The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-01-27
RALEIGH, N. c., THURSDAY, JANUARY 27 1881.
For the JAaaER .Sp MscaArIs.


and your readers this week upon th
subjec. OF Fences. This is unquestioI
ably one of the crying evils of the State
demanding the attention of the presen
Legislature The fear Of future politi
cal promotion Il believe it is said tina
every member OF Legislature expect
10 be either Governor or Congress
man may deter members from con
tending with the ignorance and preiu
dice upon this subject But the mar
who has courage to grappie 1t will il
the long run be remem bered and rewar.
ded when his fellows are forgotten anC
consigned to the everlasting shades OF
private life. The people in the thrifty
prosperous portions of the State are
ready for the question, can we get it {
\ canvass aud vote can do no posi-
bic harm Those who are in ig
norance will be educated; and those
who now understand the question will
be better posted. | can be only a
question as to whether the proper time
has arrived. For come it must, Just as
the engine will come when the track is
LAID, or the artillery and baggage wagons
follow the pioneer corps. No intelli
gent farmer who looks out on his farm
and sees his forest timber melting away
year after year will fail to see the i'm
portance and urgency Of the question
There are miles upon miles of old rot
ten fences on single farms in North
Carolina the owners of which can never
nope to see rebuilt or even repaired. If
1t Is TO be done the labOring man if he
viii throw aside his prejudice and use
little reason and common sense must
see that 1t will be done at his expense.
1t Is his muscle that must pay the pen
atty. Many tenant has pushed"
until bushlng even is too heavy a lob
and finally retires and the old shift goe.
to the commons. Facts and figures
statistics upon this subject too would
be but dull and common place 1t is
only the prejudice and unfairly yielded
power of those who imagine they are
getting the benefit of privilege they
have no shadow of claim to, that is
to overcome. Everybody knows that
fencing is one of the heaviest burdens
and expenses the farmer has to bear
Everybody knows that the fence around
the crops in North Carolina are worth
Everybody knows oek they keep out,
unsuited to other present condition and
are in no wise respected or observed. If
[ buy tract of land in Granville or else
where in the State it is commonly un-
derstoOd that my deed has given me a
clear right and title to it. 1t is mine
against all the claims Of all my neigh
bors. And does not the State acknowl
edge this when she sends the Sheriff to
collect her taxes? The State tells me
if my neighbor or tramp or thief
comes upon my land against my wishes
and takes not even a stone Or tWIg or
a blade OF grass away she will protect
me against his trespass, and acknowl-
edges my right to protect myself in the
possession of my property. But my
stock What an inconsisten
cy in this regard. Why if | go to the
expense of hiring hand and cultivate
a few acres of my land In corn, wheat
or oats, and its matter il which the
question of profit and loss is very nice
one The State requires me to have
around it fence close enough to keep
out, not my pigs, but my neighbors
strong enough to turn not my bull, but
my neighbors high enough to keep out
not my horse, but my neighbors. Yes
| have not only to plant my corn and
cultivate it, but am required to keep
dog and fence five feet high to pro-
tect it against my neighbor's stock
Everybody knows that this law was
we'll enough when great bodies Of land
in North Carolina were uninhabited and
But the last census tells
us that such is no longer the case now.
Is there 10 member of the Legislature
who has no hope of returning again or
becoming candidate for Congress or
Governor that will devote himself to
this question
1t strikes me some member from
Granville could undertake the task with
eminent propriety. | will add few
lines from a private letter received from
Capt. sgd Alexander few days ago
La Neck lenburg they have fence law.
He says The last terrible cold spell,
the coolest on record here proves what
a blessing the fence law is, since people
have to keep up their stock, they have
learned that shelters pay well, and the
more advanced find that good stables
for all stock pay better"
Y. a. G.