Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-04-07
nOGS.
An Audrain Man Who Has Suffered
on Many Occasions From Worth
less Dogs.

To the Editor OF the Ledger.
AT HOME, April AFTER reading
the article of Mr.. 30. Sims, would
say he has been one of the lucky
sheep raisers of the county until this
time. The sight was a sickening
one and the damage much more than
MI. Sims has any idea of. No one
can realize the destruction of sheep
by dogs more than the writer as /
have had some very heavy losses
since / have been in this State. In
the fall of 'S5 the dogs killed sixteen
and crippled about thirty in a flock
of 100 feeders. The sheep were fed
all winter. In the spring many of
them not as fat as they were
in the fall. In the fall of 'SS they
killed twenty-five and crippled about
forty in a flock of $50. They we're
worth from S. to $40 per head.
Last spring l had twenty-five ewes
killed and as many crippled worth
from IS to So per head; besides, l
have had many other small
slaughters, killing from one to five
at a time and chasing the flock so
it took months to get over it. One
who is not in the sheep business
does not know how many men will
tie up their dogs to keep them from
being killed quicker than they will
to keep them from killing sheep, or
give the dog away or send him out
of the country only to get into some
other flock or refuse to have him
killed, when they know they have
been killing sheep. l would just as
leave a man would hide a horse
thief in day and pilot him out of
the country at night. l think the
crime would be no worse. Mr.
Sims asks the many readers to stop
and think, is it fair or honorable.
To this l would say there is no
honor in it. There is one of a few
things the sheep owners of Missouri
must do, have a dog law, kill the
dogs, quit the business or leave the
State. To leave the State will be
leaving the best sheep country be-
tween the Allegheny and Rocky
Mountains. / have been all over
this strip of country and have not
seen any part to equal North Mis-
souri, and Southern Iowa for this
honorable and profitable industry.
Where our focks can Craze the year
round, only when the ground is
covered with snow, on our rich blue
grass pastures and where corn, oats,
timothy and clover hay is raised in
abundance. Now, if this grand
good State of Missouri says the dogs
are worth more than the sheep and
the dogs must be fed on the fat OF
the lamb, let us move our focks to
the southern counties of Iowa and
make them the best and richest in
the land; where we can get pay for
our sheep that are killed at night by
dogs that are around and harbored
by people who can't pay for a sheep
if caught at their cursed work in day
time. I asked the Hon. c. +.
Clark when he was our Representa-
tive if he could assist us with a dog
law. He said the law had just
been repealed and he thought it inn
possible to do anything. Last spring
1 asked Mr.. Medley, our present
Representative, the same question.
He said no, he thought the dog law
good enough. Now, / asked the
many petitioners who asked Mr.
Medley to serve the second term Il
any of you have sheep. Does he
represent your sheep or your dogs?
Dogs injure sheepicrossing the fields
or even travelling the road If youi
pasture is on the road. Ewes thai
drop their young near the road
where dogs are passing every day.
the best of mothers will, if the flock
goes to the opposits side of the
>, field, follow the flock, but if the
lamb is taken to her in the middle
of the field or to a more quiet place
she will own and care for it. L have
the name of killing all the dogs tina
are missed. This is more than
deserve. but l will say to the owners
of dogs, if you don't want then
killed keep them out of my pasture
o. C. RoBY.