The Newtown bee., 1893-09-22
A SHORT SERMON ON FENCES.

To the Editor ot THE BEE: I've no doubt the BEE Man in his peregrinations has noticed sure one thing has particularly struck his at. tenton, namely, the state of a great many doubtless heard ot the old lady's definition of bully" fence, which she gave once in a court room to q judge who, it seems, was not up to the language of the times. Her deHRi- tion was "A bully fence is one that is horse high, bull strong and pig tight" Ot course the judge then saw that the good woman was poetically describing stone wall which our forefathers much delighted to lay. Now, the BEE Man, or any other man, cannot say truthtully that the great majority of stone walls which are seen to-day, are included un- der the aforesaid definition.
 For what is the state of the vast number Of walls in in our day2 It Is Il tumbling or tum- bled state. Go along the highways or across large extent. If you have ever taken the trouble to look oil over the valley and hill, from some prominent locality, and have not ed the walls which enclose field after field he must be sensible of the tremendous amount of hard labor and time tor which they all stand Our foretatherS labored early and late to lay them up and we to-day have en- tered into their labors or perhaps it would be more precise to say, a previous generation en- tered into their labors, for in some cases to- day the only semblance of a stone wall con sists in a few moss covered stones appearing above brush and useless grass, grass such as would require stone crusher to bruise. It is thus evident that 1t requires more than one generation of storms and frOsts to do the hav- oc to stone walls which everywhere meets the eye of the observer, even If he has but one eye.
 Now it seems great pity that so little is being done to keep up the old marks which represent so great labor and time. stone walls are the best fences which farmers can build and why should they not make special endeavors to repair those which have cost so much strength in the past? It seems as If they might do that much, at least, even if they cannot lay up new walls. Once in a while one sees a farm we'll walled and the be- ginnings of new walls. And 1t Is delight to the eye to meet with such a sight.
 How long would it take an earnest and ac- spring or tall and relay a break, or pick up top stone which has been knocked off by some careless fisherman or hunter? Why,it would mean but q little time and labor ii a man went at it the right way. And it might be said of those men who carry fish poles and lines to cast into the water q will not say to catch tsh), and who back a gun all day long to shoot at some half grown bird, they might confer great and lasting benefits on farmers if, when they brushed stone of wall, they took one minute to place it on the wall again. Surely it ought to be done. No one in viii lage would think of breaking or knocking of a picket of front, or even back fence, and
 say nothing about it; Why should stone
 wall be half tumbled down and thought to be
 nll right to do? There is no reason for such
 course.
 Let this word, then, be needed by hunters
 and fishers and all others who at any time displace stones from the walls which have cost some hard working farmers much labor and time. And to the farmers themselves II ought to be said, let them at least repair old | walls and make special efforts to build new ones when there Is a Hull in their more pres sing work, If this was done, how much could be saved2 know of one thing that could be | saved if there were good fences, and that is, 1 the friendship of neighbOrs. The writer has | in mind farmer who never thought it his | busIness to keep up fences; indeed, it was an | accident if he put up pair of bars after him. | His cows, oxen, horses colts, sheep ana l hogs were always, not at home, but on the | land of his neighbors, eating corn or turnips, | or trampling down other crops which had | cost mady an hours labor At last his shame. | ful neglect led to very bitter state of feeling | with neighbor with whom he had been on l good terms; and all bee he had neglected l to do anything to his fences.
 | It is needless to say more concerning the | advantage ot keeping up 'bulIy" fences. "A | words to the wise is sufficient" Yours truly | Luciter.