" In
Clay County there are s07 men and
l,16I dogs. The total valuation of
property in that county, real and
personal, is only s76l ,O20. In
sheep-raising sections ofour land it
is not difiicultto find single men who
are worth more than all OF Clay
County. In Coffee COUNTY ehere are
1875 men and 2,2l1 dogs. In Fen
tress County, 62s men to 1,13T
dogs.
In Giles County there is the eHor-
nous number at 1850 dogs But
that is a moderately th!ckly popula-
ted county, there being 45S6 men in