The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-15
TIE FENCE QUESTION.
Why Hezekiah Brown, q Colored Ora
tor, Has Come over to "No Fence"

! Why Hezekiah Brown, q Colored Ora
tor, Has Come over to "No Fence"
The fence issue is absorbing good deal
of the public interest.
In conversation with gentleman owning
place near the city with some rich bot
tom land, from which he derives from about
fifty colored tenants about 81 per acre per
annum, the landlord said that he has no
fence timber on his 200-acre tract, but must
fence with refuse from the mill. When he
has maintained an almost lawful fence
against natural wear and decay, storms,
fire and theft, he has only about enough
left to pay his state and county taxes This
is not an exceptional case, but the experience
OF the many
Without the necessity of fencing crops,
land owners could afford TO rent cheaper,
and purchasers would pay more in buying
lands free from the encumbrances Of fence
laws as they now exist in regard to crops.
In the last election the crop fencemen
carried the day. In that campaign Col:
Hezekiah Brown, a colored citizen OF
oratorical ability, stumped the county
against any change in the law, aud he had
the satisfaction OF seeing victory perch upon
his banner. After the election Brown be-
came land owner and his lordlv estate of
few acres well titled was his pride. He
built fence TO protect his crop Of early
vegetables. It could not be said to be a
lawful fence but afforded reasonable pro-
lection. One night some boys whom
Brown had offended. in a spirit of revenge.
letdown few panels of ms fence and COW
accustomed to seek a nearby pond saw an
opening for the exercise of their cuds and
awaited themselves of 1t to the obstruction
of Browns crop. When the mornings
mist lifted Brown cast doleful eye over
the fields devastated and wrecked, which
only the night before were the delight of
his eyes and the elimination of his bucolio
ambition.
Brown was wrathful, and vengeance was in
his eyes. As soon as he could he visited
the city and laid his case before a county
official for advice as to what course he
should pursue for redress. He was given
good advice, but his crop could not be re-
stored or suit for damages against ire
sponsible parties palliate his pecuniary loss,
which, after sober second thought, bore
most heavily upon Browns feelings
He was reminded that if ne had been on the
other side of the question in the last cam
paign there would not have been any I'M
fenced strolling cattle to destroy bis CROP
But Brown had no land then. He is now
a stronger advocate for fencing cattle than
he was so successfully for fencing crops in
the last camuaign.
A prominent lawyer, in conversation in
which the fence question was the topic,
said: Speaking of the present fence laws
Of the county, do you know they are one of
the most vexatious sources of litigation!
1t is impossible for one, two or five-acre
troopers to build legal fence, that is, as
the law contemplates, and it is true also OF
the large planters and truck farmers. Not
one in fifty has fence that would en-
able him to sue for damages in case
where pigs, hogs, etc., have damaged crops.
When small troopers have their all de-
stroyed by some rich or poor mans worth
less stock of any kind, the first impulse is
to wreak his vengeance upon the offend
ing or invading animal, when, il he Injuries
or kills the stock ne must pay for it, besides
having his crop destroyed. Out of these
disputes and losses arise endless litigation
and they stir up the bitterest feelings be-
tween neighbors. Essentially, therefore, a
law requiring fencing of cattle aud leaving
crops unfenced would be poor mans law
ana great boon to him. For the county
it would prove great and economic meas
ure in lessening the expense of courts in
trying these strifes between friends and
neighbors, where. ia ninety-nine out of
every 100 cases, no matter who wins, both
litigants lose money, aud the good viii be-
tween themselves and their neighbors that
go so far in contributing to the bright side
TO hfe.n
A well informed gentleman said last
night, in discussing the fence topic: while
even Georgia is endeavoring to foster for
estry, the voters of Chatham county should
not hesitate about the enactment of law
that will do moro for forestry than a dozen
associations for planting trees. Scientists
are laying to the denuders of the forest
many of the dire viSitations that scatter
ruin in their paths, the storm, the cyclone,
the flood and the parching drought follow
ing SUCCESSFULLY on each others heels
$40 maintain lawful fences in Chatham
county against natural decay, fire, storms
and theft, for ten years to follow, without
taking advantage, for cultivation, of the
reclaimed lands made available for truck
and other farming by the drainage system
of the commissioners, would at the end of
ten years CLAN every forest and swamp in
the country of its timber and invite such
drought and flood as would destroy the ag-
ricultural interest of the country. If the
fencing is to be kept up by the refuse lum-
Der of the saw mills its expensiveness would
make fencing luxury with the rich and
the poor man his newer of wood and drawer
of watern