The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-26
SOUTH ORANGES SPITE FENCES
The D., L. & w. Built One and A. w.
Manda "Retorted" in Kind.

"rhc Delaware, LaCkawanna and
Western railroad and \. w. Manda, u
nurseryman ana florist of South Or-
anEe, y. J., are furnishing consider
able diversion for MIR. Manda' : towns
men. Several years ago the railroad
offered il is said 1000 for a little gore
of land on the southeast corner of Mr..
Mdnda's nursery grounds. 1t is conf
familiar with property values in South
Orange that the price was somewhat
in excess of a reasonable rate hut Mr..
Manda declined the offer. Since then
Mr.. Manda has bought land ON the
opposite side of the railroad, between
Second and Third streets.
"'The railroad has been equally
thrifty. and has acquired a tract of
land adjoining on the south of Mr..
Manda's original holding. ON this land
it erected roundhouse. and, later, Il
signal tower within a few feet of Mr..
Manda's fence. Trees growing on the
Manda place obstructed a view of the
tracks on the northward, and Manda
was asked to lop off the overhanging
branches. He declined. and the rail-
road company. so Mr.. Manda says, cut
them off. This the company neither
atirms nor denies but admits that the
offending boughs have disappeared.
MI Manda also wanted favors. lie
had an eNtempOriZed crossing from his
| lands east of the tracks to those on the
other side. The wires from the signal
tower interfered with the passage, and
he sought to havesthe railroad maintain
| a crossing for teams where Valley
street would be if cut through his prop
| crty, The railroad remembering MIR
| Mamdas attitude concerning the over
| hanging bOughS, refused his request
| ard To emphasize its objection to d
| crossing between Second and Third
| streets erected a high picket fence
| along the dividing line between its
| right of way and Mr.. Manda's nursery
| This fence was painted brilliant red.
! "Whether the color offended Mr.
Mandd or he simply decided that tive
could play at fencing, is not clear, bu
| on Monday he erected close to the sig
| nal tower q fence which cut off NOR,
view than the Topped off boughs which
went before it had ever obscured. Thi,
fence was about twelve feet long anC
more than twenty feet high.
"On Monday night the fence fell. Mr.
Mdnda says the railroad COmpan!
Iulled ii down with locomotive Th
railroad company, in its corporate ca
pacity. grins and remarks that III
fence must have been imperfeCtly con
structed, as it fell while locomotiv
was passing. On Tuesday Mr.. Mand;
rebuilt the fence and on Tuesday nigh
ii again fell. Mr.. Manda AYERS that tn
railroad sawed the posts close To tn
ground,
"On Wednesday Mr.. Manda agai
r built his fence. He erected stOu
poles, and braced them strongly a
such height that the fence will faI
on the signal tower if pulled one way
ana tip up and kick it viciously
pulled the other, lie has guarded tn
posts from predatory saws with a net
work of barbed wire, and has statione
|. a man to watch the creation of hi
genius. As a further precauiion Nj
Manda keeps a sharp eye ON his watch
man The railroad company says TN
guard Is armed, but MI Manda dipIc
matiCally asserts that ne has CAREFUL
instructed his man not to shoot any
body who keeps away from the fence.
New York Tribune.