At one time spittin’ on the sidewalk wasn’t allowed in Wiggins, and folks living inside State Line’s city limits had better keep up with their goats and cows.
State Line, for example, first addressed horses, mules and hogs in its 1948 stock laws with a $2 fine for anyone allowing them to run at large. Apparently, problems persisted. Five years later, in 1953, it added goats and cows to the list.
In Leakesville the town marshal impounded such animals. Owners were charged $1 for the initial capture and impounding, 25 cents per day per animal for feeding and watering, 50 cents per animal for advertising its sale and another 50 cents for selling each animal. The advertisement was posted in a public place for five days prior to the sale, and fees were paid from the auction proceeds. Any remaining money went into the town treasury. The subject must have been a controversial one because town hall records show that when the issue arose in 1925 two aldermen voted against it. It was passed by two aldermen and then-mayor J.W. Backstrom. The record doesn’t indicate why the fifth alderman didn’t vote. Ironically, nowadays small-town leaders have difficulty keeping control of feral cats and stray dogs.
In years of yonder, laws were made and enforced not only to uphold public safety, but to serve as moral codes as well. While today’s state laws sometimes deal with public profanity, such a charge is most often filed whenever a citizen curses during an arrest or a neighborly dispute. Yet, at the turn of the century cursing was much more serious and much more shameful if done in the presence of women, children and the general public. Anyone caught cursing in public in Leakesville in 1904 was fined $10.
Several cities once passed ordinances that seem a little strange today, but when they were placed on the books, they were mighty important. Many of these ordinances have been repealed. Those that haven’t are simply ignored because times and tolerances have changed.
Laws also upheld cleanliness and healthfulness. Lucedale residents were required to keep their back yards tidy and their privies sanitized. They were to be cleaned at least once a month between March and November. Any resident not complying by the 10th of each month was fined $2.50 to $5 or jailed up to 20 days.
In the 1950s, when emotions ran high concerning the Korean War, Pascagoula councilmen made it a law that no communist was allowed in the city. If a policeman saw a communist and failed to report him, the policeman was in violation of the ordinance and was fined.
Another worth mentioning was never enacted. When UFO sightings were reported in Pascagoula almost five decades ago, leaders in nearby Ocean Springs proposed to make such a landing unlawful in their fair city. However, the ordinance was never put into effect.
So, folks beware. It is still legal for alien spacecraft to land in Ocean Springs.
