The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-23
SAWED THE Hous=IN TWO.
The Equitable Division of Cottage
Owned Jointly by Two Chicago Men.
(From the Chicago Journal. }

(From the Chicago Journal)
Recently Alderman William Z. 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 tho rip, rip Of big saw,
and stream of sawdust fell on the Turk
ish rug in the centrs 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 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
We're great friends and they knew it
would be pleasanter for both if they
should pool their interests in the matter
of summer living.
Inc cottage was built, barn, an Ice
house, chicken coops, and all the neces-
sary buildings for summer home were
erected, and the joint owners surveyed
their work with pride.
The warm weather came and the fami-
lies moved in, each occupying half of the
premises. 1t was fine arrangement for
time. Mrs. Lyke and Mrs Maypole
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 neighbors to encroach ON their
privacy.
| At first the fact that the Lykes were of
religious turn of mind and loved gu let
and Sabbath calm, while the Maypoles
like dancing and games and all joined
voices in singing the popular songs of the
day, did not mar the happiness of the
| flock. The relations were cordial and the
exchange of cigars and raisins and laun-
dry soap continued.
In time. however, the likes and dis
| likes of the families began to jar. Some
| times Mr.. Lyke and his family would be
tired and retire early, only to have their
nerves jump in tune to "There'1 be u
Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" OF
My Gal is High Bon Lady" And in
| time. too, there came gentle suggestions
| that early hours and muca quiet were
| best for oity dwell ers who were seeking
rest and health in the country. On the
| other hand there were as covert sugges-
| lions that there was no need for persons to
be mummies simply because they were in
| the rural districts.
| The rag-time melodies continued to
| max the shore of Fox Lake echo and the
Lykes continued to retire early and court
oIr rai1 k..,a ,xc -
box's Martyrs at a distance of fifteen feet
from rousing chorus, accompanied by a
piano that was working overtime.
The thread broke al. last and the atmos.
phere Shout the Maypole-Lyke cottage
| became such that the icehouse went into
disuse. II either side wished to have ice
| cream or sherbet for Sunday dinner it
simply set the mixed ingredients on the
| front porch, and in five minutes the stu #
was ready for the table.
| Last season Mr.. Maypole and his family
| left the cottage for the sole use of the
| Lykes. They spent the hot months else
where. The Alderman thought long over
| the proposition, and as q shrewd business
man came to the conclusion that it was
poor policy to have vacant property on
his hands. Under this train Of thong htsa
result was soon reached, and the next day
a local carpentering ftrm sent a 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
head made halves of the structure from
roof peak to basement. Then they began
on the barn. That was divided, and the
icehouse and chicken coop suffered hks
fate Not hairs breadth from the cen.
tire of the building did the carpenters
digress. The Alderman was fair man.
and he only wanted his half. Every
movable thing on the place was sawed in
TWO before the workmen ceased their la
bors.
The halves have been moved few feet
apart and sided up, and now the Lykes
and the Maypoles occupy their several
portions in p eace.