Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg Court House [S.C.]) 1877-1881, 1881-08-04
Thc Stock Law .
KNoTTs MILLS, S. c.,

Orangcburg County July 3Oth 1881.
Editor 0ranyednry 91rmes-a r-e ;"m Il
On a short visit &to5 my native
County; after MI absence Of several
years, finu ours people !agitating
the fence question: and lam pleased
to see it; for l consider it sure indi-
cation OF progress, which must GER
tainly lead to increased material
prosperity. l am panied, however,
to see pieces written for the public
upon this subject, which abound in
what | consider, unbccoming per-
sonal illusions. must demur
against such, and I am: sure that
every intelligent man lljoin me in
saying, 1t is a pity that men cannot
rise above such triliing, and discuss
calmly and impaaagtially the question
The question before us is, which is
better to fence the stock or the crop?
Now, l am not farmer; but am
very deeply interested in the welfare
OF the farming community, and at the
instigation of n valued friend, I am
led to give my experience as learned
from observing THO working of the
new system OF fencing the stock in
five different counties in the State.
| first observed it's working in
Anderson County for year or two,
and find the people delighted with
it. t was amusing to hear them
talk OF the opposition which it re-
ceived ut first, and Of the wonderful
stories which were told ofthc great
injury which it would bring to :.hc
poor, &c, but thcl;i in actual force
showed that these were only imagi-
nary, and the poor could laugh for
ever, having been dnped by ttem.
My home WAS ut this time in Able
vile; but | visited Anderson very
often, being only few miles from
the County line, and rs often rs l
visited it had to pass through a
gate, which shut out the stock of the
-lbGeville farmers from the Anderson
pco Die. Very soon the people Of
Abbcville seeing what blessing it
WAS, began agitating the question,
and in short while they fell into
line, and several OF my friends, rs
good farmers us arc in the County,
were after aycar's a trial highly pleas
rd with its working, and regretted
that it had not been passed sooner; !;
for had it been, they would have
saved much valuable timber, and
would have had finer stock. Ofcourse
the law was not secured without op
position. Some condemned it in the
strongest terms, and / have in mind
now, an old gentleman, who would
have died holding on to the good old
way, and who said that he would
not regard the law; but in due time
lie put up his stock, gracefully sub
hitting to the inevitable, aud though
| have not heard from himlatcly yet
suppose he is by this time fully con
vinccd that what he opposed sostrcn-
onsly was for his own good and the
general welfare of the public.
l have likewise observed it's work
ing in Grecnvillc, Chester and Ian
caster, and | find the people equally
we'll pleased. Only portion OF Ian
caster County has adopted the new
system; but | am sure that this will
not be the case long, for the advan-
tagc which this portion has over the
rest OF the County must soon be seen
BY the most skeptical, and it must
convince them that it will he better
for them to follow suit. | visit twice
each month one Of the best farming
communities in Chester County, ff
teen miles from Lancaster village,
and find the people there we'll pleas
Ell with the new system, and have
heard expressions like this, "I do not
know how we ever did managcto get
along SO many years without it,"
The fact is, | have not yet met more
than one man with whom convers
ed on the subject who was not pleas
ed.
found, from my own experience,
that a man who does not farm will
much prefer living in community
where the stock lnwis in force One
will feel this very sensibly when he
contrasts the accumulation Of filth
which necessarily arises from stock
lying, and standing around the
premises, with its total absence To
some this may seem q very trivial
matter; but | am sure that it well de
serves attention, not only for dcccn-
| cy's sake; but from hygicnic con
siderations.
1t was not my purpose, however,
to discuss the question, but to look
at it through the spectaclcs Of one
daily seeing The working Of the new
| syStcm. 1t remains for YOU to de.