St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-11-18
err lay wrecked upon the shore of
time"
THE OWNERSHIP OF LAND.
Ed.eard Atkinson, in Work and Kaqss.

Edaoard Atkinson, in Work and Wages
Once all men were tramps. The In
dams used to own all the land in CON-
mon. They didn't SOW much and they
didn't reap much. They lived on
game, fish and CLAIMS, but there wasn't
enough to go round, and then one said
to the others, | have as good a right
as you to what there is, and he tried
to grab it. The other Indians killed
him. That is the way we all began.
The white men, who were our grand
fathers, lived in that same way in
Europe, but that way didn't work well
and the white men gave it up before
the Indians, who haven't given it up
yet.
What did they do next9 They saw
that all their food came out of the
land, and that if they did not fence in
the land somewhere and plant it, there
would not be enough food to go round.
Game was getting scarce. A tribe, or
a family, fenced i'll piece and said to
the rest, "this is ours" Nobody OBJ
jected just then, because there was
more land than folks. After the tribe
had taken the land, a part of them
planted it and the rest kept up the
fences, that is to say they stayed
round the outside to keep the tramps
off. Next year the tribe that had fenc-
ed in, or set apart, some of the land
had plenty of food and then they had
lot of time to spare, so they went to
work making better clothes and build
ing better houses next year they were
great deal stronger, because they had
been better fed and better clothed and
better housed. The more they fenced
in and used the land the more food
there was for themselves and others.
The tramps outside had a great deal
more land, they also had all the game
there was and all the time there was,
but they said these fellows inside the
fence have taken our land, but we
have worked just as hard outside as
they have, they ought to share even
we have just as much right to some of
their crops and if they won't give them
to us let's go and take them-let's all
share even. That is just what the
tramps say now, but they don't get it,
because the men inside the fence have
the most sense and the most muscle,
the best tools and the best guns, and
they know how to use them.
The tramps were licked and then
they began to grumble, as they do
now. They said to the men inside
the fence: "YOu have no right to that
land, we want same of it," The men
inside said /: "There is land enough
outside, why don't you fence in some
out there 2" The tramps said: awe
want to stay here" Then said the
men inside the fence "Stay if you
want to and swap with us-there will
be enough for all of us if we swap. We
will work the land, which is good for
nothing unless it is worked, but we
can't all work on this land let's swap
work on land for some other kind of
work" "But where shall l stay" said
the tramp, 1--WE can't all live in the
woods 2" "No," said the man inside
the fence, "we have more food than
we can eat, more timber than we can
use, more iron than we want; you
come in and work up these things and
we will let you have a part-we will
swap grain and meat and timber and
iron, which we have saved from our
own work and cannot use ourselves,
for your work" The tramps agreed.
Where was the thief? Both had more
than they had before. Which one
gained the most =?