Year: 1875

N the Editor of the Commonwealth:


From the weekly reading of your
excellent paper, 1 discover that you are


wisely advocating State herd law.


This is as it should be. and trust that


the time is at hand, when there will be


none to oppose such law.


As one who has had, for the past five
years, considerable experience in running
stock farm in one of your adjoining
counties, l feel that / am pretty we'll
posted on the subject, and l unhesitat-
iDgly state that such a law is now the
great need of Kansas, and that she never
will or can assume her own proper station
among the great grain and stock growing
States of this union until she has such a
law on her statute books. In my fire.
quent travels to and through your State,
1 am continually coming in contact with
parties seeking locations, but in no one
instance have l yet succeeded with all
my nice TALK in inducing them to look
for locations in my own county, after
revealing the fact that our county
commissioners were opposed to the herd
law.


They argue very properly that the
annoyances from stock running at large,
greatly overballanced all l could urgein
behalf of the location, rich lands, ETC.,
and, in the honesty Of my soul, / have
always been forced to agree with them.
And here let me say that, not one month
ago, while in your State, came across
two parties who had bought themselves
farms in this county with the view of
moving out next. spring: These men
told me that since making the purchase
they had not only learned that there was
no county herd law, but that majority
of the county was opposed to one, and
that they had promptly decided to sell
out, even at loss, and repurchase in
some county that would afford them
protection from the great nuisance OF
stock running at large.


This fact related to one ofmy anti-herd
law Irish neighbors, as "knock down
but it didn't knock him much
for his reply was "Faith an Tn glad of
it, for it's shame, it is, for these Iich
folks to come in and make their nice
farms all around us, and cut us poor
folks off from our rights and privileges"
This was enough for. me, and l moved
off without further argument, but was
greatly rejoiced the following morning to
learn that the cornfield OF this patriotic
citizen had been visited by some roam
ing stock during the night and pretty |
we'll cleaned him out. But l fear that |
am trespassing, and will stop with word
to the Louisville, Wamego and st Marys |
papers, and that word is this, Gentlemen,
with a herd law in operation, your
will receive her full! proportion OF
new settlers. and you will all go ahead
ard prosper, but without it you will
very justly drag behind, whilst the
"poor mans range" will remain undis-
turbed for 10 these many years to come.


The question, l take it is simply this,
shall the stock owners within the borders
Of your State, whether rich or poor, be
required by law to keep charge of said
stock, or shall they be permitted to turn
it loose upon their neighbors' crops,
young hedges, etc.


And now word more in order to be
whilst not resident of
,our State, I ap pretty largely interested
n her prosperity, and also literally
so much in fact, that feel
ike one of you. feel proud of your
'plendid State, with her rich soil and
inc climate, but there is one thing
wanting, she must have estate herd
aw." Yours truly,


NJ. r. BARTLETT.