Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-10-09
The Stock Law.

for the purpose of discussing tho merits and
demorits Of the stock law. 1t seemed on that
occasion that our mountain friends woro
sorely impressed with tho idca that tho people
South Of fWalhalla were trying to forco tho law
upon tho whole county without any oonsidera-
ton for tho good of those North OF there. For
this reason they woro clamorous md would
not liston to reasonable statements nor any
thing else but ttss in favor of tho law rs It now
stands. Now thoy labored under q oonsdo-
able mistake; because tho people assembled
thcro to ascertain about what line they could
agree upon, in caso it was not tho will of tho
people to fence tho whole county. Since they
would not hear on that day, I dosiro through
your columns to submit fow ideas upon
which tho whole people may think, possibly,
with profit to themselves. Wo have been
reliably Informed that it would take only
thirteen miles of fonoing to inclosu tho county,
which is plain, since it is bounded OH two
sides by large rivers and on third by Anderr
son County, Which is fenced. There arc
individuals farmers in this county who keep
up moro than this much fence, whilo it is q
Common thing for them to have from two to
six miles; which would mako tho present
toncos Of tho county worth about Sl25, 600
exclusive OF tho value Of tho timber. Now
feel perfectly satisfied that loss than onc-fifth
Of this amount will both enclose tho stock
and tho county. Is it not enormous. thon, to
think how much money and valuable timber
wo aro foolishly wasting annually2 Those
very mountain people who boast Of thoir
virgin forests" arc now shipping timber to
Europe. Why does Europe buy timber?
because hcr forests aro exhausted. Tho
American supply can DO exhausted too, and wc
oro pursuing tho very way to do it. Tho
American people hnvo mover put upon their
timber tho prico it deserves. Just because
timber is destroyablo is no reason wo should
destroy it.
They ask: What will tho poor renters OF
the county do in case tho law is passed. I
ask who build the fences now, if it is not the
rentcr2 Every renter has either to repair
the fonccs, enclosing tho part he cultivatcs, or
pay larger rents. Tho land owner is not
going to keep up the fences, pay tho taxes
and bear all other burdens whilo tho renter
is at no outlay. 1t will be tho very law for
tho poor renter. AS for tho charitable
objects they will be charitable ones still.
These poor people arc here, they must have
n support, and, in any and crory event, the
people who own the property must do it,
Tho mere passage of this law is not going to
lessen tho charity of our pcaplc, SO, Of course,
that which is good for tho property owners OF
our county is good for tho poor within its Dor
dcrs.
know of farmer in this county who for
mcrly MIXED from four to eight COWS and did
not get over water bucket full of milk-his
COWS ran out. lie now milks ono COW and
she gives rs much ms MI the others dd-she
does not run out. Now il is plain that this
COW is immensely cheaper to keep than any
six cattle. This is not m Instance of tho
profits arising from tho fencing of his co,o
only, but every head of his other stock is
likcwise fenced proiiably. Thus we soc that
as tho law now is it pays better to fonoo the
stock. How much better would it pay thon
II VIC did not have to fence tho crops Whnt
we need is better stock and not so much Of it.
1t takes too much timo to provide provcndcr
Tor them, unless they wcro more rcmunorar
tive. As long rs our farmers work on tho
plan they aro working, they eau neither
larm nor raise stock proftaby; because their
stock is invariably detrimcnt to the
arm, and when the farm dctcroratcs the
stock necessarily does.&I know again of
farmers who havo largo herds Of cattle and
logs eating other peoples grass from early
'pring till late fall, and then return homo to |
'at up their owners hard carvings Of n sums
nor only to bo turned out tho following
spring poorer than cvsr, and consequently
nst tIlat much icss marketable. What |
profit, then, say, is il to keep surplus stock
% make poor people poorer? Tho limo spons
IN building the present fences and providing
hay and straw could bo proGtably employed
N enriching the soil and planting reas,
mllet, lucern, clover and tho like, which pay
good profits at short oullays. Some of tho
advocates Of the present law will claim that
The litter accumulated in the COW stall is
sufficient pay for al the trouble of cow keen.
ing. This, l think, is absurd, for if thoy
were to save cvory ounce of it,, it would not
DC equal to that which comes from tho field
How far shortwill it fall, then, whom half of
It lsor their stock run out half the ti,nn) Is
scattered cvorywhcre2 Thus We sec that tho
and is impoverished, because wo take nil
away and put back but little
wish also to try to show the advocates of
his law how far they arc morally wrong on
he subject. Thoy say, or, at least they sane
lon, that it is right for the stock Of ono party
o run on tho uncncosed land of another.
suppose ono thousand farmers from counties
oolow Oconeo send their cattle to tho noun
ANS OF tins county to fhtton them. What
you'd be the consequence? There would be