American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-10-30

ME. NETHERSTONE'S FENCE.


ME. NETHERSTONE'S FENCE.
1T will have TO come in, Mr.. Neither
stone" said the engineer.
..How much?"
..tive inches where it Joins Baseline's
fence, and four feet three at the other
end. 1t swings out very rapidly on your
lot. The man must have been cross
eyed who run that line"
..Weli.r
And there was more resignation than
patient acquiescence in the miller S
tone. He turned away without further
remark and went into the house, while
the civil engineer and his assistants
gathered up their instruments and
paraphernalia appertaining to their
profession, and went away to run the
line for the curbing on the south side
of Jonagin's alley. from Market street to
the river, and they drop into their
municipal duties and out of our nara
tive.
Mr.. Netherstone was out of humor,
to saw the least. He WIS n man of yield
ing and peaceful disposition; he said so
himself. He liked his ease, and he enjoy
ed his comfortable home. and he disliked
controversy. He had never quarreled
with neighbor in his life until Baseline
fairly forced him into this unpleasant
ness. He was amazed ut what he termed
his neighbours insufferable, meddlesome
meanness What difference did it make
to him if the fence WAS shaped like 4
crescent, long as ''the city" didn't care.
and the Council didn't interfere? Not
that the honest miller was covetous,
and wanted unlawful possession of the
little strip of the city's street upon
which his front fence had encroached
ever since old Isaac Stringer laid off
his farm in town lots, twenty-eightyear
ago. Mr. Netherstone had offered the
city thrice the value of the strip if he
might let his fence stand; but streets
are streets, and the lines must be ac
curately run and rigidly adhered to,
and great part of the duty of the
engineer of to-day is correct the
blunders of the engineer of yester-
day. So Mr. Neiherstonc's fence
-zza..AA--~~ci~, Irs rTni0~"1
would threw two of his finest
naples, sad an elegant rose bush,
king If the blacks and "Balti-
more Jelle." that crept along the in
sidoof the fence IKE hedge of bios
SONS and perfume, all outside; and how
long would such things last on the side
with vexation. He had exhausted every
plea and argument with his neighbor;
he had coaxed, caioled, reasoned, pro-
crastinated. temporized, promised
with many mental reservations-used
every argument and expedient save
threats-for the miller was not n quar-
relsome man-but all to no purpose.
There came a time when the evil day
could be mt off no LONGER. and Mr..
Baseline took the regular legal meas
ures to compel his neighbor to comply
with the ..ordinances made and pro-
yided.n and the fence had to come in.
IAN, yit.n said old Isaac Stringer,
who used to own all the land in that
part of the city, when some of the door
wards were his sstruck patches" and
The croouet lawns of the present were
the sheep folds and pig pens of the
Wit We can't say that Base
line done this fur meanness. I've
knowed Tom Baseline sinst he was a
ho,, in hare feet am stone bruises. an
toiI ve tbev,s mo meanness in him. It's
;as, his yav To he nerticklar about land.
He aIIus was that way. Ell We couldn't
afford to move yer fence, Mr.. Neither
stone Tom 'ud move it for We. WHY,
II want three weeks ago he found an
iii freshman way over on the furder
oiI il.Si . La3 b,iIt h;s fenca 81
.o,r-sbed innocent enough. more'n six
-, ont into n worthless kind of a LOT
Tsiono;,,, 10 n nonresident that don't
IN, - care a Continental cent who oc-
!, on, has nrohablv never seen
-. - cone delinnuent fur taxes
o,s 5ast--on' declar, eff Base-
J;dr't noIa around. am cit the CITY
,aar out thar. am he made that
nan take In the fence an shed, and
Tom Maid every last dollar of the
40 himself. He did, fur a fact.
%n,t mean. he's on'y perticklar an
Il Anythin' out o. the plumb
nj hin, IFS his way."
IT .nJood Il vas his way Aside
fro co,cner,ble proDensitv to
havv -. about him mechanically
reg eI,,,ar. f,uItlesslv correct Mr..
Base - a Good uejohbor. a GENIAL
man. ~ be,ried and even Given to
charidG works. but in greater mat |
tiers a 10 The line of a neighbor.
proper[ ,he setting of meles and |
bounds, nj ercn in more trivial mat