Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-02-23
THE BOARD FENCE.

Ills dIulS dS nb CIldSeu u uULen sheep
and lambs through gap in the fence.
1t was wood fence, and when he
had succeeded in driving the animals
to the other side of it, he lifted it up
from its reclining position and prOpped
it up with stakes. This was an Oper-
alton he had found himself obliged to
repeat many times in the course of the
season, and not only Of that season,
but of several previous seasons.
Yet Mr.. Babcock was neither slack
nor thriftlBs; in fact, he rather prided
himself on the orderly appearance of
his farm, end not without reason.
How then shall we account for his
negligence in this particular instance?
The truth was that this fence formed
the boundary line between his estate
and that Of Mr.. Small, and three gen
erations of men who owned these es-
tates had been unable to decide to
whom it belonged to rebuild it and
keep it in repair If the owners had
CHANGED to be men of peaceful dispo.
sitions, they would have compromised
the matter and avoided a quarrel; but
if, on the contrary, they belonged to
that much larger class who would
sooner sacrifice their own comfort
and convenience than their so called
rights, this fence would have been a
source of unending pickering and
strife.
And of this class were the present
owners. Again and again had they
consulted their respective lawyers on
the subject, and dragged from their
hiding PLACES mgsty Old deeds and
records, but always with the same re-
suit.
81 say it belongs to you to keep it in
repair; that's as plain as pike staff, u
Mr.. Babcock would say.
"And | say it belongs to you-any
fool might see that" Mr.. Smith would
reply; and then high words would fol
low, and they would part in anger
more determined and obstinate thar
ever The lawyers fees and the loss
by damages from each others cattle
had already mounted to sum sufficient
to have built fence around their en-
tire estates, but what was that com
pared to the satisfaction of having
their own way.
At last one day Miss Letitia Gill, {
woman much respected in the village
and of some weight as a land-owne
and taxpayer, sent for MI Babcock t,
come and see her on business, a sum
mons which he made haste to obey
as how could it be otherwise when
lady was concerned?
Miss Letitia sat at her window sew
ing a seam, but she dropped her 'orl
and took off her spectacles when MI
BabcOck made his appearance.
$50 you got my message; thank yol
for coming, I'm sure. Sit down.
suppose my man Isaac tol! you | want
ed to consult you on business-a mat
ter of equity, | may say. 1t can't b
expected that we women folks shoul
be the best judges about such thing.
you know. There's Isaac, to be SURF
but then he lives on the place; mayb
he wouldn't be exactly impartial in hi
judgment about our affairs"
"Jes so," said Mr.. Babcock.
"Well, the state of the case is this
When Isaac came up the long meado'
to uinner-they're moving the meat
ows to-day, and an uncommonly goo
yield there is-when he came up [
dinner he found that stray cows ha
broken into the vegetable garden"
ale did, heyr"
"YOu can fancy the riot made.
declare Isaac was almost ready to us
profane language. | am not sure thi
he didn't; and after all, couldn't fe
to reproach him very severely, for ii
pains he had taken with that garden
sometimes amazing; working in it, NJ
BabcOck, early and late, wedding, di
ging and watering, and now to see
all torn and trampled SC that yC
wouldn't know which was beets al
which was cucumbers. It's enough
raise anybody's temper"
at IS So" said Mr.. Babcock.
"And that isn't all, for by the loo
Of things they must have been raj
paging in the orchard and clover fie
before they got into the garden. Ju
you come and see;" and putting on h
sun.bonnet, Miss Letitia showed n
Babcock over the damaged precinc
"You don't happen to know who
animals did the mischiefP' said y
Babcock.
"Well, 1 didn't observe them in pi
ticular myself, but Isaac said the
was one with peculiar white mai
something like cross, on his hauncl
"Why, that's Small's old brindl
cried Mr.. Babcsck. 81 know the ma
as well as l know the nose on l
face. She had balls on her horns, did
sheP"
"Yes, so iac sai1."
Sand kind of hump on her back
"a perfect dromedary," said NJ
" Letitia. '"I noticed that myself"
"They were Small's cows, no dor
of it at ALL" said Mr.. Babcock rusbi
his hands.
"No sheep with them, heyp"
"Well, now | think Of it, there W
heep--they ran away as soon as Il
saw Isaac. Yes, certainly there W
Sheep said Miss Letitia.
III know it-they always go W
the cows; and what do you want
mep"
ats to fix damages" said Miss
titia. "As L said before, women fo
are no judges about such matters" I"
Mr.. Babcock meditated momt
and then said:
"Well, l wouldn't take cent
than seventy.five dollars, If / were
not cent"
"Ssventy-fve dollars. Isn't tina
good deal, Mr.. Babcockp You kno
don't wish to be hard on the poor N