The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1885-08-20
9srituItural.
REPLY TO THE pAuLDINGrTE.

Eds. journal: In your issue of the
9th inst, there appeared an article
by "W. H." Dallas, Ca, headed ga
Matter of Public Interest" in which
the writer has something to say of
the statue prohibiting hunting and
fishing on the lands of others when
such lands are posted, and throws a
few chunks at what he calls a "club
or combination of landlords in this
country who are gaining some noto-
riety by enforcing this law" We are
not member of the combination
thus alluded to, but if you will allow
us space in the columns of the JOUR-
NAL we would like to make a few
brief remarks in reply to some cf his
structures, and answer to some of the
questions propounded.
He speaks of the statue as being
an extremely tyranical and oppres-
sive law, not measure for civiliz-
ed country, and should be repealed
We fail to see any extreme tyranny
or oppression about the law, and are
not ready to say that it should be re-
pealed. Insomuch as the law only
takes effect by the owner posting up
a notice at the Court House door,
those who don't want the law will GER
tainly not claim any benefits of the
law. The land owner not only owns
the land, but all the rights, members
and appurtenances thereunto apper-
tanning or belonging are his, and he,
by rights, ought to say whether or
not his neighbor or transient hunters
and fishers, who make their living by
the game and fish they realize from
hunting and fishing on other mems
lands should hunt on his land, cut
down his timber, let down his fence,
gallop over his corn fields, wheat
fields and cotton patches, with a pack
of dogs, scattering cotton, tearing
down corn &C., and worse than all, 90
off and leave the gap down for stock
to come in and eat the balance, as is
frequently the case. Those who are
familiar with the hunting done in
Cobb for the last 20 years, know that
much damage has been done to crops
and timber in this way.
eff there should occur damage is
there not other and more mild meas
ures by which we could recover or
prevent them?" We answer, no.
The hunter or fisherman is generally
on your lands before you are aware
of it, and the average hunter gener-
ally owns a pack of hounds and that
is all. Can you get blood out of a
turnip?
Why should it amusc us to hear a
person who has posted his land ask
his neighbor 10 support him in an
election, help him roll logs, raise a
house, 90 for doctor &c? In post
ing his land he has not asked for any
thing but that that is his own, and
for which he has a bona fde title to
If he should 'order his neighbor of
his precious domain, if found thereon
hunting for such game as the Creator
doth so graciously supply our countr.
with, he has not wronged his neigh
Dor, for none of the rights, member
and appurtenances to his land belon.
to his neighbor. On the other hanC
if his neighbor is of the right kind o
calibre and breeding he will not dare
go on any mans land tor the purpos,
of hunting and fishing when sucl
land has been posted, without per
mission from the owner.
LET us continue to enact and en-
force such laws, and where will on,
boasted American freedom soon be
We claim that the statue is in perfect
accord with the rights, privileges and
freedom of American citizenship. Ii
delegates to every land owner the
right and privilege to do as he pleas
es with his own. We cannot see why
he calls this "condescension to small
things neither do we see why ten
ant should be in such an embarrass-
ing, helpless or pitiful situation in a
community where snch measures are
enforced as he has pictured, and will
venture the assertion that there is
not "a landlord in our county who
has posted his land, but that if an
honest tenant Of his was to come to
him and ask permission to hunt and
fish on his posted land but what he
would allow him to do so. j. b. NJ.
Lost Mountain, Ga.