The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-02-18
Fence or No Fence.
EDITOR TINES

EDITOR TINES:
In your issue of Feb. 4th you
have an editorial on the no fence
law which meets my hearty appro-
val, and | should think would meet
that of every calculating planter
in the country. As to its causing
an exodus, and some OF the Oppo-
nents cite South Carolina to sup
| port their theory, let me ask what
caused the exodus from Washing
ton county to Kansas The abo-
lition of fences was not thought
of at that time; yet We all know
| that could the negroes have gotten
off while the fever was ON them,
there would hardly have been a
man, woman or child left in this
county. There was an exodus
from Carroll and Madison parish
es, where they have the no fence
law, at the same time and from the
same causes, but a great many re-
turned, and others came in and
filed those parishes, and to-day
labor is Just as abundant with
them as with us, who are hurdened
with the enormous tax of keeping
up fences.
There is greater danger of al
exodus from the iniquitous work
ing of the lien law than from any
fence law that can be passed. Nov
what good does a fence dog
fenced in with number one planl
fence all around my plantation OF
Deer Greek, yet ! was annoyed b,
stock as much as men who hat
inferior fences. Why did | no
enforce the law and take up tha
stock? Because the owner woul,
say, " Sir, your fence had a gap j
it when the stock got in;n whic
would have defeated the suit fo
Z damages. who made that gap
Very probably the owner of tn
stock. But can man sit up a
night and ride around his fence
all the time to catch such rascals
Last summer was annoyed b
hogs in my corn. Ihad a gooda an
+, lawful fence, strong and well bull
vet very mysteriously plank
] would be found Of and hogs in tll
field. In desperation | shot then
and, after killing five, the hos
suddenly found out that death va
in that field and the others qu
: getting of planls. 1t is a terrib
state of affairs where a man has
kill stock to keep them out OF h
field, especially whom ho has gol
to the expense of building q lay
: fnl fence. Yet such is a fact.
assert, and experience bea
me out, that more and better sto'
will be raised, and more proiitabl
in enclosed pastures than ION Il
ID range.n In 1870 | had on Il
Of range in the spring nearly flf
es hogs that would have made me
he hogs. had them called mp al
fed every evening-had a pen t
q them-yet one by one they va
ished, and | killed seven. IN Is
| put fourteen pigs in a two ac
lot of Bermuda, and fed them abo
g. one quart Of boiled cotton Sc
apiece during the spring and su
r mer months, and killed thi1te
hogs averaging over 200 poun
each. In 1881 / tried the ran
IS again and turned up with TIN
g. killing hogs and eight pigs, viii
/ now keep in my mule lot. The
r are facts. Now name me the N
, whose cattle have increased
the rangen and 81 will show yo
bunch of hair in the palm of yC
hand.n
Where does the pork and baC
come from that we buy from
West' From the range \
much but from enclosed pastur
Where do the mules come II
that traders offer to us at ia
= lousy cheapGO prices9 From
, range"2 ? No; but from encloI
. pastures and on land that
command readily from $50 to 3
per acre, and from the cold No
where there is six months win
while we have four. And
! those people prosper, live well
educate their children on farms
iiH' 200 acres and less; while here, v
, our way of doing, it takes fl
IL 400 to GOO acre plantations to
complish the same end.
the Mr.. j. ?. Ferguson, of War;
in his letter published IN
tor TIMES, says that the party Il
Warren who wishes the law
pealed in that county is one
wants to Craze his cattle for
butcher on other mems grass;