The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-01-15
Correspondence baltimore Coantpi
TRESPASS LAW.
Fences and Barbed Fences-I5 glt
Things at Last.
PIKEsyILLF. jam.

PIKEsyILLE, January nil ii
MeSsrs. Editors You very commd re- a
Gently published the important decisio } by a
Judge Wickes in the Talbot county Corttive
to the application of the trespass law nj OBJ a
legation Of stock owners to fence for tie sure f
| of their own cattle. The question has been
in dispute, and the contentious between bors :
pertaining to it have given rise to any 1T of
bitter feeling, precarious suits and pa en-
| counters but it should now fOrthwieome
| sufficiently understood to Mt ence ngtout
compliance with the law and do ay N the
imposition so long practiced by sol anborne
with by others-the law being now aIcable
fact. not only in Talbot county but I'LL tcoun-
| ties of the State.
The common opinion that each I'M ut put
| up half of n division fence, to say nhinf the
idea sometimes found, that the rich mn st put
| up all, will for some time be a stumblg,ck to
| the ignorant and unrehecting, who litl read
! the papers or discover justice in any hla that
! does not kick the beam in their indiviuhvor.
| The ideas for such persons to refec are
these: To secure certain benefits yommmake
certain expenditures-to get milk in yuws or
| fat on your beef-you must as one of heessa-
| ry expenses, put up the necessary f,nc and
expect no more aid from neighbG you
| would in putting in crop of wheat OF co The
| labor and remuneration in all their partsnhke
your own. If neghbor chooses to but
hundred dollars in putting up part Of feWhen
| he has no cattle of his own to fence agt, he |
merely helps you along or does that muclcing |
| for you gratis. Fences everywhere, fencn the |
road, fences on the lines with your nlbors, |
fences in the middle of your farm are Dnger |
necessary to keep other people or their lie OIL
your property. They are all merely to your
| own cattle in your own property, and st you
forget it."
Again, staticians have found that tfsst- OF
keeping up the fencing in the Dated fNsP stSls
| into the millions of dollars. TH - x',oe2%
and time they exhaust for some f..f .oncing
localities are sufficient to make up a aerate in
come, and, in view of the increasing ain upon
our timber resources, it is importantt all aids
| looking to its economy should be augnted.
| Besides the economical and pecuniipoints OF
| view, there are others worthy intelig,consider-
alton. We profess to be progressing civiliza-
| ton, wherein lawful restrictions sonal re-
| gard impel us toward justice in actiond intell-
| gence in progress. The removal of jail-like
ratings around the public squares Off city are
demonsttative of this, wherein the Ghost shrub
berry in dainty beds surrounded by wet grass
| plots thrive peacefully, unmolested bhe foot of
the careless or the hand of the RUTHLESS True, the
watchful eye of the guardians of aware ever
near to protect, but there is no reasoIinhe world
why some farms and country seats Iigt not be
equally shorn of their enclosures andeqtlly free
from molestation. If the guardians til law are
sparser in the rural districts the pop to be
watched are sparser also, and the bearngSetween
city and rural safety consequently cGreoond.-
Most all fences are eye-sores and blot olnature,
and the beautiful lawns, gardens and lot in our
villages and suburban districts would REEVE an
additional lustre were the walls or lmsr piles
AL nral :
mi ht also be promoted as the wonderful apdity
with which some rich mems fences gldually
evaporate, as it were, in the vicinity OF sole poor
mems houses is remarkable.
The road -pastnring nuisance seeMs-A- BIKE be-
come pretty well understood by this timeand the
cattle pasturing tended by one)r more
urchins, who, in view of possible chastements,
make some exertion to keep the stock fun caus
Jag depletion of the parental fund inl fine
But these juvenile attendants are as BID some
times in one way the cattle, if left to ourselves
would be in another. They will cut nd hack
gates and posts, cut young, expensive trees fo
cow-sticks steal flowers and fruit, throwstones a
suitable sign boards, yell at passers-by md run il
dust to their knees ahead of carriages much t
the disgust of feminine finery on sumaer after
moons. In fact every roadside mischief tina
idleness can prompt to they will do. Is the neV
law holds that all grass and heritage fund in
road belongs to the owner of the propert, adjoin
ing it, it can be but another step in the cause o
law and order to break up this roadside psturin
altogether, and few examples in tn. comm
season should be made to begin it.
AS illustrative of the difference between men @
honor and meanness, of business and sloth,
would mention an item in my own farming expert
ence My richest farm neighbor, before turnin
his large droves to pasture in the spring, person
g. hat,x
US and puts his share in perfect order, and l
the same As consequence no trespass, no III
-9ifssrntT turns half-starved stocfearly- te'S-
woods, adjoining my best crops, whIcn Ilesvt
pasture, and obigates me, to prevent what migf
have heretofore been dubious suits, to repair ha
the line of fencing between us and ultimately
repair and rebuild the whole. For thanks | re
ceive the information of being more meddlesom
than necessary. As q relief from such ungratefu
ness 1 can now trustfully appeal to the law an
demand him to fence in his own cattle.
In connection with the growing scarcity OF tin
ber the desire for slightly and secure means for eli
closing lands where necessary, and also the in
practicablity of converting it into kndling b
theft. the recent novelty of barbed wire fencin
answers every purpose. while the growing deman
for it, both for remote farm lands and artisticall
improved suburban homes, evince its stead
growth in popular favor. However, from SON
avowed "cruelty to animal" gladiators, some OF
position has ensued, and for the benefit OF tho'
interested it would be well to mention the effciei
CIV of the above-named fence and the immunit
from accident it has granted for two years, und
my own observation, in exceptionally trying su
roundings. A neighbor had long, narrow II
Immediately adjoining steam railroad All h
share of the fencing on the inside portion OF u
lot, and the part toward which the frightened ca
Ao1 Of harh nod Irn
Into this lot it was his peculiar choice or necessi
to put heifers, colts and bulls, such as would mo
likely torture themselves to death forthwith, al
they here roamed by night and day. Strange
to steam, they ran wild at its approach, but in l
instance ran into the almost imperceptlble FEM
or endeavored in their fright to jump 1t. Son
massive food-g gates were on part OF the lot al
the bulls sometimes made super bovine exertiol
to nav their respects to bawling cows in the a.
Joining pasture, but they broke through the foo
gates rather than the wire. If such cattle, und
such surroundings, escaped all danger tor
years think the argument sufficiently advance
in favor of barbed wire fences without turtn
comment. That accidents have happened or ms
happen from its use is not to be deniedj put fro
what human invention can these be summed Z
The old post and rail and worm fences, it mig
| be said, have been instrumental in manning
| killing their due allotment of CATTLE Howeve
arguments and comparisons are alike unworthy
| attention until some accurate and noteworthy pr
portion of disadvantages can be set against Il
advantages accruing from its use.
| Forget not, Messrs. Editors, if you please,
keep us duly posted on all those laws tending
redeem us from the ills consequent upon our t
| long cherished "back- woods" customs.
i. B. L..
Hartford County Agricultural Society.
The Hartford county Agricultural Society he