Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-22

TIE FREE LANCE

What is 'vigintilionth?' Brush up
your mathematical knowledge. An Him
OILS court has just decided a matter in
realty of that size. and it is doubtless the
smallest separate piece of land ever
claimed by anything larger than an
adult microbe.
This almost infinite sinai strip lay be-
tween the street and a lot which other
wise would have bordered on the street.
In defining the nature Of this bit of
property, the court said: 1T is urged
that the sale of one vigintillionth of the
mortgaged premises was equivalent to a
sale of nothing at all, because the
amount was so small as to be utterly
nupapreciable to the senses when aided
by the most powerful instruments. The
question in this regard is not whether
an action of ejectment could be MAIN
tanned by one obtaining a deed under
such tax sale: quite likely, as is urged. it
could not be- because no officer could de-
liver SO minute a portion. While the
portion sold is so minute as to be up
appreciable by the physical senses
nevertheless the mind recognizes it as
a real entity. and it is manifest that un-
der title obtained to this minute por-
ton. appellee would be cut off from ac-
cess to the street lying east of his prem
Uses, and would be guilty of technical
trespass whenever he passes over the
premises which another party, under and
in pursuance of such sale. had acquired.
And in condemnation proceedings, insli-
tuted for the purpose of obtaining access
from the east into the mortgaeed prem
Uses, the holder of deed obtained under
such a sale would be a necessary party
and would have rights which the court
would protect" Dispute over such a
small piece Of property may seem an
overrefinement. but it quite frequently
happens in buying what are supposed to
be adjoining city lots, lots on which
buildings are actually built snug up to
each other that it is discovered that
there is gore" or strip of land. per-
haps not more than an inch and half
wide. lying between the two lots, and
that the owners of neither of the two
lots have title to this intermediate strip.
This strip may never have been acquired
by the owners of the adjoining lots and
may still belong to the owner Of the
| original tract Of land.
80
The practical politicians of Chicago re-
Gently enjoyed a function which may
furnish a suggestion to some of our owl,
| statesmen 1t was given by Alderman
kenna to the First ward democrats of
Chicago, and Jacob Riis. the New York
| reformer. who attended out of curiosity
pronounced it a unique sociological at.
! fair.
| "a IN
close observer at the unusual politica
| function. nothing like it could possibly
| happen in the east. 1t was so remark
ably and typically western that the New
| York authority on tenement houses wa
unable to compare it with the French
ball or with any other politico- socia
event known to the east. What Mr.. Riis
saw was First ward Society" severa
thousand strong. dancing to the strain.
of Dear Midnight of Love-" and ap
parently enjoyed it. The function was
mask ball and those who were not afraii
| of the police wore masks which covered
| only the upper part of the face. 1t wa:
| tacitly understood however. that all tn,
guests were protected" from police in
reference. The dance was intended t,
make certain the return Of "Hinky Dink'
to the Chicago council. and on the pro
| gramme was printed the following bit o
| sentiment Hail to the Nominee: Stick
Stick Stick" 1t was not necessary t.
explain to the guests that the nominee
meant Alderman Kenna. The arrival .
Alderman "Bathhouse" COughlin was tn
sigma! for the orchestra to strike up tn
strains of Dear Midnight of Love-" an,
twice the guests called loudly for tn
author In summing up the affair tn
New Yorker was forced to admit tina
| the guests exhibited the qualities Of hu