The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-01-07
HERD LAW AGAIN.

EDITORS NEws:-Some time ago l wrote
an article for your paper against the
Herd Law" and have been quietly
waiting for an ansW er, as the land agents
claim there are so many farmers praying
for this great blessing, but until last week
no one could be found, and then it came
in the shape of "Ventilator." Now we
propose to give some of his statements an
airing and let off some of the foul gas.
His first statement about the price Of
fence is false. If he or any body can find
sixty acres Of land with $500 worth of
fen ce around it in Lyon county, he will
have big job Of ''Ventilation" upon his
hands. The fact is o ne-half Of that mon.
ey will put good fence around it. This
is for all four sides, but there Is not one
man in thirty that has to fence all around
his field alone, unless he chooses, but can
fence with his neighbors, and often saves
from one-fourth to one-half by so doing.
But "Ventilator'' has overlooked all OF
this, besides doubling the actual cost. In
doing so he has but followed up the ex-
ample of all other herd law men.
His next statement is as false as the
first. 1 don't know what he may have up
in his township, but down in Fremont
"Ventilator'' will have to pay from twen-
| ty 10 twenty-two per head. But is this
not a sneaking way to get something tn
found a statement upon, to ridicule and
sneer at our stock. How do such things
sound outside of our State.
Such statements need q little ventila-
ton or they will soon begin to smell bad.
| uis navt oaIcu ation In orifhu,afio so,,n 4 .
very nice, bnt, alasl there is a mistake.
If he had said one man could herd two
head instead of 24O he would come nearer
the mark. II that man can be found that
can herd that number Of cattle and keep
them of the acre patch here and there
that belongs to some unfortunate, and
drive them to water through a 40 foot
| lane, will ''Mr. Ventilator'' please send
him around.
In my part Of the county we have to de-
| pend upon the streams for water for our
cattle and along these streams are situat.
ed the most valuable farms. During the
meeting of the State Grange, at Emporis, 1
aseertained from the members, from the
herd law counties, that it was impossible
for q man to own more than q few head Of
COWS, as you could not move a herd from
place to place without endangering the
growing crops. One man said his coun-
ty was thinking Of aboli shing it, because
they could not raise enough stock for their
own use.
Let me say here that the Kansas State
Grange, composed OF men from every part
| Of the State, adopted resolution praying
our legislature not to pass general herd
law. This Is convincing proof to my
mind that Kansas don't want such law.
"Four strand wire fence indeed
"stOck go right through them" You
should keep your wires stretched ''Mr.
Ventilator." But judging from your
statements you are better at stretching
yarns than wires.
know q man who seven years ago sue
eeeded in fencing go acres and used up all
his material for that purpose. he had 40
acres more that he wanted to fence for 3
pasture, but could not then for lack OF
material. He begun planting out hedge
around his 80 acres, and in 81 years from
that time released enough fence to fence
in his 40, and by the close of next year
will have enough to surround another 40.
4 This is only one example out of the many.
You can see that fencing is not such q
fearful thing after all. But in conclu.
sion would ask "Mr. Ventilator'' il the
herd law is such 3 great blessing why
has not Lyon county had it long ago? Why
not pass the paper and have it right
away?
Oh! you can't get enough signers. All!
and so you wasn't to get . law passed by
which the minority can rule the majority.
Is this lair. A. p.
Fremont, Jan. 3. 1876.