The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-14
IN FAVOR OF NO PENCE.
What Men Say Who Were on the
Other Side Ten Years Ago.


the fence question the interest deepens. and
arguments are heated az TO fence" or mo
fence Some contend that the crops
should be fenced. Others as vigorously
contend that the cattle and not the crops
should be fenced.
A well-posued gentleman said yes
terday that when the matter was
submitted to the voters Of the
he was one of the most vigorous opponents
OF the measure to fence in the cattle. SIN
fact, he said, 81 narrowly escaped having
two or three personal collisions with
gentlemen on the other side
Of the question, for 1t was burning issue
at the polls and I was making redhot
fight for my side of the case and getting all
the votes l could. l am on the other side
now"
''Whyr asked the reporter.
well, between Chatham county ten
years ago and Chatham county now there
is wide difference. The cattle interests
then predominated or at least were equal to
the agricultural interests. There is a
changed condition of affairs now. The
drainage of the last ten years has reclaimed
lands which are valuable for agri-
cultural purposes. The cattle interest
now is Insignificant by comparison
with the purely agricultural interest. The
truck farms and gardens have multiplied,
by reason of the local, interior and northern
demand for vegetables, and Savannah has,
stimulated by events of the past ten years,
grown SO that the conditions of the county
are almost reversed.
ut is much less expensive" said the
gentleman, ito fence in the cattle than the
crops. Twelve years ago timber was not
so scarce, agriculture had not assumed such
proportions, and l opposed fencing the
cattle, because believed it was cheaper
then to inclose the cultivated acreage
do not think that condition of affairs exists
now. The rail timber is gone. Either ex-
pensive lumber must be used for fencing
or the wire fence must be used, and to keep
out the hogs the wires must be put SO close
as to make such fencing very expensive.
Ihls dlscourages the owners of land from
extending the crop acreage, and it precludes
them from renting or leasing tracts of land
to colored settlers who cannot afford to
fence against cattle.
But have another serious objection to
cattle running at large" the gentleman
said. "The di5ching done by the county
has been absolutely necessary to the SANTA
ton of the city and the country. Leaving
out the question of the lands the drainage
has reclaimed and which are yet to be re-
claimed, the expense of ditching is justified
as sanitary measure, and the increasing
healthtulness Of the city and county is due
as much, or more, to the ditching done by |
the county as to the artesian water and city |
sanitary works. If cattle are permitted to |
run at large the nature Of the soil is such |
that cattle continually keep the bitches out |
Of repair and seriously retard the drainage |
work, to say nothing of the continual |
expense resulting from the damage done by |
the stock to the bitches The time has |
come when the agricultural interests and
the healthful sanitation of the county de- |
mand that the cattle be fenced in and not |
the crops, for if the latter are fenced the
bitches remain unprotected.
''If it be said that the cattle ought to be |
permitted to run in the swampS, let the |
Ogeechee swamps be fenced in for cattle |
range, as it would require much less to |
fence them than to fence the arabic acreage
Of the county. l think J. am fully war |
ranted in being as jealous for fencing in the |
cattle now as l was several years ago for |
fencing the crops, and many others who |
opposed the mo fence law, as 1t is called, |
then, are in favor of it now for the reasons |
have stated"
Another gentleman said to MORNING /
NEWS representative: THE commence-
ment of civilization in Georgia was the |
mo fence law. He went on to say that |
a short time after the war, after visiting |
several plantations around the city, the |
fences on which were burned by Sherman. |
he noticed the geat alteration for the better /
in the general appearance of the fields, and |
thought what blessing it would be to be able |
to plant without fences, never thinking for /
moment at that time that his thoughts |
would ever be realized. The time is now |
upon us, and with it comes civilization. in |
dustry and enterprise
"a good many of the fence people in |
this county live by hunting, fishing and |
proving on their neighbors. They plant |
about an acre of land, have a few cows that |
furnish them probably about pint of milk |
a day, and they are allowed to roam over |
the neighbors' land in search of something |
to eat, as there is nothing at home for |
them, aud, under the pretext of hunting |
their cows, these fence persons hunt their |
neighbors' land for everything it is worth, |
and frequently set fire to the woods and de- |
stroy all fencing on the premises, which |
causes very heavy loss. With the no |
fence law, these people will be forced to 90 |
to work. and our county will be more rap |
idly developed.
ITO show the fence men some of the |
beauties of the mo fence' law.n said the |
gentleman. "at the last legal sale day in this |
city condemned mo fence COW was put |
up and sold without warranty to Capt. M. !
j.. Doyle for the trifling sum OF S62 so. |
while short time after the writer was
offered thirty head of fence cattle at Sc |
per head. A mo fence state furnishes us
with mich cows. With the no fence
law comes better stock, which means plenty |
of cheaper and better milk, and an abund- |
ance of fresh butter. Fine pastures will
be established whore the city COW can feed
III peace and safety, and not always be on
the lookout for the reliable fence musket.
Some of the more rash fence leaders
have raised the cry of the rich against the
poor, but If there ever was anything in the
poor mans favor, mo fence is certainly
that thing The doctors are the only per-
sons who can be affected by mo fence for
by keeping the COWS pastured, the drains
will be kept open, the stagnant water will
run off, there will be no malaria, conse-
quently no doctors bills to pay.
ut would seem," said the gentleman in
conclusion, " that all persons who are kindly
disposed toward their neighbors, and are