Sec. 1. Any railroad corporation, lessee, or assignee or receiver, or other person or corporation, running, controlling, or operating, or that may after July 18, 1885, construct, build, run, control, or operate, any railroad into or through this state, shall, not later than July 18, 1886, and within twelve (12) months from the date of the construction and completion of any part of a line of road constructed after July 18, 1885, erect, build, construct, and thereafter maintain fences, which may be constructed of barbed wire, on both sides of such railroad throughout the entire length completed within the state of Indiana, sufficient and suitable to turn and prevent cattle, horses, mules, sheep, hogs, or other stock from getting on such road, except at the crossings of public roads and highways, and within such portions of cities and incorporated towns and villages as are on or after July 18, 1885, laid out and platted into lots and blocks, and shall also, in like manner and within the time herein before prescribed, construct, where the same has not already been done, and thereafter maintain, at all public road and highway crossings, existing on July 18, 1885, or established after July 18, 1885, barriers and cattle guards suitable and sufficient to prevent cattle, horses, sheep, hogs, and other stock from getting on such railroad; provided, however, when such fences and cattle guards are not made as herein provided, or when such fence or cattle guards are not kept in repair, such railroad corporation, or persons operating the same, shall be liable for all damages which may be done by the agents, employees, engineers, or cars of such corporation or person operating the same, to any such cattle, horses, sheep, hogs, or other stock thereon; provided, however, that such railroad corporation or other person operating the same shall not be required to fence such railroad track through unimproved and uninclosed lands, and the provisions of this chapter shall not apply to such parts and portions of any such railroad which runs through unimproved and uninclosed lands, but when such lands become improved and inclosed on three (3) sides, the same shall apply, and such railroad corporation or person operating the same shall be required to fence the same under the provisions of this chapter within six (6) months from the date of such inclosure.

Formerly: Acts 1885(ss), c.91, s.1. As amended by P.L.62-1984, SEC.89.