The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-16

Judge III. NJ. Edwards handed down
an opinion yesterday In the famous
Bassett pond fishing case, otherwise
the case of ID. G. Gibbs against De-
wilton Sweet. The matter came be-
fore the Judge in the shape of rule
for n new trial, which he discharges
The opinion follows:
In this case we give the jury binding instnic
tions to find in favor Of the plaintiff for nominal
damagcs--six cents. Tho trcspass consisted il
the defendants fishing in Bassett pond, the prop
crty Of the plaintiff.
Tho pl9intin traced his title to the pond ant
adjoining land from the commonwealth by war
rants, surveys, patents and subsequent convey
arccs. We held as matter of law that the lant
under the waters of Bassct pond belonged Il
the plaintiff. II Is located in part on two war
rants the Jonathan Hall and Richard Hall. II
covers over fifty acres OF land. In none Of th'
couveyanccs do We find the pond specified as
boundary. Indeed, all the convcyances whicl
have been brought 10 our attention, excepting
one, which we shall refer 70 hereafter. dcscrib,
the lands which are conveyed by courses and dis
tanccs, regardless of the pond as such
IL is well settled that in grants Of tracts o.
vacant lands by William Penn, or his successors
during the proprietary times, and by the com
monwealth since, streams not navigablc, tallinl
within the lines Of survey were covered by il
so 'o'se" w wv ""'"r vi ,'c u"'' WV
"s"' "i'c'""'"S cuiNeS 'ne ponu VI '"c su''"
~ guy pv's'. anu 'ne 'uJoln'ng iahu 10 ano'nel yer
re'' o' 'oo'ert vs. o'onher' watts 'to
pu' "nen sucn S'ream iorms the oouhuary Vi :
'''' ''c grantee acquires u'ie az MUM 'q""'
no RIGHTS IN THE POND.
The defendant in the case at bar owns farm
-, 80, Nv " "o',, "' - w
v pm ""a'e,., VT ''e 'isn's " sno'e oN'I J
no,,,sr,,, =. n, 80. %, 80. - .., "
ar,, III. ., Iii y, a. Soa",s ,ii oi,
-. ~ y, 49,, ' ,'''' ''
,,u - - ,,., - m, ~.
h;'n.,, 20 70 III ",',.. s."a, ,u, G ANY,
;,,,, . y. '.H -; uu.'''e w, u.s., |
,, ~i'"Vu' Wv " ",''u '"o., op',is I"'
therefore, claims that his right so TO fish is pre-
suinp,Nsy paseu upon grant rom 'he OWNER
neht ny prescriptions
's 'on.ch''on !" ou' luus''n' ',c''N u''
"o'' - p'eS'I'p'Ne ,,s"' 70 VS." can ="
''V''u =" '"'s i""''''ei, '"e" '"e'c az, "u"
a',"s VI n,"e''hen u" 'nis count! "ho' h'''"s
n'"eu l" we san'c streams annual! i"r "'"''
,"uh ."tn,E'onc years without ooJec'ion' may
n'!caier cram ,he p'N'ese aS r'gh' 'na' can
.o' pe 'h'et'r'eu WIN ny Tue ""he's Vi 'hc ia"'
'".us" ".n,n '"' streams run :. " P'c
oI'lp''Ne ''eh' 10 ,'sh "'seu upon po''ou'ea' N .A
% sio"' W a Po"u VI s"e"' !" 'o''''''"', ""'
o'"''S, 'ur any hu'hp'r VI years. cannot or ac
l''': p''o"''' 1'"'' uPo" ou'" o's'
uo'ioue'F unr'aSo"dplc'
NV WY H",s'"h ho" "c'u'c US u u'''"sN',
WIN wv" 'o"S'u.,"'i' 'so' ny '"s','' ''i"' S"oo'
'' ''''' ""' " '"e ''E"' '''"'''" "''o II"
Wv" " "'e'e o'u,"''s way W St'sS' 'ne t,'ue"o
M'ulu ho' n''' 'c'n S,'ien' 10 create 'h' P''
SUMPTION VI grant hau II oeen SET UP as "p
p,''e"'n' p W 'n"tNe" I" Se's'', ns"''y III III
'Ne' VI " '"l"'","s I''uS' ""u 'ne'c pce"
N"''I'd"' anu Sr'N''''' ''ne''cn'' II 'hc p'a'h''
n'i p''S''i"eu u, que estate III MN ana mos
".oSe r,'"'c ~ "'"' u i'is"' nave p'ch o,ner
"s'' 'nV'c - ''"",'est 'e'oo' 'or "is''"c
.,on III Tue nature anu amount OF tne eNlaehc
, .""'''" =" '"a' VI S"'" II" 'aNp'''e"' anu ON
'''''' !" e'''''
TIE PRESUMPTION
..1r,o,., i; , ,,,,,;,,, NJ, =, A., -. ..., -
o,,;anS y, ~ =" ,t e,'S'' ' 10 ~ ,"' onne.' 'nr ",
,,rt1is,,I Ii1, ~ 49, W "'''" Wv "pp"'
/; i 80, .'e,..,. w.. ".''o '"e ,'"'
aa,,o H., a., o-.l s :. i, - W "'o"
,irt,+ mi a. t'sl,',,s', ), - u"u'' ian" y
So. io - "Uno'",F iequ"eu III al case
Th prSsn,,'on, is,, "",no"rnr on Easements 81
iIa. ,hl L,o,,Iol, w ? nus '' ~ 'u'
ar n,a,. -, ,..',,, "''" u, 're own
p;aI oo- ! ,S no"u' n'ou'
scire. II should see tbe owner or occrpier a
an adjoining lot or farm or his servants constant
~ crossing my land to the highway. | may witt
reason and without being unneighborly, disput
it and insist upon an acknowledgement that it i
only pernissive so that IL may not grow int,
right. But II a stranger with whom may wei
be presumed to be unacquaintcd or his son o
collateral heir after his death walks over occa
sicnally and especially at long intervals, on wha
ground is it to be inferred that I know It to b
under any pretense OF titleH Must a farmer Sc
TO it that every one who crosses his field to GU
or fish asks his permission? Could man estah
lish presumptivc right by showing that regli
larly every year for twenty.one years and NOR
on the Fourth day Of July he had. in view @
the proprietor. walked up to his well or sprin
anh without his permission draw bucket c
water? As well might an angler, resorting con
stantly to some shady spot on the bank of
stream, set up in process of time presumptiv
right against the owner OF the soil of passage an
of fishery. Many lover OF the sport for NOR
than a quarter OF a century has pursued ever
season one OF our mountain brooks for miles q
its course for the specklcd trout with which the
abound"
We need not discuss this phase Of the case an
further. We are satisfied that the defendant ma
not acquired prcscriptive right TO fish in Ba,
sett pond
TWO QUESTIONS RAISED
MI
=, ' ~ ,.s' 1.-'' ,'"'"' 'a''' '"o o'neI Pue'
,'"'' .'q""'"s So"'c 'o,'siue'd'ioh' me hiSt IL
i'1, ~ '" ''ai'" VI auNtIse possession by on
"'''".' i''. ~ sup VI iahu ABOUT TWO acre
:" SN''", ou,u u" ''e east ny bas'et
'hu' as ueSV'locu III dced onercd IN evi
y! '"e u'is",1 .'p'n y. i iailstead TO VII
ia" ri"'' u"'eu MAlcii, io4' we admitted th
"'tu "t tl' hldl WIN some hesitation W