Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-09-10
Wire fences.
Texas Live stock Journal

Texas Live Stock Journal.
We had hoped it might never again
be necessary to refer to the Whole
sale wire fence cutting that is now
agitaling so many minds throughout
Western Texas. We had confidently
expected that it would only have its
damaging effect in certain localities
and being but a local matter would be
satisfactorily adjusted and be forever
put to rest by amicable arrangements
whereby the rights and privileges of
NIL parties in those localities would be
defined and settled without injustice
to any one. But appears to he spread
ing to ali parts of the state where bar
bed wire has been introduced and has
becomes matter of serious moment to
a great number of our citizens and of
material damage to the state at large.
In discussing this very unpleasant
subject we have but one object in view
which is the good ofthe stock interests
of Texas. This interest we feel sure
would have been better subserved
had there never b en coil of wire
brought to the state rather than 80
many complications should have arisen
out Of its use. The country would have
supported more stock, they would do
much better, mature earlier and
show a greater profit to the own
els, could the range system be
perpetuated and properly regulated so
AS 10 bring it to the highest state of
perfection in management of details.
No one could ask to be more success
full than the Texas ranchmen have
been during the past decade; prosper
ity has been the rule without exrep-
ton, aud out of this has grown the
troubles that are now threatening the
stale and its most profitable industry.
We find that those who from small
beginnings in u few years time. have
grown comparatively wealthy, and
who from knowledge thai tle range
would not always be open and Tree,
have secured lands and fenced them
with wire fence, and thus solely con-
troll the water and grass to the exclu-
sion of all others. some have en-
closed lands they own and controlled.
and others have enclosed with their
lands, bodies of land belonging to The
state and other individuals. Had
these latter parties owned in fee SIM
pie, all The lands they fenced, had left
gates at all the roads in general use for
travel, had INSTRUCTED no highway ex-
cept by permission of the county au-
thorities, we believe there would have
been no serious trouble or objection,
but some We're not content with mere
ly fencing their own lands. but would
buy up the watered lands and then
eh.close large pastures, over portions
OF which they had very questionable
claims, they obstructed travel with ut
legal permission, enclosing settlers and
smaller stockmen, denying them the
privilege of The use of vacant lands to
which they had equal right and which
they had enjoyed Tor years; some even
fenced pastures and kept their own
stock on the outside domain, and this
with other minor causes, engendered
illfeeling, bitterness and Jealousy, and
smaller owners resorteu 10 cutting
fences as the remedy, and in number
OF instances have done 80 with large
showing of right on their side.
In this, rs in similar cases where
people have felt aggrieyed and under
lake To seek u desperate remedy for
their wrongs Imaginary or ctilerwisel,
10y taking the law INTO their own hanus
the reluedy has been pushed To an un-
reasonable puinG, beyond where The
wrong ends aud right begins. Had
only the fences Of those VINO enclosed
large bodies ofland not owned or leased
by them, been cut, such action might
be defensible and obtain the moral
support of all right.minded, honest
men. II began there and should have
stopped there, but it has not and now
regardless of any mans rights, OF the
size OF che pasture, of any principles OF
justiSe, of land ownership or any other
cor .sideration whatever, fences have
cen cut and destroyed.
We believe that any and every per