The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-08-19
WOULD RATHER GO TO ROADS THAN
DIP HIS CATTLE AGAINST TICKS.
Wealthy Pasquotank Farmer, Opposed toNFederal
and State Efforts to Eradicate Cattle Tick
In This County, Gets Roads Sentence

/ The Recorders Court Of Pas
quotank eunty threw a bomb
into thecamp of the Free Rang
ers Saturday when Judge Spence
imposed a sentence of three
months on the roads on Gather
Harris, prominent farmer Of
this county, for failure to dip
his cattle in compliance with the
regulations of the State Depart
mentf Of Agriculture. Mr.. Har-
ris is about S. years of age and
is one Of the wea1thiest farmers
| in the county. His wealth is es-
tirnated at $4,000 to $75, 700. But
Mr.. Harris made the mistake of
riling the Court.
This was Mr.. Harris third offense.
Twice before he had been convicted and
| fines imposed. The law is plain. The
Supreme Court has upheld the law. But
Mr.. Harris told the Court that he was
one of the biggest tax payers in the
county, that his cattle were his cattle
and he purposed to do what he pleased
with his own property. Referring to
| DR.. r. w. Beck, who has charge of the
Federal and State tick eradication work
in this county, Mr.. Harris declared in
court that he didn't purpose to have
| ''that little thing" put his cattle thru
dipping vat. DR.. Beck is slender
youth weighing about 12O pounds and
Mr.. Harris would perhaps tip the scales
around 200.
Mr.. Harris noted an appeal to the
| Superior Court, giving bond in the sum
of 5000. His attorney is Martin Simp-
son, Jaw partner of e. F. Aydlett.
The Harris case is the twelfth prose-
cution of anti-tick eradicationists in the
Recorders Court of this county within
a week. OF the twelve cases there were
ten convictions. J. L. Brock and Joe
Banks were found not guilty. Lemuel
Cartwright, Frank .Basnight, Vannie
Cartwright, John A. Harris, d. r. Rus
sell and J, r. Matthews were found
guilty and fined $40 and costs each.
Each took an appeal to the higher court
Sim Harris, found guilty, was released
upon paxsaerf COSTS ID consideTst
I of his agreeing to dip his cattle and
give no further trouble. e. F. Aydlett,
who holds the position of q. S. Attorney
for the Eastern District of North Caro-
lima, represents five of the defendants.
From the rumpus that these cases
have kicked up an outsider might sup
pose that condition almost approach
ing civil war exists in Pasquotank coun-
ty between owners of free range cattle
and the tick eradicationists. But such
does not seem to be the case. DR.. Beck
says that the men prosecuted within the
past week are about the only ones who
have given any trouble and that but for
their recalcitrancy the NGk eradication
work in Pasquotank would have been
completed last September.
There are all told 1883 cattle owners
in Pasquotank and, according to DR..
Beck, nearly all of them are complying
with regulations and having their cattle
dipped every fourteen days. The last
census placed the total number of cat
tie in this county at 4,2S1 head in 1919.
Dr. Beck's report for the month of
July 1921 shows that ABA head were
twice dipped in the vats in this county
in that month, indicating that he and
his assistants are doing their work pret
ty :horoly.
he 30-day road sentence imposed on
Gather Harris is expected to have the
effect of making other recalcitrants
hesitate to interfere with or impede the
governments attempt to exterminate
the cattle tick in this county and make
the county fit for the production of
Thoroughbred cattle.
Mr. Harris contends that his cattle
are free from ticks and don't need a
bath in the arsenical solution of the Dip
ping vats. He put Sheriff Chas. Reid
on the stand to testify that his cattle
were free from ticks DR.. Beck says
Sheriff Reid's opinion will go when the
government recognizes him as an authz
ority on the subject. DR.. Beck declares
that the tick newly Matched from the
egg of the fever tick is so infinitely
small as to be indiscernible to the hu-
man eye. 1t takes nineteen days or
longer for the egg of a tick to hatch 4
out. That is why cattle owners are re-
quired to have their -.cattle dipped in
arsencial solution every fourteen days,
in vats provided for the purpose by the
State and Federal Governments cooper
ating with the County Commissioners.