Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-05-17

L.ANCAsTER, PA, MAY II, 1889.
The TIRE vandals.

Very great indignation Is justly aroused
by the action of men connected with the
flre department Of the city, who are en-
gagged in hacking the trees upon the side.
walk, with the supposed purpose OF
clearing a way for their wires. If this
IL their object, they show gross ignorance
40 to the way Of securing II with the
least damage to the trees. In truth they
do not seem To care at all for the trees or
for the rights Of their owners, being
saturated with the idea that they are
officers of the city and can do a. they
please. Their bearing Is arrogant and
their language insolent. They would
receive nomore than their deserts II they
should be soundly thrashcd, every hour,
during their progress through the streets,
that they mark with their barbarous
axes and the law will protect any citi-
zen who 80 uses them while they under
take to abuse his trees. Every property
owner IL permitted 10 protect his
property, and the city official has no
more right to cut his trees unnecessarily
than Inc has 10 cut his fence or his door
1t may be that the city officer has a
right to cut tree, II the cutting II nee
essary to secure free passage for n fire
alarm wire though we do not under
stand that even this is settled law. And,
II II is, the right is based solely upon
the necessity Of the act. The citizen Is
obliged to surrender to the public 80
much Of his private right as Is neces-
sary for the public welfare and If
fire alarm wire IL necessary, ~ we may
concede that II is; and II 1t must go
through the trees, which Is not so clear
aud cannot be insulated without cut
ting away the branches I; then we under
stand that the citizen will have to con-
unquestionably he done In careful
manner and No as to do a. little In
jury as possible TO the tree, which Is the
private property Of the citizen; and
In its enjoyment he IL as much
protected by the law as in that
Of any other Of his property. If any
city officer improperly cuts his tree, or
proposes to cut II unnecessarily, the
owner may resist the act az an unwar-
ranted aggression. The act IL unlawful !;
and the only thing that the owner Of
eAAC oCG hStus w Sutirfv
is that the cutting proposed to be done
b unnecessary for the purpose for
which the right to do Il In claimed.
Satisfied of this, he may forbid II and
club the rascal who undertakes 10 do II.
The ignorant fellows who are en-
ployed to do the work Of the city are
very apt to think that property holders
.sshavs!go rights upon the sidewalk which
lng !f are bound to respect. But the fact
Hthat the sidewalk Is as much the pro-
perty OF the lot owner as Is the LOT itself.
He only surrenders the ground In front
Of his bouse to the city, for such uses as
1t necessarily has for 1t. He can use the
ground beneath the sidewalk and could
use that over 1t, but for the fact that he
would thereby interfere with his neigh.
bors enjoyment Of his property and to
secure this the city has the right to pre-
scribe q common house line.
And as TO trees their planting and
growth is always encouraged i'm
cultivated and civilized city. They
are held TO be a great civic
adornment and benefit. The tree
planted city holds its head above its
neighbors, crowned with leafy beauty
and comforted with shade that they
have not. That the authorities of Ian
caster, which is so justly proud of its ar
oorai richness, should abuse its trees and
bring even tears to the eyes of those who
have planted them and watched their
growth with delight, is almost incredi-
Die. But II is true; these tree cutters
are abroad, seemingly delighting in their
work, abusing the protesting owners,
nttering the streets with tree limbs and
behaving as beastly vandals. They
should be scorched on funeral pyre of
their own cuttings--they who i'm this
age and state, which has an arbor day To
urge tree cultivation Of trees, insolentIv
AND unnecessarily destroy the growth of
years and cut down that which IL of
oetter value to the town in its vegetable
growth than they in their higher ami.
NAL state.
IL may be that the ciiy's cutters n,e
NOT the only ONES abusing the trees; and
u may he. that they have greater occa- |
sion for cutting because of their LIGHTER
pattery and thin, poorly insulated wires
~ we understand they claim. But their
apparatus should he improved thai the
trees may he saved We know that all
the cutting is not done by them. The
telephone and arc-lights people are all at
II and are very ready TO blame the cityfor
work they do themselves. But we ar
raign the city officers chiefly because
the city should hold its hand out 10 tbe
properly holder to help him to protect
ms .iees' ana should set a proper exam
pie to the private companies.