Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-03-08
TO THE FARMERS STATE Asso-
CITATION OF TENNESSEE.
A Subject Of Vital Importance to Our
Farmers---Frauds and SwindIes
frequently Practiced by
The Seller of Live
Stock.

Sequachee Advance.
Permit me to call your attention to a
very serious and destructive evil ex-
listing between large portion Of our
valuable and otherwise respectable
farmers and equally respectable stock
buyers by live weight. refer to the
frequent habit of the seller of live
stock using every means possible to in
crease the weight of stock sold, just
before weighing, by Legitimate means
of artificial weights which cannot ex-
list but a few hours at falthest after the
stock is weighed and delivered, and is
always injurious and damaging to the
stock, besides making the buyer pay
for weights never bought or contracted
Tor, and if not legally theft of the
buyers money, it is because the stat
utes have never so defined it. Yet,
morally, it certainly cannot be called
anything else.
There are plenty of men in our
State, and also in all other States, who
stand high in their community, from
positions of wealth, social qualities, or
intelligence, who do not hesitate to
commit such crimes, just as the com>
mon purloiner does, thinking it so con-
cealed that it would never be known.
Yet these same men would vigorously
prosecute some poor unfortunate
wretch for taking from their cribs one
bushel of corn with which to sustain
life in his wife and children.
But the practiced eye of the skillful
buyer has long since learned to discern
between the natural and unnatural
condition of the stock being weighed.
Hence there have risen loud and con-
slant complaints of the buyer to the
seller with prejudices never to be for
gotten. A few instances will fully il
lustrate this great evil Of which we
complain
A farmer had been frequently &C.
cused of this unjust practice in the
selling of his stock. A trader con-
tracted for his hogs to be weighed at a
given time. Determined, in this in.
stance, to detect any such imposition,
he went to the farmers house the night
before with vigilant eye for fraud.
About midnight he heard a disturbance
at the hog pen. He got up and silent
ly crept to the pen to find the seller
feeding his hogs heavily on sailed corr
meal dough, expecting that the next
morning they would drink fifteen OIL
twenty pounds of water each before
weighing. The hogs were not receiv
ed, and the reputation of the seller was
ruined to this day in the sale of stock
Another gentleman who stands high
in the social circles of the State il
which he lives, sold his beef cattle tt
be delivered and weighed on a certain
day. The day before weighing he fec
the cattle all they would eat of GU
straw and wheat bran, thoroughly we
with strong salt water, knowing anG
intending that the next day they woult
drink large and unnatural quantitieI
Of water, and would weigh fifty pounds
to the head more than their natura
flesh would weigh.
Another one gave his cattle all tn,
corn they would eat the night before
weighing, without feeding any hay Of
fodder, which, he said would make
them feverish in the moaning, anC
they would drink fifty pounds or NOR,
water before weighing. Another mar
sold his stock cattle by weight, and il
the morning when the buyer went t.
receive them he had herded them on {
green pea field, and then refused t.
weigh them unless he was permitted t
drive them to water before weighing
Of course he didn't weigh. Another
man so stuffed his cattle that when h,
drove them to the scales, the buyer
discerning eyes discovered their condi
ton and he refused to receive them
The owner returned home with them
and two died before reaching home.
Many more instances could be givel
Of charges made against numerou
otherwise respectable and HONORABLE
farmers.