Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-01-13

of the cars the engine and tender
was loosened from the car bearing
the stock and stockman while an
other car behind run up against il
or along side, so close as to jar won
derfully and mash up the car en-.
joyed by Mr.. Ridgeway, killing
some of the stock and jaming W
the stockman.
We learn that the proper office,
connected with the railroad wa,
soon on the spot where the catas-
frophyoccurred, " hen uegotiai ions
Went On To the effect tina. the rail-
road company would take the
stock for the sum OF $l,l00. Mr..
Ridgeway preferring To 50 nego
tiate than Co 90 iuto Il law suit
with the company, he being law
abiding, peaceful citizen preferred
the former course To the latter.
We have not heard whether the
company has paid Mr.. Ridgeway
or not, at the last accounts they
mad not, but certainly they will
give him no trouble about the pay
ment of the money or the fulfil
meni OF their negotiation, because
it is we'll known that a failure on
their part might involve for them
much more costs than a simple re-
Enumeration for stock destroyed.
Mr.. Ridgeway attaches some
blame 10 the conduct or manage
ment on their part, in this that
the bell ropes use has been aban-
doned by the company, and in
this case the alarm could have
been given by it and the accident
avoided. Mr.. Ridgeway is one of
our most useful and enterprising
men, and for years has carried
much of our stock to the Eastern
and always paying peo-
pie all that the markets would at.
ford, not only benefitting our
community, but mighty useful to
the railroad corporation, We say
then that justice demands prompt
on the part of The RAFT
road company, and especially as
they come in possession Of all the
stock not killed on board of the
cars at the time the catastrophe
took Of place.
AS it Is seldom that commune
cate with you and sometime may
elapse before another opportunity
may offer that may write to you,
/ feel disposed that / shall not
close this communication without
saying Il word in reference to our
sheep and wool growers associa.
ton Berkeley county.
/ have for some time
thought of writing for publication
a separate communication upon
that communication, but have as
often neglected it, but at present
deem it proper to connect it with
the present one. 1t is generally
known by your readers that the
R0pp with few others,
inaugurated a sheep and wool
growers association in Berkeley
csunty, and for time the move
ment seemed to take foothold and
prosper, but after about year of
It's existence the cause began to be
On the wane and died out. The
i'm mediate cause of this retrogade
10 the existence to the society is
unknown to me, save that con-
lecture some one or two causes
which may have led to its fatal
termination, which are: First,
hat sheep and wool were low i'm |
The market, and, secondly, that |
he spring months of the year of |
1882, were cold, stormy and back
ward, retarding pasturage, to-
yether with u scarcity of grain
If the former year, sustenance
for that stock as for all |
)ther stock not abundant. The
armer may have for those reasons
become discouraged and sold out
heir stock with y determination
o quit raising 1t.
Now, l would ask, are these JUS
liable reasons for the abandon
nent of so useful and profitable an
at that of sheep raising
md sheep culture? / would an
wer as REPUTATION of their views
lpon the subject, that are not all
'ther kinds Of stock subject to such
hanges and variation in prices :?
nd are we not often visited with
learth, drouth and scarcity? A
ew years ago horses were scarce
n the market, hogs likewise, like
wise cattle, but because sheep went
lnder in price, the farmer lost
light OF all these variations in the
rice of other stock and denounced
he poor and innocent sheep be-
ause they afforded no better price