The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-04-15
FARMERS WARNED TO OBEY
TRESPASS LAW.

Before the Lycoming County Grange,
held there, E. L. McNett, past master
of Carpenter Grange, read paper en-
titled Railroad Trespassing. In it
he called attention to the large loss of
life in this foolish habit, and pointed
out that railroads are private property
and posted, and there is no more war
rant for "breaking the close" as the
lawyers say, than in trespassing on
farm lands, which farmers have so
generally posted. And yet the death
roll from railroad trespassing, which
is double that of tuberculosis, the
Pennsylvania system alone required
one victim every "eight hours the year
around" is mostly made up of people
from the farm who are making "short
CUTS" He calls on farmers to protect
their own lives and be law-abiding. An
excerpt from his remarkable paper fol-
lows: -.
"In many sections of the state the
question of trespass is serious one,
and largely through the action or the
grange laws have been enacted to pro-
tect the farmers and land owners from
this evil, it being unlawful to enter up
on lands that are posted. The damage
done to farm lands by trespassers con-
sists chiefly in tramping down growing
crops and leaving open gates, bars or
fences, letting cattle onto the growing
crops. The state has also severe laws
against trespassers on state lands, and
wardens are authorized to arrest, with
out warrant, violators of the law. The
damage done by trespassers in this
case consists in firing of woods or the
catching of fish or killing of game, by
fisherman and hunters. If the protec-
ton of our crops and the growing tim
Der and animal life on the public domain
be of 80 much Importance, how much
more important is the saving of human
life?
1--WE are all familiar with the mighty
efforts being made to check the ravages
of tuberculosis, and the grange has
taken an advanced position on that
question. Sanatariums are established
with state aid; Red Cross societies
everywhere are laboring to lessen the
death of the great white plague, and
through these mighty efforts the death
roll Of tuberculosis was reduced 555 in
1908, as compared with 1906, truly a
great result and worthy of the highest
commentator. But there is another
gaunt horror stalking throughout our
land, entirely preventable, which is
scarcely thought of-the killing of
people who are trepassers on our rail-
roads, and who are run down by trains.
Few people realize the enormous
loss of life from this cause. Our rail-
roads are called bands of steel binding
together our country. They could we'll
be called trail of blood, but for which
the roads are in no way to blame. On
the Pennsylvania Railroad system
alone a person is run down and cut
to pieces on an average every eight
hours the year round. If we take
into consideration the large number
of railroads in our country, all adding
their quota. the sum total becomes
simply appalling, yet all this pain and
death can be avoided by simply obey
ing the laws of trepass.
"The death roll is largely of farmers
and members of their families. 1t is a
remarkable fact that nine-tenths of the
people will walk on the railroads in
preference to the public road, although
there is not the slightest necessity of
their so doing. The railroads are pri-
vate property and posted, and in every
case when we walk on them we are
violating the very laws we ourselves
have caused to be enacted. Should we
not as grangers, not only for our own
safety, but to show our respect for the
law, at once cease this dangerous
practice, and bv precept and example
do what we can to discourage it in
others? Every death from this cause
is preventable, and in scarcely a single
case is there any good reason for TAX
ing the risk. If the practice can be
broken up, we will save double the
number of precious lives that is being
saved by the war on tuberculosis.
Let us make the effort, and we at
least will have saved our own lives and
re manned law-abiding citizens