Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-19

Reasons for Hts Origin and Spread in
Texas.

Austin Te1as) Letter to the St. Louis Globe Democrat
Fence-cutting is mania that spreads like an
epidemic 1t first broke out on the great pas
ture ranges Of the northwest, but has since ap-
peared in half the counties in the state and In
the most unexpected localities. Three days ago
pasture fence was cut to pieces within few
miles OF Austin. Last Saturday night, while
the anti-fence-cutting meeting was In full blast
at the capital, some scalawag. moved. perhaps.
as much by grim sense of humOr as by any
impulse of destruction, destroyed over mile of
fine wire fence belonging to Mr.. J. W. Driskil.
within plain sight Of the city. Within a week
the fences around Coulson's large pastures near
night and his fine Jerseys left to roam at will
This. too within sight Of the Bexar county
courthouse and the United States barracks.
The excuses for cutting fences are manifold
Travellers and others who have for years been
accustomed to cross the ranges and great
prairies along certain old trails and we'll known
roads often find themselves confronted with a
wire fence, erected since their trip and without
any notice or guide-bOards to direct them on
their way. They perhaps ride a mile or two
each way, hoping to find corner to the enclOs-
ure, or gate. or some information concerning
the ronte they should take Falling to find a
way they make one. and a precedent Is thus
established. Having cut into the enclosure they
pioUaois have W cut Out OH tHe opposite size.
The next traveller enarges the opening; none
who pass trouble themselves to cObble it up
again. and miles of fence will thus be practically
destroyed in day. Scores of these fences are
eight to ten miles long; many of them fifteen to
twenty miles on each side. gentleman YES
terday told me that his pasture was fifteen
miles square, and incosed the Colorado river for
about that distance.
An instance lately occurred where leuten-
ant OF United States cavalry on duty had to cut
his way through wire fence. He notified the
owner and offered to pay all damage to the
fence, but was promptly prosecuted and fined
The governor, in addition, paid reward of $50
for his conviction. according to his proclamation
ana. am informed, also provided for the pay
ment Of the fine. But perhaps the counties of
Jones and Coleman present the most glariny
abuses. state official informed me to-day that
the capital of Jones county was surrounded BY
awire fence about fifteen miles distant in all
directions; that no one can get to the county
seat from many directions without tearing down
the fence; that he believed there were but two
or three gates in its entire length. and the land
owners would make no provision for high ways
or pubic convenience. In Coleman county eight
men are said to own one-third of all the land In
the county. They are. by reason Of community
OF interest. enabled to control county affairs,
and recently had a regular county road vacated.
or reduced to third-class road. having gates
through the fences instead of lanes through
their land-and this within sight of the court
house!
1t is also cropping out as an item of news that
cattle-owners who have no land are largely re-
sponsible for fen.'cutting If not the actual cul-
prlts. They employ scores of men, whose per-
sonal convenience as herders and COWBOYS would
lead them to furtively destroy fences by night
wink or nod from their employers would be
ample encouragement for destroying every fence
within ten miles. They would also be sufiicI-
emily unscrupulOus-indeed. have been-to
charge the mischief to innocent parties The
two arrests In Hamilton county riots turn out
to be good old deacon and his wife who pro-
fess themselves abundantly able to prove an
allbi. Nearly all pasture fences are three-wire
ones. lawful fence must have more wires, and
a board attached to one OF the upper wires as
warning to keep off. No pasture fences have
boards along them. The fence-cutters. there
fore. persuade themselves that inasmuch as
three-wlre fence Is not lawful one, it cannot
De unlawful to cut them. and down they go.
Another excuse for fence cutting is that pas-
ture men enclose great blocks of land not owned
by them. to which the public is entitled to
access. Cnsold lands, school lands, lands owned
by non-resdents, and many small tracts having
resident owners are enclosed by pasture men
who have surrounded them. Small nestlers on
the prairies complain of this think they have as
good a right to the grass and water on the
unsold and the school lands as the rich pasture
man who counts his acres by tens of thousands
and runs his wire fences across the prairles fifty
miles at stretch Finding himself not only
surrounded and elbowed about by the herders
and employees of those milliOnaires, but actually
enclosed 10y wire fence, he does not consult
the statutes for forms Of relief, but chops down
fences right and left, and often destroys in one
night. unaded, the labor of a score of men for q
week