Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-05-29
aanraster .1nteIligencrr.
ru1,panAv rvEnINo. MAY 20, 1884
BARRED wIRE.


A FARMER Hcintes OJeet"ns to IT.
uudsou Tuttle, OF Berlin Heights, o.,
,vv,tes n follows TO the Germantown
1slsgrapA in relation Of his experience
With barbed wire fences. II Is not at all
excepsional among farmers
Nv horses became acquainted with the |
serce by sun 7ry pricks aud scratches, and |
I began TO think there was no danger, |
when n work borse, splendid fellow, |
except blind, ran into the fence aud re-. |
ceiyed fearful cash In the breast. This |
maddened him, and turning he nearly
kicked his legs of, and probably would
have done so IL tho wire had not broken.
wall. I said, the fence was not to blame |
horse with good eyes would not be III |
danger. The next adventure was by
large flock Of sheep OF neighbor's creep
ING through. And here allow me TO say
that the fence was made OF i've wires,
posts twenty feet apart, with TWO stays
between. The whole flock was inside'
and made dash to get out. They ao-
oomplished the feat, but they were
roueh looking lot, and for several rods the
v,res looked like big wooden ropes. or
course the neigbbor was down on the
fcuco--not literally, Of course-and the
owner.
The next experience was far worse. A
valuable Kentucky colt with curiosity
peculiar to the breed investigated the fence
by attempting to paw it down. She struck
over the fourth wire and IL caught and
held on to the fotlock. A horses foot is
made expressly TO catch when drawn back
wards F! Well, IL a boy had not luckily
been near TO FREQ her, she wonid nave
probably cut her foot entirely otf As u
was the cash will never be outSrown. Inc
wounds by the barbs are OF the most ugly
kind. They are bruised aud ragged ana
accompanied with great deal OF slough
inc under the most skillfu treatment.
After this the safety Of the stock when
exposed to the fence was constantly on my
mind. A dozen times day | would IN
voluntarily look over the line, expecting
TO see some animal Caught on, and IN the
morning the first duty was To make the
same examination. In fact, | could not
sleep well, not knowing but some animal
was in agony. wound up or fastened TO
the wires. II ono colt would paw at the
fence, another would be likely to do the
same, and the thought was not provocative
of sleep to one who had any sollcitude Tor
his stock, not to say anything ABOUT pc
cuniary considerations.
The next news from the wire was from
a gentleman four miles away. lie sought
To mako an old fence good by stretching
barbed wire along the top. A horse valued
at Ave hundred dollars ran against 1t and
bled to death before found. The railroad
crossing an adjoining farm ferced iIs track
with wire, and a span OF three hoises at-
tempting to go through cut themselves IN
a fearful manner. These accidents coming
directly under my personal notice aud all
within the last four months, were not com
mandatory to the barbed wire. IL II
probably highly useful IN the West, anC
not particularly dangerous to cattle. i've
or three wires are quite sufficient excep
against sheep, and TO make 1t sheep proof
six wires must be used, and the post
placed near together, besides intervening
stays, and thus the fence becomes nearl.
as costly as board fence.
On the small farms of the East, how
ever, where valuable stock is reared, es
pecially horses, regard the barbed wir
as entirely too dangerous. One nigh
almost as we'll surround the fields wit
spring guns, for ii a horse attempts /
jump the wires, or runs against them q
paws or kicks at them, he is sure to 70
ceive great if not fatal injury.
Fence made with boards or bank q
earth at the bottom and wire at the top !
more dangerous than all wire, as horses
running, not seeing the wire will attempt
to Jump the low boards or bank aud be
caught by the wires. The use Of tor
board with wires does not prevent the
horses striking into the barbs with their
feet, which is the greatest of all dangers
connected with the fence.