The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-09
THE QUARANTINE lLINE
A CHANGE IN ITS LOCATION HAS
BEEN ASKED.
AN Official INVESTIGATION OF II
A Tour Of The State Will be Made at an EARLY
Date byfr Stedden and DR.. Curtis,
VINO VIII Study the Splenic
Fever Conditions.

A study of splenc fever conditions
in this State is to be made under direc-
ton of the United States Department
of Agriculture, with a view of changing
the Federal quarantine line This has
been asked by the State Board of Agri-
culture and to this end DR.. Stedden, a
veterinarian. has been sent here by the
Bureau of Animal Industry at Wash
ington. He will confer with DR.. Coop
er Curtice the State veterinarian, and
together they will make a tour of the
State, Systematically studying splenic
fever conditions. 1t is hoped, as a re-
suit, to have the quarantine line chang
ed from its present location on the top
of the Blue Ridge to the State line be-
tween Georgia and South Carolina.
With the line at its present location it
is often disregarded by cattle dealers
and others in South Carolina and Geor-
gia. They drive tick infected cattle
into North Carolina, scattering disease
all along the route. Only yesterday a
letter was received from man at Lin
vile Falls, on the top of the Blue Ridge
complaining of this and saying that the
cattle there We're dying in great numbers
from splenic fever.
Another case in point is the recent
outbreak of splenic fever among Mrs.
Sue L. Lytle's cattle. Her farm is on
the county line btween Buncombe and
Henderson and is opposite a gap through
the mountain. The pasturing there of
three head of cattle from Henderson
county was the cause of the outbreak.
1t is reported that cattle dealers are
even now buying young cattle along the
Georgia line preparatory TO driving
them toward Asheyille.
There is much driving of cattle from
Georgia into this State for pasturage
purposes. This practice is detrimental
to the interests of the country and sub
iects the range cattle to danger of dis
ease. Buyers openly claim that the
quarantine line is the Blue Ridge and
not the State line in Georgia, and they
declare their intention to drive cattle
into this State from Georgia. Owing
to the provisions of the Interstate law
this State has no power to exclude these
cattle
Georgia has no laws for the exclusion
of cattle from her mountain regions and
until legislation TO that effect is obtained
the United States Government will be
asked to prohibit all cattle from Georgia
coming into the exempted counties of
this State during quarantine season
Also it will be asked that the usual per-
mitsfer cattle en- route to market by way
of Murphy be not granted.
AZ glance at the map will show that
enforcement of the Interstate regula-
tions along the Tennessee, Georgia and
South Carolina State lines will greatly
aid in enforcing the State regulations
in adjoining regions.
The Blue Ridge in Macon county be-
gins near the Tennessee river and runs
northeast toward Cathey. Thence it re-
turns southwark to the South Carolina
State line, and follows the Southern
boundary of Pennsylvania county to
Henderson. 1t then runs through the
eastern edge of Henderson county to
Chimney Rock in Buncombe county.
It's believed by the State authorities
here that making county lines the quar-
antine line is better plan than using
the Blue Ridge, especially when the
Ridge is so i'll defined.
Henderson county people, for instance,
desire the exclusion of South Carolina
and Polk county cattle. The latter the
State authorities can control, but the
first they cannot control. The United
States Government must do it,