The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-07-05
THE FENCE Law.


MIR. EDITOR: We had the "no-fence
law" in operation on Cuffee Creek after
the recent storm, (of which we spoke
last weekly It passed without a vote
down this creek, and that, too, with
vim added to it, which clearly proves that
storms can blow down the fence around
our fields and let the stock Of the whole
neighborhood on the crops, just as easy
as it can blow the fence of a pasture
down, which would let in only mans
own stock on his own crop. So you may
tell Mr.. "Varennes" I would rather my
crop would be eaten by my own stock
than by the stock of my neighbors. On
the evening of the storm / had to build
up my horse.lot and enclose the stock of
several families to protect my crop. A
good pasture fence would not be as liable
to blow down as the rotten, rickety fences
we now have around our farms. | am
satisfied, in my own mind, that it would
be best to adopt the change in our fence
system, Notwithstanding the bill is i'm
perfect, and amendments to the proposed
law will be necessary to perfect it. Even
as it is, it is better than the present fence
law. I might say we are destitute OF a
fence law at present, because we have
very few. if any, lawful fences in Ander-
son County. 1t has been argued that if
we adopt the change, the penalty clause
is deficient, and we would be at the mercy
of unprincipled men. Well, | think
that remedy can be obtained on the
criminal side of the Court, under the
head of malicious trespass; and certainly
we will be in no worse condition than at
present, as we have no lawful fence we
have no remedy against unprincipled
men, and our crops are at the mercy OF
that class of men, and the starving stock
that are prowling around our farms every
day, and getting more mischievous every
season. Many persons have not timber
to make lawful fence, and those who
have cannot get the labor and pay the
cost of making a fence around their
farms sufficient to keep out the cattle
owned by other people. Many persons
by experience have found that in order
to have milk and butter foPtheir families
they must make pasture for their own
COWS, as the outside range is worthless,
having been destroyed by the quick
growth of the old-6eld pine. How can
they afford to also keepup fence around
all their crops in addition, just for the
benefit of other peoples stock? There
is no justice in such a course.
By calculation it is found that it will
cost $3.50 to fence in one hundred acres
of land; $3.50 to fence two hundred acres
$3.50 to fence five hundred acres. Some
persons say that if the fence law passes,
they will fence in all their land. Well,
the law will allow any man to have as
much fence as he wants to make; but if
it passes, his land-lines will be equal to
a lawful fence all around his land, which
he can get without splitting rail, just
by going to the ballot-box, putting in his
vote and helping to pass the new law.
That, you see, will be much the cheapest
way of getting lawful fence around his
land. twill only take half day to do
that, and it will take, as above stated,
$3.50 to fence two hundred acre tract,
which is s1.25 per acre; and in a one
hundred acre tract it will take S1.5O pei
acre. This is a pretty heavy tar. Such
being the fact, I hope no man will say a
word, or even mention, the small item OF
tax he will have to pay to enclose the
County or his Township. Why, it will
be nothing in comparison. The one is a
fraction-the other amounts to hundreds
of dollars. I am satisfied the change
will be better for the non-landholder. II
will bring into cultivation at least one,
fourth more land. There is on every
farm a number of acres that can be cult.
waited, if the law passes, that now cannot
be, for the want of timber, and on &C.
count of the cost of fencing it; and as
the rate of rents is according to supply
and demand, the landowner can afford
to give the renter a better chance, and
make more than he does now. The
change will give rise to improvement in
stock, and one COW will be worth three
of our present stock. Some may ask
how will that come about? 1t will natu.
rally take place in various ways. AS il
now is, I cannot afford to send off tc
some country where the "no-fence law
is in existence to get fine breeder, and
pay one or two thousand dollars, for my
especial benefit; but half a dozen neigh.
bors could jointly purchase one and keep
it up, and soon could raise improved
breeders that would be in reach of the
rental class, and their stock would be
improved at a trihing cost. Another
grand item in favor of the law is, the
fertilizers that every farm could make al
home to improve his land because if
man has good stock of cattle he will
naturally incline to take good care o1
them. He will have good stalls for them
at night and in bad weather, and woulc
be able to save the pure fertilizer under
shelter, one load of which is worth five
loads of what is made out in the weather
the best qualities having been washed
away by the hard rains. Another item
proves the necessity of a change in the
fence law. In this section of the County