Weird Laws

Sometimes I amuse myself by reading the strange state laws that are still on the books and imagining the stories behind them, and two in particular appeal to me from the point of story, and they’re both Carolina laws concerning animals. The first one is from South Carolina:

Horses may not be kept in bathtubs.

This one is from North Carolina:

Elephants may not be used to plow cotton fields.

Are these truly laws on the books? They aren’t part of either state constitution, and it’s hard to find official records of them in ordinances, but, for my purpose, it doesn’t matter. My purpose, of course, is story.

Let’s travel back in time and take ourselves to 19th century Charleston, South Carolina and the cobblestone streets of the peninsula. Perhaps the home of Alfred Huger at 140 Broad Street (the original structure is gone today). Alfred Huger was the Charleston postmaster and a state senator. I imagine his wife, Sarah Rutledge Huger got lonely and perhaps had a friend to keep her company while her husband was away in Columbia in service to the great state of South Carolina. Perhaps she entertained her friend in her home but did not want the neighbors evaluating and reporting the length of time specific horses were at their home and had her guest bring his horse around back instead of tying him to the hitching post in front. Perhaps she also had him bring the horse indoors to the bathtub to prevent messes on her floors. Perhaps someone noticed this and mentioned it to her husband who then made it illegal for anyone to hide a horse in a bathtub in the state.

Seems plausible to me. I also have a theory about the elephants in North Carolina involving jealous neighbors.