The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1878-10-24

Ed. EAaLR:-In thus intruding up
ON your space, l feel somewhat like >
trespasser. Having str.yed away from
the nock, or rather the dock having
strayed away from me, know l sm
considered BY some ~ only At to be
made into mince-meat. But believing
that the EAGLE has not yet closed its
columns TO reason, l beg leave TO lay
before your readers some of my ideas
in regard to political economy.
In 1870 this vast tract Of sountry
known as the ..Indian trust" and "di-
minished reserve" lands, was opened
for settlement s6fcient in extent to
furnish farms for 50, 900 families. Here
was one Of the great store-houses Of
nature, only awaiting the toll and skill
of the husbandman to open up it, vast
resources. How was this to be &C.
complished? The land seemed to be
rich, although covered to q very great
extent with only . scanty growth OF
grass. and almost entirely destitute OF
any visible material wherewith to
fence it. 1t was not the most inviting
field wherein to make venture ~
farming, and have known hundreds
Of men turn away discouraged BY the
absence of material with which to
buiid fences. These people had al
ways been accustomed to farming
with good fences, and would refer
back to their native States for author
ity. on fencing. . II from New England,
they would speak of stone walls, SO
many feet high. II from Ohio or In
diana, SO many rails with stake aud
rider. If from Illinois, SO many boards,
certain distances apart, all differing
in material aud each having different
standard" When told that farming
might be conducted without any fence
at all, it was entirely beyond their
comprehension. "Whatv' said they.
'sfarm without a fence? You must
be . set Of gorgeous lunatics y" But
says one, We might have law enact
ed declaring the boundary line of each
mans land legdl fence. "But," said
they, "you must have some kind Of a
wall if only foot high, or row of
logs, or short stakes driven into the
ground, and at least one board nailed
along; you must have something to
form a 'basis.'" No,said the lunatics,
nothing but an ideal, invisible boun-
dairy, existing only in the contempla-
ton OF law. "And do you propose to
food the country with that kind of
fence :? No one would respect them /;
you couldn't get any body to take that
for o fence; it can't be done; you are
crazy idiots;' you must follow the ex-
ample of other countries, and build
fences with stone or timber--materiai
possessing in itself intrinsic value
or you never can carry ON farming in
this world"
But Notwithstanding these protcsta-
tions such n law was enacted, ami
know Of no country where a farmer
can go to sleep at night with greater
assurance that he will awake in the
morning to find that his rights have
been respected, aud his property per-
fectly safe, nor where there is less
trouble among neighbors, or fewer
law suits for tresspass and damages
than there is under our present system
Of worthless, cheap, convenient, use
full, everlasting, legal fencing.
When the Lord saw fit to bring us
to land rich in all the elements OF
agricultural production, but destitute
of timber or stone, we, like intelli.
gent, civilized beings did enter q cove.
nant with one another that we would
adapt ourselves to circumstances, and
respect each others property without
building Notifications, as do the bar.
barians. In this way we were enabled
to apply the whole labor. the capital
and the credit that We possessed, Il
the development of this God-giyer
land, hence our wonderful progress in
growth and greatness both in city and
country. 1t was this covenant, this
''fat," Gf you choose so to term it,
that has given man dominion over ma
ture; it was the key with which b,
has unlocked this vast store-house Of
creation, and enabled him to bring
forth its treasures in abundance; it il
the key which unlocked the doors o.
homes to thousands of families who
never could possessed them, under thu
old system of fencing lands with ma
terial having in itself ''intrinsic val
ue :" it is the talisman that has mad'
it possible to develop this New Kan
sas," and convert a bowling wilder
ness, in so short time, into fruitful
fields, gardens and vineyards, ant
caused it to "blossom like the rose ;
it is the lever which has caused Kan
sas to bound az it were from insignifi
canoe TO the second place in the list o
wheat-growing States; it is the aasee'
| no,re,. that is stimulating her people