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vated land on which such thistles and French weeds exist, or if no such service can 
be had, then by posting such notice conspicuously on such cultivated land, warning 
such owner or oceupant to destroy such thistles and French weeds before they or any 
of them shall go to seed, and that otherwise he shall hold him responsible for any 
damages which in the ensuing season may result to the land which he owns or occu- 
pies therefrom. And if in such ensuing season Russian thistles aud French weeds 
be found on the lands owned or oecupied by the party who has given such notice, 
then failure or neglect on the part of the owner or occupant on whom such notice is 
served, to destroy such thistles and French weeds and all of them, before they or 
any of them shall have gone to seed, shall be prima facie evidence that such thistles 
and French weeds found on such lands in such ensuing season, have come from seeds 
produced on the lands owned and occupied by the parties so notified, and he shall 
be liable for damages accordingly. And inasmuch as damages of this nature must 
be exceedingly difficult to determine, the minimum of such damages is hereby 
declared to be twenty-five (25) cents for each square acre of the land occupied by 
the party who has served such notice, on which any Russian thistles and French 
weeds may be found in such ensuing season. 
Src. 15. Whenever any county commissioner or any sheriff shall neglect or refuse 
to comply with the provisions of this act within five (5) days after having received 
notice as provided in sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of this act, he shall be subject toa 
fine of fifty dollars ($50); and it is hereby made the duty of the State’s attorney of 
the several counties to enforce the provisions of this act. 
Sec. 16. On the first Wednesday of November in each year the board of county 
commissioners of every county in which Russian thistles and French weeds have 
been destroyed, under the provisions of this act, shall hold a session at their usual 
place of meeting for the purpose of levying an assessment against the lands upon 
which such thistles and French weeds have been destroyed, and upon any railroad 
company operating any line of railroaa in the State, upon the right of way of which 
line within such county such Russian thistles and French weeds have been destroyed, 
and a personal tax upon every person who in that year has occupied, held or culti- 
vated any land the title to which is in the United States, upon which any such 
thistles and French weeds have been destroyed in accordance with this act; and it 
shall be the duty of every person and corporation chargeable with the duty of 
destroying Russian thistles and French weeds upon any land or right-of-way within 
such county, to appear before such board at such time and place and show cause if 
any there be, why any such land or such railroad company should not be assessed. 
It shall be the duty of the county auditor to present at such time and place a report, 
showing the expenses incurred or made necessary in the destruction of Russian 
thistles and French weeds upon each tract of land, upon each right-of-way, and 
upon all highways, roads, ways and trails, in public use, in such county. And after 
the board of county commissioners shall have heard and duly considered all objec- 
tions to the levy of all and any such assessments it shall be their duty to levy an 
assessment against every tract of land and upon every railroad company and upon 
every person for the amount which may be justly due on account of such expenses; 
and such assessments shall thereupon be extended upon the tax roll for such year as 
a special assessment against such land or railroad company, and the amount of such 
assessments shall become due at the same time, and be subject to the same penalties 
and interest and shall be collected in the same manner as other real and personal 
taxes. And the proceeds of such assessment so levied shall be paid into the credit 
of the road fund of such county when collected. 
Sec. 17. The county auditor of each county shall, at the time of making the 
annual assessment and the levy of taxes, for the purposes of this act, levy a tax of 
one mill on the dollar on all taxable property in such county, which tax shall be 
collected at the same time and in the same manner as other taxes are collected, and 
the proceeds of such tax shall be paid by the county treasurer of each such county to 
