The silver lance., 1898-08-05

Ftfth avenue.
you see," said the Cai,fornian's
friend, &C. B. Alexander's house n
built SO that one may look from his
windows into tho Vanderbilt back ya-e-
Now, one may derive considerable IN
formation as 70 the habits and condl-
tions Of ones neighbors b. peeping into
the back yards, and II ones window
happens to be turned that way there II
no law to prevent ones peeping. MT.
Alexander denies that the trees were
planted to close his view"
The Californian pricked up his ears
while his friend told this tale, and
when tho other was done Ec smiled
broadly.
That's very funny" he snid- 2f
the VardeTbiits plnn.cd those rev trees
to hide out the Alexanders' light. it WIZ
bs n bit OF rctributIve justices such as
one often reads about but seldom sees
You see, Alexander is \ esn-ln-la~
OF old Charles Crocker, whose house Or
Mob Hill. In San Francisco. IL one OF
the sights of the town. When old
Cookers pile had rieen TO monumental
heights. he concluded to build for tin'
self n house that would ou.shine any
thing cn the Pacific coast.
Just ct the crest OF California anj
Jones streets there was big block
of reni estate that tack his fancy. and
he went ahead gathering 1t in. Around
on the back street there was ~ under
taker--YunS. think bis name was
who owned city lot. When he heard
that Crocker was buying up the land he
bided his time. Crocker eventually
DC, dr. AFa irs. foP
tand-and the undertaken refused 1t.
when Crocker wanted to know how
much he could have the property for
the undertaken hoisted the price again.
Crocker offered $4,000. Yung wanted
$4,000. Crocker agreed to the 10000.
Then Yung wanted S11 900. Crocker
put up the money. and Yung hoisted the
price to $4,000.
This bunco business made old Crock
sr furious, and he swore he wouldn't
take the property at any price. He
went on building his $4,000. 600 house.
md the undertaken faunted his wares
on the roof of his own diminutive dwell-
Ing, hoping that the sight Of the cofins
would drive old Crockcr to buy.
But the old man went grimly ahead.
und NOT until Yung threatened to let
his house to Chinese laundryman did
he arouse himself to action. Then one
day a big load of lumber was dumped
On the Crocker place, and with It came
Z host OF carpenters. To the amaSe-
ment Of the undertaken. they set up
huge scaffolding. and w..h 1t fence
that day by day grew to lowering
heights. until 1t overshadoxed the
houGs Of death.
"Yung raved and swore, and offered.
A. a last extremity. to self oait at any
price. But Crocker was inplacahle,
and the fence went on grow lag. FINAL
ly, It hid the undcrtaksr's house on
three sides, shut out the air and most
Of the light.
painters took the place Of the car
penters and covered 1t with a sha:s
u harmonious color. When the paint
was dry. gardeners took the place Of
the painters, and presently the Crockes
lawn was terraced to the fence, and
trailing vines were climbing es-ry-
where upon the broad. blank war. In
. few months the vines had hidden the
fence from sight. and with 1t the under
takers house.
THE night with Crocker played out
old Yung. acd one day they carried him
on In one of his own coflina AS the
house waY useless where 1t stood it was
moved away from Its niche and carted
on to some less pretentious neighbor-
hood. The widow Of Yung tried to sell
tSs ground. but neither Crocker nor
any other man In San Francisco wanted
It.
And to this day the vine-covered
fence erected by the late Charles
crocker stands as heritage Of spite
beQueathed to the heirs and assigns
Of Yung. the undertaken. But the Van
derbilts seem to have taken retributivs
Justice ON old Crocker's daughter And
sun-in-law."