The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-12-23
How People Marked
Stock When Stark
Was Mostly Woods
slit EARS were FIRST means
USED FOR IDENTIFICATION
From This Custom Of Marking
Arose Popular Phrase Of the
Present-Bra ndins Irons
Cams Later.

THERE is an expression as old as
i the hills, and which Ia used by
the present generation without much
conception of it's origin, and that Is
"ear marks" Any peculiar mark OF
recognition is referred to as an ear
mark, and the application is carried
into a wider field, such as discovering
the ear mark" of writer by pecu-
liar style in his productions Ear
marks are found now everywhere, ex-
cept on the articles where they origl-
mated.
In the early days Of Stark county,
hack when ninety per cent of the
country was woodland, cattle and hogs
were allowed TO roam at will in the
forests. The hogs we're turned loose
in the spring and fed during the sum-
mer months by the owners, but when
the mast began falling in the fall,
the animals were let range far and
wide through the woods in search Of
the acorn, beech and hickory nut.
The grandfathers to this day insist
that the pork that was grown in those
early times was far superior to that
which is produced from corn at the
present time, as it had peculiar nut
ty flavor which is never found now
except occasionally in years when the
mast is abundant and the hogs are
allowed to run in tho woods.
The Identification of hog by mark
ings OF shape was impossible. The
animals all ran together in the woods
and grew out of the recollection of the
owners. Some means of distinguish
ing them was necessary, and the re-
suit was that men in certain commun-
tiles would agree upon certain ear
marks. One farmer or hog owner
would put a single slit of a knife IN
the right ear of all his pigs, and when
butchering time came in the fall all
pigs or hogs so marked were his.
Another would slit the left ear,
others cut the top of one ear Oft
straight across. Holes were punched
in the cars and in some instances a
brand was burned into the greasy
skin Of the animal. The number Of
farmers increasing led to much con-
fusion and often to fights and law
suits.
What was true of the hogs was
equally true of the cattle. They had
to be branded. At first markings or
cuttings of the ear was the only
means of identification, but this be-
gan to be inadequate and brands were
resorted to. Blacksmiths became ex-
pert in making these branding irons
and every farmer had his own.
Sometimes it was an initial letter
indicating the farmer who owned the
animal. Crosses, stars, bars, double
bars, circles and all sorts OF contriv-
ances were resorted to, and there was
law as well established as though
written upon the statute books that a
man who appropriated a branded ami
nal must be punished. There were in
stances when the quarrels resulted in
men being killed or seriously wound
ed in the controversies.
AS brands multiplied there were
sure to be duplicates and the cattle
of different communities carrying the
same brand got mixed in the woods
and the disputes became so frequent
that the state legislators had to take
the matter up and pass law requir-
ing the registering of brands. The
brands were registered with the coun..
ty commissioner or township clerks,
and when these registered brands
were burned into the skins of the ami.
mails they were as good as a warranty
deed from government land Office.
A penalty for the defacing or
changing Of brands was fixed and
from that time on there was less trou-