The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-11
THE STOCK L.fU',

Economy OF tho Law .-somo Interesting
Figures.
In the last number of the Edgcncld
Idco,ftser Con. NJ. W. Cary gives the
provisions Of tho stock law to Edge
field county in answer to note ad-
dressed to him by thirty-seven citizens
Of the county. lie says that the lands
Of this State originally belonged to tho
State, and were by degrees granted to
the citizcns Of the State. For wears
there were thousands Of acres known
rs "public lands," which furnished O.
common range for the stock Of every
Citizen Now there are no public lands
and tho products Of the soil have
changed, the small fields have changed
and commons for pasturagcs arc ull-
known. IIo continues:
L know Of no law that gives tho
owner of stock the right TO pasture
them upon the land Of his ncighbor,
and he is liable under an old statute
to an action for damages for trcspass
of stock. Then the stock owner has
no right to complain if his neghbors
claim exclusive right TO pasturnge upon
thcir lands. AS there is no law or
equity in the claim of the stock owner,
propose next to consider the pro-
posed change in the law from All ccono-
mical standpoint.
The first thing to ascertain is: What
is the value OF the stock in this State?
The second is: What is tho cost Of
the fencing Of the State?
DY reference TO the statistics Of 1871,
of the agricultural department Of tho
General Government, the value Of o,w
stock is S2,401 ,2S2 The cost of our
fencing is Es21, l3G,S79. These figures
disclose the astounding fact that we
expcnd more than ten dollars i'm build
ing fences to keep out ono dollars
worth Of stock. 1t would seem that
further argument Oh this question
would be unnecessary. But in order
to make the matter still clearer, | will
give the results Of The calculations OF
some Of our own people. Gen. James
Chcsnut, in n report to the South
Carolina Agricultural Society in 1859,
estimates the cost Of fencing tho i'm
proved lands Of South Carolina at four
dollars and quarter per acre. Mr..
r.. >. hammond, Of Aiken county,
estimates the cost at four dollars per
acre. | take il they arc not wide Of
the mark. Now the average duration
of our fences is about ten years; this
gives annual assessment upon the land
owner Of forty cents per acre for fcnc-
ing his arabic land.
There are, according 10 tho census
OIL 1860, about 100000 acres of inn
proved lands in the Stale; and Mt the
rate OF four dollars per acre as the
cost OF fencing, we arrive at tho cnor-
nous sum Of $4,000, 900 as the cost
every ten years for fencing out the
stock OF tho State.
The above figures arc taken from
tho census OF 1860; but if YOU will
turn TO the census OF 1870, there are
about 5000, 900 acres Of improved
lands, and the cost of fencing these
would be &l2, 100000.
1t is evident that the custom, as it
now exists, is in favor Of the owner Of
stock, and puts at Il disadvantage the
land owner, the renter and the labor
cr, IN The ratio Of ten dollars to one
dollar. And It. must not be forgotten
that this is Il cotton grow ing State, and
that stock raising is only an incident
III our agricultural pursuits. The
present system of labor makes the
adoption of the stock law an agricul-
tural necessity. 1t is Il notorious fact
that the average value OF our lands Der
acre will not reach four dollars, as is
evidenced by our various public sales
ofands. The cost ofbuilding the fences
is more than the market value Of the
land, and there is widespread dispo-
sition on the part Of freedmen to shirk
the splitting Of rails. There arc but
few cross fences in our best organized
farms; and plantations, AS general
rule, only have an outside fence, and
1t not strong enough to keep the stock
out Of our fields. Stock that is not
kept under fence usually disappears
when turned out at large. Seli-prc-
scrvation is the first law Of nature, and
the tillcrs Of soil will kill stock before
they will lose their crops, upon which
depends the support OF themselves,
their wives and children. An en-
lightcncd public opinion will not
blame them for it.
General Gary says that he did
not press this matter while he was
in the Senate because he thought
it was best to wait until New
berry, Aiken and Lexington were
ready to adopt the law, and so save
the expense Of building line fence
between the counties.
a DOUBLE HANGING.-Mrs. Meier
hollcf, c0nflclcu with Frank Lam
mems, her paramour, Of the murder of
her husband, John Mcicrhotler, at
West Orange, October IS, 1879, was
hanged at the county court house at
1880 o'clock Friday morning. She
was Very pale and deeply affected, but
walked to the gallows without assist
ance, and met her fate without con-
Tossing or uttcring a word. She died
in about nine minutes, her neck being
apparently unbrokcn. About thirty
persons were present, including the
officers and jury selected by the court
under recent law, and ali spectators
were excluded. Lamnrns was hung
from the same gal lows immediately al
forwards, but made 10 confession.
|
a FATAL QUARREL.-A special to the
Co"rierJ0Hrnol from Henderson,
Ky, says: a murder occurred in the
ice fleet in the mouth Of Green river
! carly Saturday morning. Among the
fishing boats lying in there were two
moorcd together. Cuc was occupied