The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-05-07
THE OLD RAIL FENCE.

! / am tod by foreign tourists that
while many OF our fences are refleeted
! in those OF other lands, the counter.
part OF the ziezag fence is to be seen
| Ia 70 other country. 1t is typical OF
Yankeeland,
It is known as the snake o! Virginia
fence, and as the relic OF LAVISH era
of unlimited forestry. History does
not chronicle the name of its inventor,
but | have long since learned to cher
| ish a profound respect for the memory
of this unknown Individual. Il is
hard Tor me to imagine in the person
of this primitive rail-splitter the pic
ture OF an untutored baokwoodsmau,
anu I never follow the course OF one
of these fences without feeling Ger
tain consciousness that its original
builder must have seen his work
through eyes artistic as we i as prac-
teal.
The careless abardon OF it's linss-a
repetition Of form ia which absolute
repetition ia continually de6ed by the
oapricious convOlution Of the grain,
for there are no two rails made in the
same mould-and their gray sstiny
sheen, their Weather-beaten stains Of
moss and lichen, and the eVer-chang
ing play OF lights and shadows FROM
their waving weeds and vines, make
the old rail fence truely an object OF
real beauty in our landscape. Otter
have | fingered in its angles, and a
hundred times have l thought OF the
host OF pictures and "reminiscences
which might fill book to the glory
Of fence corner.
Moreover, this peculiarly OF con o.
nation pandeIs to most worthy and
blessed shiltlessness happily latent in
the bones of almost every farmer; for
while the ploughshsre creeps clsse
along the base OF the old store wall
and the direct course of most other
fences offers a free scope for the
mowers scythe or the reapers blade,
the outward corners of the zigzag
fence dodge beyond its reach, ana
thus escape. How often, too, are
these recesses the convenient storage
quarters for the stones and siubble OF
the field, and as such receive a wide
berth from the newly whetted scythe
or cradle.
Thus does the old raj fence bedeck
itself abundsntly with wreath4 and
garIands. The refuse stone piles
clothe themselves in tsngles of creep
ing dew berry, cineue foil, and
ground-ivy; and the round leaves Of
the creeping mslloWs oonspire to hide
their machines. Tall brambles rise
and yield their snowy blossoms to the
rihIng bees. or later hang their puIe
pie fruit in tempting clusters to the
troop OF boys in their eager scramble
among the rails. There are no black
raspberries so large and luscious, no
hazel nuts 30 fall and brown, and no
filberts so tantslizing beneath their
prickly pods, as those that grow up
under the protection of the old rail
fence. Here the rich green beds OF
sweet-fern give out their aromatic
SAVIOR to the wise old simpler, the
eager small. boy, or even to the squir-
rel in quest OF the nutty kernels
among its seed hobs. The dull red
blossoms OF the glycine tell OF sweet
tubers beneath the ground. and the
bright sunfower of tall artichokes In
vite the old.time search among their
roots.
Here in these sheltered anglts the
eddying November winds hurl their
flying leaves, and heap the glory OF
the autumn present upon the matted
mould of many autumns past. Later,
the wnistling gales of winter Whirl
about It's corners. Clouds of drifting
snow bedim the eVergreens, and drive
along the meadow, battling with the
army OF tall gaunt mulIeius and red
capped sumscs, and atlast are whirled
along these westher-beaten timbers.
where fantastic peaked Alps arise, and
cgerhsnging glistening cliffs hem in
the rambling rails in great blue
Swallowed crescents white and daz.
cling.
Here, too. the icy air shall ring with
the shouts of these same voices that
are known so we'll by the rural fence
through every month and season, with
their rollicking testimonies of wild.
/ flower parties and squirrel hunts and
natting exploits. William Hamilton
| Gibson.