| Show IHE KAHMERS COMPLAINT The Same Old Grievance Sheen Cattle and Bogs By far the greatest nuisance to the farmers are sheep and hogs especially in the hands of unprincipled men what S the Jaw is in regard to turning them < iloose or attempting to heard t m f around our fields I know not The v I I however Is not made for honest men If we all wished to do unto others a we would have others do unto us we would need very little law neither is I t It possible to make people honest if it iS is not their supreme desire But there I are some things done that are so unjust A un-just and cruel by which thousands of dollars worth of other peoples crops are destroyed yearly that Is criminal to all Intents and purposes and should It 1 be made so by law prefer to herding sheep and hogs around and our farms without a fence sufficient to hold them I Farmers having valuable crops anywhere S any-where near where this Is done are not only liable but sure to have a great 1v Y S iS i 0 4 S f 9 = 1 < I part of them destroyed This hasbeen prove beyond question yet these men tat do this say they have a right either legal or inherent so to do perhaps per-haps both a they do not define which Verily when a man gets sheep or hogs in his eye il Is impossible for him toe to-e Clearly They drive them through narrow lanes that have been left for r the convenience of farmers only and the men take the sheep of others to herd and in all the driving receiving returning and selling or transferring have actually made a temporary corral of these streets of course the sheep running all over our crops while they were doing this We have deeds for Half l of these streets and they own the other half Some men will say why vdont you fence Well we have fenced but fence dont avail anything three miles from own homes I we lived on lved our lands It would not be profitable for proftable them to do these things As it is some of them are mean enough to do any I thing Whether isit easier and better that we should vacate our homes In cities and build on our lands in order to stop this business or for the Legis I lature to give us needed legislation to stop it especial as most of us have land in two three or four different directions Besides is there any diferent will say the farmers must put up fences to prevent sheep and hogs going through them One of these men told me that sheep were no more a nuisance in cities than ctes stock were also that a three wire and pole fence was no better to stop stock than sheep he has sheep on the brain very heavily I will say we have suf fered great loss from this kind of business busi-ness and another of our citizens in amass a-mass meeting held to protest against aginst this thing and petition our Legislature for redress stated that slieepmen had even taken off both the lower wires of his fence and hung them on the posts for a long distance around a quarter section of his land that the quarer sheep might go in and out without losing any wool his home Is In town four miles away He said he had been damaged from 500 to 1000 in the past eleven or twelve years These men boast how much land sheep and stock they own There are only a few of them but it is certain with this same procedure they will soon own all our farms and we will be their serfs and slaves I would respect fully call the attention of the legisla ture to these facts and a great many other that can be substantiated at any time if need be Hoping they will wi give us the relief we so much need to deliver us out of the hands of our op pressors I remain respectfully JOHN DONE A PETITION Whereas The farmers of Utah have endured for many years the ravages of stock sheep and hogs suffering great loss and damage for which they have received no remuneration and Whereas The conditions of the early settlement of this territory compelled compeled the citizens to leave their farms and locate in cities for protection against Indians there are thousands of them who live distant from the lands they cultivate and are therefore unable to give all their time to watching them neither can they live on them without sacrificing the benefits of each others societj and of educational advancement advance-ment and Whereas Under our present laws the owner of said animals have every in ducement t continue said practice inasmuch in-asmuch as they reap all the benefits with little chance of them having to remunerate the farmers for their loss andWhereas All legislation on this question ques-tion has been curative insted of preventive preven-tive thereby leaving the farmer to leving farer protect pro-tect himself against stock instead of compelling owners to take care of their animals and Whereas Our past experience has taught us that our present laws are Inadequate they involve farmers in vexatious law suits compel them to spend much valuable time in taking care of othei peoples stock for which they receive no compensation and Whereas This evil has been growing yearly until i has become unbearable and the future looks dark and uninvit ing to the farmer unless our legislature will take hold of this question with a I determination to do justice insted of reaching i compromise and Whereas Our legislature is now in session be it therefore Resolved By the farmers of Payson in mass meeting assembled that we endorse en-dorse the foregoing statement as true and hereby petition the honorable governor gov-ernor and legislative assembly of Utah territory t pass such legislation as will prevent the evils complained of rather than that which tends to bridge them Over after the vexations losses and injustice in-justice have been endured by the farmers farm-ers and as in duty bound your petitioners peti-tioners will ever pray One hundred and fifteen signatures sent to Hon Mr Lund of the legislature legisla-ture on the 15th |
