The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-09-13
KYLE.
Serious Trouble About Water Brings
on Tragedy, and the Owner and
His Fence go Down.
edifce.
ISDtCIdI correspondence.
KYLE, September 6, 1883


KYLE, September 6, 1883.
From Mr.. q. a. PeeVy, a prominent
citizen of this place, who has just re-
turned from Gonzales county, your
correspondent learns of a terrible
in that county. 1t seems that Mr..
tensive stock raiser, has in his i'm
mense pasture small lake Of water,
which is never-failing, on account of
being fed 10y PERENNIAL springs. All
other water failed in that section,
cattle began to perish, and the citizens
offered Mr.. Houston $500 if he would
permit them to move his fence about
thirty feet in, so that the edge of the
pond would be outside and the cattle
could drink. He refused this; then
they offered him $1,000 for the priVi-
lege, protesting at the same time that
they did not believe he, or any other
man, had the moral right to inclose
the only permanent water in large
section of country. Mr.. Hous-
ton still refused to allow other
peoples stock to drink from
his lake. The citizens then discussed
the matter, arguing that Mr.. Houston
was only endeavoring to force cattle
men whereabouts to sell their stock at
great sacrifice, and then he would
buy them in. This idea exasperated
them, and they cut Mr.. Houston's
fence for distance of about three
miles on each side of his lake. He
fixed it up and put guards on the line.
The citizens went to cut the fence,
and the guards fired on them, where
upon the. cutters returned the fire, kill
ing three guards.
The whole country is stirred up, and
Mr.. Peevy reports immense excite
ment prevailing in all that section. 1t
is the prevailing opinion among stock
men that general war between large
stock men, who fence up immense
tracts of land and take in all the
prominent water, and small stock
raisers will be Waged all over the
state in consequence of the fence cut
ting. Much apprehension is felt in
this regard now, and the grounds for
these fears are beginning to be more
apparent every day.
1t is suggested that the governor be
petitloned to call the legislature to
remedy this evil. That a law is
needed that regulates this matter. l
suggested to a number of intelligent
stockmen and farmers that law
which would regulate this water
question the same as it does the pub
lie road question would meet the case:
compel a man fencing in immense
tracts of land to leave a portion of
any body of never-failing water, if
from natural sources, exposed, so that
stock in the surrounding country may
procure water. This idea seemed to
strike them all favorably and as
equitable and just. / then suggested
that tax law be enacted to tax these
large landed proprietors the same
as is done in California, where the
land men threatened to cut out poor
farmers by holding lands in large
bodies at high figures. That is, where
syndicates and capitalists hold large
tracts of land at figures beyond the
poor farmers reach, tax them on the
value of their lands as they hold them
for sale. Never put tax value on
their lands below that asked by the
owners. This would compel them to
sell at its actual worth.
IKE PHIIKINS