Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-03-04
Shggp AND TAXES.

notice to the many readers of your Nalu-
able paper of my sheep feeding opera
tion., I wa. forcibly reminded of the
power of newspaper advertising by the
volume and number ~ letters received.
In regard % the all-ab.orblng subject ~
shecp hu.bsndry which I. ia. great COM
Ing live stock Industry to bc adopted In
our state. on modern principles snd
new Ideas. By the tenor Of these letters
AMI the prominence of the writer's, Nc
can see distinctly new epoch dawning
In Maine. great live stock Interests, a.
several of the wealthy men Who are hnan-
cially able to H. of great benefit To our
farmer. In introducing the better breeis
~ sheep for high feeling purposes,
a,owing their Intention To launch out
Into the sheep business.
have had more or les experience With
sheep since hoyhood. Ny hrst .he"p
va. purchased when va. eight YEAR.
old under circumstance that may Interest
some IL the boy farmers.
Nv native place vas th" town 30 Eve
ter. Nv father was a mechanic and va.
not the owner of any live stock ora farm.
Mr.. Henry I'M WAS our nclghhor aud a
large farmer. Ai TIL. period, over forty
year. ago, field mice devastated th" hay
n.ld to such an extent by eating the
gas. roots IN winisr. that Mr. IIill offered
a bounty IL Que cent per head for the de
.tr,lcilon IL these ,crmln. the bounty Ia
l- paid on the presentation ~ the mouse q
tall. II Mas a hard, slow way Ca coin
money, IN. process hclng to tear down
the rock piles, LII the Object ~ our
search. the mice. aud rebuild the cairn
~ rock.. 90 commonly seen In those
days on all good farms
IN this way carn~i two dollars With
whlch purchased my irst .hccp which
Inspired me to greater Industry AMI econ.
omy. ani .oou my father found himself
encountered with hoCk of I'm" sheep,
and not being prepared io keep them'
they Mer. lst to double Ia four years, a
practice very common Ia the early hls-
tory IL agriculture In Maine.
hi. little nucleus commenced In early
boyhood, Increased 80 AZ my majority !
va. the owner ~ nearly ANY sheep;
sine. which time have always reckonci
myself farmer aud have never owned
or Winirrr,l les than one hundred sheep.
And since I have been studying the
new IDEAS In sheep hu.bandry, have con-
cluded to change over aud make my farm
AZ Ilurnham, formerly stocked with
cattle, a regular sheep farm, keep all
the Improved breeds, feed and hiten
each year large numbers, aud sine" 40
many ~ our mo'l.l farmers lnirnd a. io
the same, II will D. ncccssary To- have
an organization formed In thl. state 10
foster and protect this branch ~ Indus
try. Then. when Aroo.took county alone
contain. n, on head of sheep. the mum
hef In the whole state nov, aui the
uumher trrbl~,l all over the state aud
their number Increased fourfold under
the morr Intelligent management aud
Improved methods ~ fccling. the farm
er. will have les difficulty Ia paying
their tax. Their farms instead of grow
lng les la value will D. enhancc,l
which Will ohSiate the necessity 81
appearing teforr the tax commissioner
aud CRYING "tainic'l meat" We viii
hold up our head. aud say Ia the "shy-
locks" Who arr doing the mranc.t thing
on earth dodging their sharr ~ the pub
llc burdens which they With other. cujoy
hy hiding money In sayings hanks aud
covering u from the As.cssots by pr
Jury. That We can make more money In
our profitable ayOcatiou, sheep husband
~, and bear our part ~ the public bur
deus. than they can by losing their man
hood and .hirking their honest taNss.
Although w- apprrciaie the llsa ~
taxing all kinds ot cNl,l"nc" "f property
owued In Maine Nherr money has gone
West, aud We would vote io Cut OIL every
avenue where rich men could scrvcn their
wealth from taxation, We would place
morr restraint around the assessors.
a. at the present time the tax question l.
managed so loosely In many town. as io
le a trade between the mcnied man and
the assessor. lie offering "a pay tax on a
small sum 20 money and threatening Z"
leave town II taxed higher.
Ihls l. agreed to Ia the dctrlmeni ~
the small taxpayer, and ~ the s1mc
tim. th. assessor lay. himself liable to
prosecution, a. no one Ia. right a.
make such a trade every by vote II the
town. We would have every Individual
Give Ia an Inventory ~ hi. property un-
der oath aud Instruct assessors Ia punish
cases IL pefjury "a ln other business
transactions. We believe that our prop
sfty .hould pay the tax and arr not
ready io admit that our Maine farmer.
arr growing poor and cannot pay their
taNc.. Hut, on the other land, We
would r-commenh them Ia withdraw
ihrir money from the sa,ings bank. aud
invest II In their busine.s. and by the
use II little brains make u pay mOrr
than four per cent. We do not agree
With the idca of paying a tax on our
earnings, which would H. direct
Inoneys-i lnc-nti,c Ia idlcne... We
think railroad. aud all other corporations,
a. well as individuals. should pay taxes
on the appraised value II their property,
which value l. always gaugcd by the
earning capacity.
The State of Maine has morr hatterlng
prospect. aud better future before u
than any State IN the Union. cur Ice,
our granite, our lumbcr. aud Last, bat
not least, the fact that our state u fast
coming Ia the front ass popular summer
resort, place. "a. In the category of a
prosperous section, while the agricul-
turis,. 10 Maine arr not rich and gaining
property. We can see II the forty million
dollar. were Withdrawn from the savings
hanks. which would be- equivalent To
bringing that amount back from the
we.t. aud II could bc invested In dairy
Ing aud sheep hu.bsndry, decade hence
Maine would be- the richest aud most
pro.perou. 81 the New England states.
our smart young men would stay at
home la the good old Pine Tree state
that il capable of aiiorllng better homes,
better climate, and more comfort,
health and happiness, than any section
under the sun.
80, farmers of Maine, pluck up aud
take courage. We will show the world
We are not the down troiden race rep
resented. That Ne, through our organ
iyatlon, the grange, and by other con-
centrated action, can hoe our own row
aud ask no fa,or- of those Who would
shlrk their honest publlc burdens, and
a. our. l. the foundation of all other
ayocation., We by persistent effort can
aud will wear the crown and bc the kings
although clad la home.pun hsbllments,
aud tillcrs of the soil.
l.. q. IiBBY. inNiains Farmer.
BAY HORSE.
Did any Que ever see a man or woman
with shay" hairy ask. the Horse World.
M NOR. than ha ..W an auhuru bor.s