Hogs in the Street

Mr. Editor:

“A Citizen” and “Philip” have had their say about Warsaw, and before they say  much more, I desire to throw a few remarks, merely expressing my candid opinion in regard to a few things pertaining to our town.

Hogs. Everybody knows that we have an abundance of live pork running at large upon our streets, and that each one is a plantation of itself for growing and raising that industrious insect surnamed the flea. Visitors often forget the name of Warsaw and call it Hogtown, and inquire why the authorities don’t exclude hogs from the streets. If everybody was made a martyr by flea bites as I’ve been, I’ve no doubt but live pork would be very scarce in Warsaw.

Now I think a majority of the citizens are in favor of at least excluding these animals from the streets, but if one allows his pork to run at large, the balance of those who own hogs can not be expected to keep theirs up. A few mean mischievous hogs will root up yards, gardens, fences, pavements, and shrubbery, and while these are at large, people think they might as well have a few hogs out to live on the public as anybody. It is a shame, however, that some people, not able to feed and take care of their pork themselves, turn them out to feed in their neighbors gardens, root up their yards, shrubbery and fences besides filling his house and lot with fleas. I think they should have at least some consideration for the ladies, for they, usually about the house more than men, suffer more from the tormenting insect. I also think that common decency would teach them to keep their hogs in the proper place (the pen or pasture) and common pride would teach them that they can with as much pride turn their families as well as hogs to feed upon others.

Now I, for one, would like to have our trustees take some action in this matter, and if they  do not feel like taking the responsibility upon themselves, I think they would at least do an act that would at leave the question to a vote of the people.

Ecce

From the Warsaw Weekly News,  June 13, 1871