1592 
RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 25, 1919 
J 
;io 
INTERNATIONAL 
G 
How You Dread Wash Day! 
W E are talking to you, Mrs. Farmer. And 
we want to help you. You have the 
meals to get for the men folks on wash day 
the same as every other day—and there are 
the children to be looked after as usual, as well 
as } T our regular housework and chores. Even 
without these added tasks, the family wash is 
usually enough to break any woman's back and 
to wear her out generally. Working in the 
fields and around farm machinery makes dirty 
clothes — as you well know. 
An International Kerosene Engine — l}4-h. p. 
size — will take the hard work and backache out of 
the family wash for you as well as removing all of 
the dirt just as efficiently as you could do it your¬ 
self. You need a power washer and one of these 
little engines just as much as your husband needs a 
mower or grain binder. He doesn’t cut the hay 
and grain with a sickle or scythe — modern ma¬ 
chinery has taken the hard work and backache out 
of these tasks for him. So you are certainly entitled 
to an engine and power washer to do as much for you. 
And between times the engine will churn the but¬ 
ter, turn the cream separator, shell corn for the 
chickens, turn the grindstone, pump water, saw wood 
and handle other chores, saving work for the whole 
family. Write for a descriptive catalogue so that 
you can show your husband just the engine you want 
There are three sizes— 1%, 3, and 6-h. p. 
International Harvester Company 
Chicago 
of Americai«> 
USA 
■5a 
Horse Blankets 
that Wear Like Iron 
Don’t leave your horse exposed. 
Give him perfect protection with 
a 5A Storm King Horse Blanket—a blanket 
with weight, style, warmth, and strength. 
5A Storm King Blankets are known the land 
over, are made of the strongest, tightest, 
twisted yarn and fashioned by workmen who 
are craftsmen at their business. Ask your 
dealer for the 5A. Look for the 5A trade mark. 
WM. AYRES & SONS, Philadelphia 
Makers of 5A Motor Robes. 
30 Days 9 Free 
Trial 
Here are three durable, 
highest grade shovels, 
each for a different 
use and all necessary for work on the farm. To 
prove how useful they are we will send them and 
let you try them free for 30 days. That’s the 
only right way to determine value. Talk can’t tell what a trial 
test will! If you don’t want to keep those handy helpers, ship them 
back and we will pay transportation both ways (see coupon bel 
Majestic Shovel Set 
Three strong, durable shovels at a big saving! This outfit represents 
top notch quality in every particular. The highest grade of mate¬ 
rial and workmanship has been put into these articles. The wood 
handles are tough, strong and durable, and the blades are spe¬ 
cially constructed to avoid rust and will last for years. Large 
scoop, blade 12% x 15% inches, for grain, sand, gravel, coal, 
potatoes in field; square point spade, blade 7% x 12, for drain 
tile work, post holes, ’round trees, etc.; general utility shovel, 
9M x 12-inch blade, for clearing snow and dirt, mixing feed, 
cement, etc. 
Send This Coupon/^ - THLfiARTMAN - co? 
Send only $1.00 with order. Mail coupon and pet f 4o 19 LaSalle Street Dept. 2285 Chicago 
8 teEUK* t± y J re %^' / Enclosed find *1. Send Majestic 3-Shovel Set No. 463BMA148 
nhnnt nminds 1 Whether vmF' * on free trial - If not satisfactory, will send it back in 30 days 
BnSrftfffli™ 00 X and y° u P a Y transportation both ways, and return my dollar. 
Kngj^ffiparat^ > ° thurwis0 wil * P uy at tbe rttte of »•» P^r month until $ 6.60 is paid. 
Drills, Feed Grinders, and scores of other 
useful articles. a 
The HARTMAN CO./ 
4019 LaSaHe St. Dept. 2285 Cttcep* / Address 
/ 
Name. 
The Great Line Fence Problem 
Of all the questions received here, dur¬ 
ing the growing season, it is probable that 
the “line fence” proposition leads in num¬ 
ber. Practically every day brings us the 
story of a neighborhood quarrel over a 
line fence. One party refuses to build 
his share, or the other party claims that 
what his neighbor builds is not strong 
enough to hold the stock. Sometimes one 
party is a gardener, without any stock 
at all, while the other man may be a 
dairyman with a large herd of cattle. 
Naturally the gardener cannot see why 
he should be compelled to go to the ex¬ 
pense of keeping his neighbor’s cattle en¬ 
closed. There are many of these trou¬ 
bles, particularly in New York State. 
The following synopsis is made of the town 
law in relation to line fences, and we 
would like to have our people keep it for 
reference, as it will prevent much private 
correspondence: 
First of all, he it understood that the 
fence viewers of the town represent the 
last authority in these line fence troubles. 
These fence viewers represent the asses¬ 
sors and the town superintendent of high¬ 
ways, who are elected in every town. 
The law states that by virtue of their 
offices, they are the fence viewers of the 
town, and they are the local authorities 
who are to settle these fence troubles. 
The law states that each owner of two 
adjoining tracts of land shall make and 
maintain a just and equitable portion of 
the division fence between such lands. 
This is unless they can agree to make 
some other division, or else agree to let 
both of said lands lie open. The latter 
would often follow in cases where very 
little live stock was kept, but unless there 
is such agreement the fence must be main¬ 
tained, and each party must build a fair 
share of it. 
The law further provides that when 
disputes arise between the owners of ad¬ 
joining land, over any fence problem, 
such dispute shall he settled by the fence 
viewers of the town. Any two of these 
fence viewers may act. One is to be 
chosen by each party. If either party 
neglect, after eight days’ notice, to make 
any such choice, the other party may 
select both of the fence viewers. These 
fence viewers are obliged by law to see 
that all parties interested have a reason¬ 
able notice, and they must come and view 
the property and hear both sides. If they 
cannot agree they are to consult another 
fence viewer to act with them. The de¬ 
cision of any two of thorn shall be reduced 
to writing, with a description of the 
fence and the proportion which each must 
maintain. This written decision shall be 
final, and it is to be filed in the office of 
the town clerk. All parties are holden 
by this decision. 
If any party whose duty it is to build 
or maintain a fence shall neglect or re¬ 
fuse to keep up his fair proportion, or 
shall let the same go out of repair, he is 
liable to pay the party injured all of such 
damage as may accrue thereby. The cost 
of such damage can be appraised by any 
two fence viewers, and is to be recovered 
with cost. The appraisement of such 
damage must be reduced to writing, and 
signed by the fence viewers making it. 
If any person liable to maintain a good 
fence neglects to do so for one month 
after a request in writing to make or 
repair the fence, the injured party may 
repair the same, and he may collect from 
the other party the expense of so doing. 
This is to be recovered by him with cost. 
Whenever the electors of any town 
shall adopt any rule or regulation as to 
what a division fence shall be, any per¬ 
son neglecting to keep a fence according 
to such rule shall be precluded from re¬ 
covering compensation for damages done 
by any beast lawfully kept upon adjoin¬ 
ing lands which may enter his premises 
through any defective fence. Under this 
law, when the sufficiency of the fence 
shall come in question in any action, it 
shall be presumed to have been sufficient 
until the contrary is established. 
If any person liable to contribute to 
the erection or repair of any division 
fence shall neglect or refuse to take care 
of his proportion, or permit it to get out 
of repair, he shall not be allowed to have 
and maintain any action for damages in¬ 
curred by beasts coming therein from ad¬ 
joining lands, where such beasts are law¬ 
fully kept. The man who permits such 
a defective fence to remain shall be liable 
to pay to the party injured all damages 
that'shall be accrued to his land or any 
of the crops growing therein. Such dam¬ 
ages are to be appraised by any two 
fence viewers of the town. Any such 
appraisement, written and signed by the 
fence viewers, shall be prima facie evi¬ 
dence of the amount of such damages. 
The law covering the use of barbed wire 
in division fence is given on page 1584. 
Briefly stated, uncovered barbed wire 
cannot he used in a division fence unless 
both parties agree in writing to such use. 
Where one party will not agree, it is 
legal to put a barbed wire at the top of 
the fence and cover it with a wooden 
board or plank. This law is clear and 
plain, and there should not be so much 
trouble between neighbors over it. Hun¬ 
dreds of the line fence questions which 
come to tis should be referred to the 
fence viewers of the town, and in the 
great majority of cases all the advice 
that we can give is to follow out that 
method. One of the peculiar troubles 
arising now is what constitutes a legal 
fence to hold sheep or hogs. As is stated 
in the law, any town may decide by vote 
just what constitutes a legal fence in 
that town, and it would probably be far 
better that each town would make just 
such a decision, and thus settle the mat¬ 
ter. Generally speaking, a legal fence 
is one which will turn the common stock 
kept in that neighborhood or county. For 
instance, in a dairy country this would 
mean a strong fence that would hold cat¬ 
tle. In a case where some farmer put 
in a flock of sheep, it would not be fair 
to expect of his neighbors to pay for 
the cost of building an expensive sheep 
tight fence, when a much cheaper fence 
would hold their cattle. In such a case 
it would probably be held that the owner 
of the sheep would be obliged to provide 
the extra fence to keep in his stock, and 
if the sheep went through the cattle fence 
and caused damage on the land of the 
neighbor, the owner of the sheep would 
be responsible for that damage, and would 
be obliged to pay for it. 
Another point which frequently comes 
up to make trouble is who is responsible 
in the case of a rented farm. Is the 
owner of the farm obliged to keep up the 
fence, or is the tenant obliged to do so? 
Very much of the trouble which comes to 
us is caused from the fact that a tenant 
refuses to keep up the fence, or at least 
his share of it. and the stock will come 
through, causing damage. When the 
fence viewers are called in to settle such 
cases, they are often at a loss to know 
whether the tenant or the farm owner 
should be forced to keep up the fence or 
pay such damages. That depends upon 
the contract beween the landlord and 
tenant. In some cases the landlord ap¬ 
pears to get rid of the responsibility h.v 
stating that the tenant must keep xip 
the farm fences, while the tenant is not 
financially responsible, and a judgment 
could not be enforced against him. 
Fencing by Railroad 
I live one-half mile from railroad sta¬ 
tion. A cross road runs north and south 
by my house. The New York Central has 
bought a farm joining me on the north 
side of their road. They own about 15 
or 18 acres on the west side of the road 
in front of me, which runs direct north 
on the west side of the road, where it con¬ 
nects with ray farm on the west side 
which runs direct to the creek, which is 
the end of two farms. Is the railroad 
supposed to build a fence along the public 
highway on the west side of my farm? 
Must they build their fence on the west 
side of the road, along my line down to 
the creek, or must I build half of it? 
New York. e. b. 
The only place a railroad is compelled 
to build a fence is along its tracks. In 
any other place they must build, or not. 
tbe same as an individual farmer. They 
would not have to fence along the high¬ 
way any more than an individual would 
if they wish to leave their fields open and 
not keep stock. Along your line down to 
the creek they will have to build and 
maintain half of the fence, the same as 
any neighbor. Notify them that you wish 
to build a boundary fence, and then they 
will have to build their share. 
