Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-10
THE WIRE FENCE QUESTION.
A Calm Survey OF the Situation.-Rem.
edies Suggested by Stockmcn
and Capitalists.
Correspondence Of the Gazette.

Texas about wire fences Is. IN onr
Judgment, an outgrow,h of improna,
and unwise legislation in tile nost In
reference to the sale of lands. When
the Western portion of the state was
wilderness, the bad effect of selIinn
immense bodies of land with no nuhiiee
highways through ii was not felt INF
the noment it becomes thicSly settled |
and these immense tracts are tenccS as
Il whole then 1t becomes public mis- |
nDce, around which future penprot;nn.
must 20 or become transgressors aud
cut their way out of the ENHANCEMENT
of b2rbed wire. Then, too, in ali other
COUNTRIES the water courses are not
sold, as we understand it, and public
highways on sectional lines are opened
up Tor puOlic uses, and these roads offer
iucilltles Tor watering stock wherever
they cross stream. We believe the
water IN this country, where IL exists
in anything like flowing stream.
still belongs to the state of Texas. as
the old surveys only run TO these
streams, and rarely if ever across
| them.
The troubles that exist elsewhere,
| throughout portions of the state. there
Is a cause for, which the legislature
must remedy, or 1t will intensity lust
| in portion and rs fast us the country
settles up. We do not think the
trouble grows out Of the fact that an
| individual owns million acres as
much as it does from The manner he is
| permitted to enclose il, forcing multi
tudes to great Inconvenience in trav-
cling around his pet enclosure for all
time TO come.
IL the laws accord to the mllion-
acre man the privilege of fencing it In
one solid body with II bor6droUS wire,
then 1t would seem af ii our past legis-
lation was for the few and against
the many, and this is why
we claim that the whole responsibility
of these recent troubles should rest
where it belongs-with the legislature.
If past legislatures have made griev-
Gus mistakes in this matter of not al
lowing or providing for public roads
through these large tracts, then it is
clearly the duty of the present law
makers to undo and overturn, until
they see the problem solved. Barbed
wire fences should be condemned rs
unfit for the uses they are intended.
or else make the owner responsible for
the damages they do. The manner in
which these fences are usually built
gives no warning until you dash onto
what cannot he seen, risking life and
horse, and it not untrequently occurs
that both rider and horse are MANNED
for life. The grievances are certainly
not all on the side of those whose pas
lures are cut. While we do not toler-
ate lawlessness in any form, we are
firmly OF the opinion that, unless our
legislature acts promptly and enacts
such laws rs will meet the clamoring
demand for public roads, and access to
public water courses these troubles are
but in their babyhood and
: will continue to multiply.
Sectional lines mark the public high
ways in other states, and it will even
, tually come to this in Texas, and the
sooner this fact is recognized, the less
will it cost to establish these roads for
future generations TO move about
Personally we favor the broad-acre
system, because we are interested In
the stock business, but we are forced
at times to act upselfishly and look
beyond our own side of the question
and try and ascertain what would
meet the requirements and give salts
faction to the great majority. The
stock interests of Texas, us II whole,
want an open range, and upon such
can work stock to Il better advantage
than they can 10 fence it up. Let Sec
tionM lines be declared public, high
ways, and the fencing vii! cease en-
closing large tracts in the grazing part
of the state. suppose man FENCES IN
n large tract excluding all his neigh
bors from participating in the bene-
fit, md then suppose lire burns the
grass entirely OIL his enclosure, do you
think he would permit his stock to
remain inside and starve? No,indeed,
ne would DO no such thing. T be
could not get out in any other way, IL
would be the owner this time who
woald cut his own fence, and sue for
mercy mt the hands of those whom he
had so recently been standing oil with
his barbarous wire fence, and
suppliantly ask the privilege Of
allowing his furnishing bovines 10 get u
few mouthfuls of green grass outside.
1t is IN emergencies like these that the
nobility of man appears or disappears
altogether.
In all other states, or at least in
many, railroads are made responsible
for damages by fire from their engines,
but here in Texas they are permitted
to run these engines without even Il
, screen to prevent their throwing oul
fire by the wholesale, and destroying
millions of acres of grass, which Is 81
much needed, and its value not easily
computed. 1t is of prime impor-
: lance that remedy for this evil be
found, and laws enacted and enforced
compelling their adoption, otherwise
the entire stock interests are leopard
lied.
What Texas most needs at the pres,
emf time is some wise, wholesome, and
!. impartial legislation which will coz
rect the past mistakes by repeating
, laws, such as is known rs the Crane
pasture law also what is known ms
, The Hard law, which We're in
: tended 10 benefit only the select few
! at the expense and discomfort of the
many. For our Part we pre- prefer a;o "f,lS'
than 70 fare sumptuously with small
! faction, and sit in the shadow of a Jay
/, Gould. 4