The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-11-19
The Ownership Of Land.

Once all men were trAmpS. The l0
dians used to own all land in common.
They didn't SOW much, and they didn't
reap much. They lived on game, fish
and clans, but there wasn't enough to
go round, and then one said to the other,
81 have as good 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 grandfathers lived in the same
way in Europe, but that way didn't
work well, and the white men gave It
up, but the Indians haven't given it up
yet. What did they do next? They
saw that all their food came out of the
land, aud that if they did not fence in
some of the land somewhere and plant
it, there would not be enough food to go
around. Game was getting scarce. A
tribe or family fenced in piece, and
said to the rest, This is ours" No
body objected just then, because there
was more land than folks. After the
tribe had taken the land, part of them
planted it, and the rest of them kept up
the fences, that is to say, they stayed
round the outside, and kept the tramps
off. Next year the tribe that had fenced
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 building bet
ter houses the 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 .he land, the more food
there was for themselves and others.
The iramps outside had 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 as 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 crop
and If they won't give them to us, let's
| go and take them-let's all share even. s"
| 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 guLs, and they know how to use
/ them.
The tramps were licked and then they
began to grnmble, as they do now. They
| said to the men inside the fence, You
have no right to that land, we want
! some of it," The men inside said, there
is land enough outside why don't you
ferce in some out there2" The tramps
said, 1--WE want to stay here" Then
said the men inside the fence, "stay, if
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 1 stay?'' said
| the tramp. I'VE can't all live in the
woods" NO" said the man inside
the fence, 1--WE have more food than we
eau eat, more timber than we can use.
more iron than we want you can come
in and work up these things, and we
will let you have part: we will swap
grain aud meat and timber and iron
which we have saved from our OWE
| 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 P Z. AtkiHSon IN Work and Wd0es.