The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-04
TIE CAMPAIGN WARNING UP
TO-NOrTOW'S Election Will Decide the
Important Fence Question.


Relying Upon Arguments to Rea-
son-Betting Largely on the Side Of
"No Fence"-Maior Blanford Puts
Out Strong Facts for the Repeal Of
the Present Law-An Issue of Impor-
tance to Taxpayers.
To-morrow's election promises 70 be
livelier contest than was at first auticipa-
tod. Both, mo Fence and Fence" ad-
vocates are at work, campaigning and
button-holing voters with arguments on
encouraging truck farms and the fencing
of poor peoples stock.
The No Fence people certainly have
the most reasonable arguments to ad-
vance, while the Fence" side is APP
pealing largely 10 sympathy and pref
udice TO hold up its end. The Fence"
side has issued an appeal to the voters,
signed by long list of names of persons
little known outside of their immediate
circle of friends asking that the law be
allowed to stand as it is
Betting, however, is strongly on the
side of mo Fence and if this can be
taken as a straw pointing to the result,
the reform viii be adopted
by large majority. In the last election
the city people either did not thoroughly
understand the issues or did not care,
and Fence won, but in the present cam
paign the situltion is changed. So much
has been printed about the effect of the
law keeping down the development of ag-
riculture in Chatham county, which is
known to have as fine prOduce-raising
soil as any place in the country, that the
city people desire a change and will likely
SO decree by their votes tomorrow.
THE CITY PEOPLE AROUND.
They understand that if the present
law is allowed TO remain, cattle can con
tinue their depredatiOns not only on un-
fenced crops, but also upon the drainage
work which has cost the tax payers con
siderable money and the count of the
ballots tomorrow night in each of the city
districts will probably show that the peO-
pie have become aroused TO their inter
ests, which are common with the
Advancement of the whole county. If "No
Fence" is not carried, it win hardly be
the fault of the citizens Of the munich
pality.
Voters can do nothing better than to
consider the cost to the county, and
thereby to themselves individually,
through cattle running loose and tramp
ling down the bitches and drains which
have cost the county thousands of dollars
TO construct.
1t win be seen from the following in
terview with County Engineer r. A.
Blandford that the farms of the county
are not the only things liable to destruc-
ton from invasions by loose cattle, but
that each taxpayer has his own individ-
ual interests to consider in casting his
vote, whether he be farmer with lands
to protect or not.
DAMAGE BEYOND REALIZATION.
"Those not familiar with the drains
said Maj. Blandford, cannot realize the
extent of damage done by rowing cattle.
People owning private drains which are
exposed 10 cattle have made frequent
complaints in regard to this matter. and
none of them that are not protected are
free from damage from. this source.
"The best illustration ! know Of" said
Major Blandford, sis to be found on the
White Bluff road. The company owning
that road has recently completed it's
drainage at cost of S400 or moro, In
fact it has not been over two months since
it was put in first-class order, and the
road was at that time thoroughly drained.
Now most of the bitches on that road
have been so trampled by cattle, and the
outlets made to carry of the water have,
been so filled up from this source, that
the water is standing In ponds in many
places along the road and the work is
practically undone.
1.-THE pools of water thus left standing
at the pla ces where the outlets ought 10
be, are great danger to the health of the
community. The most noticeable places
are seen just quarter of a mile beyond
Estill avenue and on both sides of the
Vernon driving park
POOLS OF sTAGNANT WATER.
"These ponds of shining green water
along the road are so apparent that they
must be noticed by everyone who passes
that way, The damage is so great and is
kept up so continually that it is a great
hardship to the company.to comply with
the requirements of the county commits
sioners in this respect
The damage to the canals and bitches
dug by the county" he said, "can only
be calculated by thousands of dollars.
Under the existing circumstances it
would require almost constantly a force
of fifty men on these canals and bitches
TO keep them in repair. Outlets to
drains have been closed up and the banks
of the canals been broken in in numerous
places.
THE damage is greatest within
radius of five miles from the city. Within
those limits is where the largest and most
important system of drains is found
When YOU consider the flatness of the
swamps and the fact that there is an
average fall of only one foot in about
1000, you can readily perceive that the
trampling in of one of the canals would
back the water up for considerable dis
lance. For instance, if canal is stopped
by dam foot high, the water is backed
for 1000 feet.
HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE DdPRRILED.
This, of course, is dangerous to health
as well as being destructive of the
couhty's prosperity. The banks have
been cut everywhere in the county and
1t is certainly necessary that remedy
of some kind be provided. In case the
election tomorrow decides against No
Fence, it will pay the county TO fence up
canals and bitches rather than to employ
the large force of hands which ii requires
to keep them in order under the existing
circumstances.
These are the views Of prac-
tical engineer In casting his vote
every citizen might do well to consider
that he may be voting for a higher or a
lower rate of taxation, as the case may be.
WHEELMEN OUT OF TOWN.