Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-04-07
0ETTLn<o An OLD SUIT.


Wiped Out Boundary Line.
Asa Beeson served In the capacity
Of justice Of the peace In one Of the
back count.e, Of Missouri in the good
old times preceding the war. says the
New York Tribune. His knowledge
of law was extremely limited, and he
wouldn't have known q mandamus
from an alibi, but he possessed q fine
sense Of justice, and his decisions,
though sometimes original, we're
usually In favor Of the right, and for
the promotion Of peace and harmony.
On one occasion he had on trial be.
fore him a case entitled Hunter vs.
higgins, In which the cause of dis.
pute was line fence separating the
farms of the contestants. The plain.
TIL was q young widow and the de.
PENDANT a bachelor, aud good many
people, the SQUIRE among the mum.
Der, felt that It would have been
better for the happiness and prosper.
ity of both II they had joined in mat.
rimony rather than legal battle.
When the case was called there was
an army Of witnesses and q world Of
evidence, and all 30 conflicting that
II would have required q Solomon to
have rendered q just decision. Squire
Beeson listened, scratched his head
and looked COMP letely puzzled.
This IL q case" he said, when the
last witness bad testified, that
stumps me, and I acknowledge that
Tn beat Both sides has proved
every pint set up and both has dis.
proved everything proved by each
other. The evidcn e IL Jest q stand.
Of all round, and I'll be hanged II
forty Philadelphia lawyers could
make out which Ia right and which IL
wrong Now. as I understand this
matter, the whole question Is which
Of you two parties owns six.foot
strip Of land lying between your two
farms. The line between the two
farms has been surveyed and located
q do en- times first by one party and
then the other, but that 80 far no.
body has been satisfied an nothin'
like q settlement has been reached.
How am I goin' to decide this matter
when the surveyors can't agree on the
line and the courts amt never been
able TO agree on the ownership Of the
land? An what good would II do II
I did decide when the one I decided
aviu' would 20 right to work to git .
new hearin'"
Neither Of the interested parties
made any answer and after Q short
pause the SQUIRE went on.
TITS we'll known to me-" he said,
'that neither Of you two amt re.
sponsible for this LAWN, because
neither Of you started It. It was be.
gun by your fathers way back years
ago, an I'm OF the Op MON that you
both, In your hearts, wish you were
done with II. But can tell you now
you will never git done with IL by
iawin' over It. Never In the world,
for no courts will ever settle on the
ownership O. that six.f0ot strip o.
ground"
The squire paused, put on his spec.
taclcs, and looked very hard at the
disputanta Directly he resumed:
"Yet this matter can be settled u
he said, 'aud this court feels that II
Ia her duty to settle It, She don't
presume to say who Is right nor who
IL wrong. nor whar the division lines
between the farms ought to lie. That
wouldn't settle nothin' II she did.
There 10 o better an' more sensible
way O. gcttin' at this business My
decision Is that thar shan't be no d.
vision line no more. an that the two
farms shall be consolidated into one.
The contestants looked at the
squire In amazement, and almost O
minute passed In perfect silence.
Finally higgins gasped: 'Consoli.
date the two farms inro one! How
can that be manaRed?"
'Jest as easy ~ fallin' of q log. All
you have to do 10 to STAN up yere
af0re me bout ten seconds an III
have It flxed. I'll make you man an
wife, an then Their won't need to be
no line between the farma Come,
that 10 my decision"
THAT we must marry" RIgginl
asked.
EXACTLY" the squire replied.
"i,ut-Mr& Hunted-l" Riggini
stammered.
"It's all right with both Of you, ,
the squire interrupted. Il know I,
II you don't. Come, stan up, or III
ine you for contempt"
The contestants exchanged glance
and each saw what was In the heart
Ut tho other. They stood up, BEEN
ing with happiness, and were mar
ried. There was no appeal from
Squire Beeson's decision, and M
further having.