The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-09-21
SAWED THE HOUSE IN TWO.
The Equitable Division of a Cottage
Owned Jointly by Two
Chicago Aldermen.

Recently Alderman William T. May
pole and his family and John Lyke and
his family occupied the same cottage
on the Ingleside shore of Fox lake.
Each occupied half the structure. Each
still occupies half.
A few mornings ago Mr.. Lyke was
awakened by the rip, rip of q big saw,
and a stream of sawdust fell on the
Turkish rug in the center of the floor.
The worthy man looked up and saw a
thin line of daylight along the middle
of the ceiling, and through the aperture
was working the flashing blade of a
saw.
Two or three seasons ago Alderman
Maypole and Mr.. Lyke, also Chicago
citizen, decided to build cottage at
Fox Lake for their mutual occupation.
They were great friends, and they knew
1t would be pleasanter for both If they
should pool their interests in the mat
ter of summer living.
The cottage was built, barn, an ice
house, chicken coops, and all the nee
essary buildings for a summer home
was erected, and the joint owners sur
veyed their work with pride.
The warm weather came and the fam
lilies moved in, each occupying half Of
the premises. It was fine arrange
ment for time. Mrs. Lyke and Mrs.
NMaypole borrowed sugar and raisins Of
each other, and the husbands traded
cigars, which they smoked on the
veranda in the warm evenings. The
cottage was the first to be built on that
side of the lake, and they had no neigh
bors to encroach on their privacy.
At first the fact that the Lykes were
of religious turn of mind and loved
quiet and Sabbath calm, while the May
poles liked dancing and games and all
Joined forces in singing the popular
songs of the day, did not mar the hap
piness of the flock. The relations were
cordial and the exchange of cigars and
raisins and laundry soap continued.
In time, however, the likes and dis
likes of the families began to jar.
Sometimes Mr.. Lyke and his family
would be tired and retire early, only
to have their nerves jump in tune to
"There'll Be Hot Time in the Old
Town Tonight" or my Gal Is High
Bon Lady" And in time, too, there
came gentle suggestions that early
hours and much quiet were best for
city dwellers who were seeking rest
and health in the country. On the
other hand, there were as covert sug-
gestions that there was no need for
persons to be mummies simply because
they were in the rural districts.
The rag-time melodies continued to
make the shore of Fox lake echo, and
the Lykes continued to retire early and
court elusive Morpheus or seek the sub
stance of Fox's Martyrs at distance
of is feet from a rousing chorus, ac-
companied by piano that was work.
ing overtime.
The thread broke at last and the at
mosphere about the Maypole-Lyke cot
tage became such that the icehouse
went into disuse. If either side wished
to have ice cream or sherbet for Sun
day dinner 1t simply set the mixed in
gradients on the front porch and in
five minutes the stuff was ready for the
table.
Last season Mr.. Maypole and his fam
lily left the cottage for the sole use of
the Lykes. They spent the hot months
elsewhere. The alderman thought long
over the proposition, and, as shrewd
business man, came to the conclusion
that it was poor policy to have vacant
property on his hands. Under this
train of thought a result was soon
reached, and the next day local car
pentering firm sent force of men to
Fox lake with full kit of tools. The
carpenters waited until the gray dawn
appeared, and then they mounted the
roof Of the mutual cottage.
They began to saw. Rip, rip, went
the blades, and they did not stop until
they bad made halves of the structure
from roof peak to basement. Then
they began on the barE That was di-
vided, and the icehouse and chicken
coop suffered a like fate. Not hairs
breadth from the center of the building
did the carpenters digress. The alder
man was fair man, and he only want
ed his half. Every movable thing on
the place was sawed in two before the
workmen ceased their labors.
The halves have been moved few
feet apart and sided up, and now the
Lykes and the Maypoles occupy their
several portions in Chicago
Journal.