The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1885-02-07
Hard Times.
Editors COURIER :

| to be known that the proper remedies
may be applied. Evidently there are
several leading causes powerfully tend
| ing to make the times hard, and it is
all important that the existing state of
things be remedied as speedily as pos
sible for it is painfully obvious fact
that this once lovely country of ours is
fast running down, Undoubtedly prom
inent among the evils that cause this
depiorable state of things is whisky,
which is doing more harm than all the
others put together !; because it is the
father Of nearly all others.
The immense amount of money spent
for whisky had better be burnt in the
| fire, or sunk in the sea, as that would
be the last of it. But when a man
spends money for whisky he receives
nothing in return but raaddening poison,
which Injuries his health of body and
mind, causes him to neglect his busi
ness, suffer losses, and perpetrate many
foolish and criminal things. But as
that question has come to stay we will
have occasion hereafter to show up the
enormities of bad whisky again.
And another-thiug that is impoverish-
ing our people, and making the times
hard aud troublesome is having to in
cur the heavy expense of tying in vain
| to fence against Il few worthless hogs
on our prairies. One mile square con-
stitntes a section of land, subdivlded
into sixteen squares of fifty arpents
each Now if sixteen families go out
to settle on section OF land in the prai-
rie, and form little sociable neighbor-
hood, and leave around each little cozy
fifth arpeut farm a lane for the conve-
nience of friendly visiting, and business
| travelling, the difference between fenc-
ing against hogs, and fencing against
all other stock except hogs, amounts to
81 400 to the square mile By actual
test, which have made myself; and
am prepared to give the facts, and fig
ures. Just think of ii sixteen families
of limited means having to pay 81 400
for dozen Oh so of razor back hogs not
worth as many dollars honestly. For if
one ofthese razor backs chance to become
worth more than u dollar, you may be
f,n4 ht,h hpa ofa fsttry
of somebody's field. They are SO little,
poor aud thin when honest outside
that it is extremely difficult to make a
fence TO prevent them from slipping
through the cracks unless you go to
to the expense of Notwithstanding it,
flor be it remembered that their noses
and mouths are the principal parts
about tilenl) they viii soon root away
the leyee aud crawl under the fence, and
stir up a fuss among the neighbors.
For when they get in the field they
show their hoggish principles by des-
tlOying far more. than they eat. And
as soon as one gets i'll toierable Older,
some thief comes along aud stops his de-
predating career by potting him jhst
before the so-called owner thinks he is
quite fat enough. So after costing the
said sixteen families about 800 per
head for yainiy trying to fence him out,
he destroyed perhaps fifty barrels of
corn, besides what he stole and ate, and
then he and the other thief come TO the
table together, and thus ended the
chapter. Any observing man that rides
much over our prairie, will testify that
there are not dozen hogs to the square
mile to be found worth dollar head,
unless they have been fed or stole their
living out OF somebody's field and YET
the land owners are taxed (until they
can't provide properly for their wives.
and children) to fence against these few
worthless things, that cause more dis
cord among neighbors than all other
stock put together. In fact, these ssskin
and bonesn ON the prairie make the
ssbone Of contention that causes most
all the the hard feelings among neigh
bors, where they are allowed to run ont
at large. If they have to be fed to make
them worth raising, Why not have them
penned and save the poor toiling, strng-
Cling farmers the expense of trying to
fence against them Il u . well known
fact that hogs have long been ontlaWed
anyhow by coniaon CONSENT being
understood that If hog gets in the
field lie will be killed they are thus
killed al over the country Then,
how much better it will be to have q
law enacted to prevent them from run
ming at large Oh the prairie. T any
body wants to raise hogs in the woods
and win eonfne them to the woods, all
right.
b. w. FosTER.
Plaisance, Feb. 4, 1885.
.
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