The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-23
The Old Rail Fence

From the Milwaukee Sentinel
In this age of rapid progress with
all sorts of new methods and mate
ria1s. many of the old modes are be-
ing discarded and will soon be mere
memories
Very few of our young people, for
instance. have seen the old fashioned
rail fence which was once used all
over this country by thousands OF
farmers The native forests were
abundant and immense oaks. with
large. straight trunks that would have
been excellent for manufacturing what
Is known as quarter sawed lumber for
the fine furniture. we're chopped down
and split into heavy rails that went
to make worm fences.
In many sections. especially in
pennsylvania, Ohio. West Virginia and
Kentucky, where the black walnut grew
SO abundant In the early days of the
country, the trees We're not considered
of any more value than the ordinary
Forest timber and they We're often cut
and split into rails. which were light
IN weight but We're very durable
sometimes being used In rail fence con
stfuetion for the greater part of a CEN
tury. In certain localities some of these
old walnut rails are to be found vet
Such trees as were used in making
them would bring large sums at the
present time. one farmer i'm eastern
ohio recently sold 20 large black wal
nut trees to a dealer in fancy timber
for $4,000
Chestnut is a wood that splits easily
and in many localities these trees were
cut and made into rails Now Tie
chestnut is valuable timber for many
uses.
The old style rail fence. which most
of our grandparents were familiar with,
was, when properly erected, a very sub
stantial structure
The rails were about IL feet in
length. usually being split so as to
nave three sides. The corners were
shafp. and when properly laid up
would make solid fence Heavy
chunks were often used at the COR
ners and the fences built from eight
to ten rails high, laid at an angle,
one on the top OF the other When
The fence was finished except the top
rail- stout stakes or rails were set up
at each bend in the fence one on either
side, in such manner that they rested
In the angles and crossed to hold the
top rail, or rider" as ii was called
In some sections people built what
was known as the post and rail"
fence. The posts were square or lit-
tie broader one way than the other,
and five or six oblong holes were NOR
tised through the portion that stood
above the ground. and the ends of the
rails sharpened and the points stuck
through the posts. This method en-
abled the person to build a fairly
straight fence. and II was possible to
cultivate more of the land.
Soon after the new method of build
ing a rail fence was tried the trees
We're sawed into boards. and post and
board fences were all the rage: but in
a few more years the factories turned
out great quantities of wire and tho
wire fence has taken the place Of al
most every other form of inclosure.
During the period when rails were
extensively used shingles were split
from short lengths of the straghtest
grained oak timber and houses and
barns We're rooted with these. When
properly put on. such roof would last
for more than half century.
Now the roofing Is nearly all done
with slate or metal or some form of
pulp, woven and pressed into sheets
that are treated with paints of various
kinds to make them durable. The old
fashioned roof has disappeared from
many section entirely.