Tensas gazette., 1917-12-28
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1917 Frees Record Amount of Terrtory-Drives
Wedge of Free Land to the Guif-Brngs
Celebrations by People In Counties Re-
moved From Under Federal Quarantine.

I'LL yOnd the halfway mark in freeing the
south from the cattle fever tick remOv-
WV ing the federal quarantine from cattle
shipment In 7O754 square miles of nine
" Southern states, driving broad wedge of
tck-fTee territory through the tick lines
to the Gulf of MexicO-the fight against the de-
structve parasite must count 1917 as its greatest
year far.
December 1, when 65,52O square miles-the
largest amount Of territory freed at one time
will be added to the liberated areas will be
the greatest day In the campaign since IL was
started actively In 1906 and it will be celebrated
as such In the states and counties in which II
VIII signalize undenably long strides toward real
izat1oE of the SOuth's merited position as a cat
tlerasing country.
The governor Of Mississippi, whose people have
made their state the first touching the Gulf TO be
entirely rid of the cattle tick has designated De-
cember 1 as day Of rejoicing in the common
wealth celebration at Jackson, the capital
and others at county seats have been arranged
AT these ceremOnals congratulations on the
achievement will be received from the United
States department of agriculture and from gov
ernors of other states. Celebrations of the same
character are to be held in the various counties
free from quarantine in eight other states-Aa-
bama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia. Louisiana,
North Carolina Oklahoma and Texas
Faltering, Slow and uncertain at first the ad-
vance against the cattle tick In II years has
gained such impetus that It now literally is
sweeping forward. There Is no doubt of final
success and there are great hopes that the goal Of
"a tick-free South In 1921" which also will mean
American territory entirely freed from the para
Site will be realized.
Ticks Long Have Infested Cattle in South.
Cattle In the Southeastern Atlantic and Gulf
states have been infested with the tick since cat
tie first were introduced into those regions. 1t Is
thought probable the ticks were introduced into
the country by cattle from Spanish herds. The
history of the tick in the South is largely his
tory OF the agricultural life of that section. In
1t are intertwined the great events Of century
or more that have attended the transformation
of the South from wilderness into a wide and
prosperous agricultural domain.
Ticks carry a fatal disease between cattle.
Calves survive the effect of It. but very few older
cattle live long when attacked for the first time
But for the fact that the calf that lives after the
attack becomes partially immune there would
now be no cattle in the tick-infested portion of
the South. Southern cattle always have caused
disease among Northern cattle whenever they,
carrying ticks have left their home territory and
been driven into or through adjoining territory.
notorious example of such driving occurred
after the Civil war when Texas and Indian Ter
ritory cattle were driven into Colorado and Kan
sas, leaving death in their trails for the native
cattle This caused the cowboy wars" in which
It was sought to turn the cattle back by force Of
arms and also caused the enactment Of stringent
state laws.
During these years Of settlement the cattle tick
had extended nOrthward until its distribution was
about coincident with that of cotton From this
vantage ground II was scattered by driveway and
by rail into Northern markets and caused annual
outbreaks of Texas fever, the disease was then
caleu, throughout the North. Legislation In vari-
Gus states sought to check the disease at that
time. but owing to ignorance of the manner of it's
spread, was poweress.
Guaranteed Territory First Defined In 1885,
Finally, with the formation Of the bureau Of
animal industry of the United States department
OF agriculture In 1884 the federal authorities un-
der authority of congress- began the fight against
the tick. The bureau first sent out agents to
define the line between Infected and noninfected
territory, and In the annual reports of 1884 and
1885 several maps published showing its
location. The first order defining and mapping
the Quarantined infected territory was published
in 1889 The driving or transporting of cattle
from the infected to the free territory was forbid
den, except for short season In winter and ex-
cept for Immediate slaughter when transported
by rail or boat and discharged into quarantine
pens at certain recognized slaughterng centers
This constituted quarantine which has existed
with timely notifications ever since
The beginning OF tick eradication is traced to a
meeting OF the commissioners of agriculture of
the cotton-growing states held in Raleigh. " c..
In 1899. when the North Carolina commissioner
directed that the states aim to improve the cat
Tie industry by tick eradication he presented
From this beginning until 1906 II counties in
North Carolina had been released from uuarnn-
tine The association of the commissioners of
agriculture and various allied organizations in
huenced by the eradication work of North Caro-
lima and the results obtained by federal. state
and other investigators together with the growing
necessity or sIneliorating the effects of the boil
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