New-York tribune., 1908-10-04
CHICAG0ANS AND
SPITE FENCES
M4NY IN THE UINDY
CITY.
WINDY.
Onc Ij'oman ReQrs Structure on
Roof of House to Shut Oat
Neighbor's Light.

VIII : Tho nesnest man IN Chicago II the
question he put TO the he. heing Yankee.
responds Who wants TO know Enlightened he
tsvx. We'll. anybody Who goes around hunting
~ Chicaso's p1eanest must be Crouch"
Then draving his eyebrows together II trying
-o shake aT che cf long sta ndng. he becomes med
i,asive and confidential ''Tf you really seT-
,.7S-- he goes on. my tip would he 10 find the
eal.hy municipal reforrner who lodges kis taxes
Possibly the answer depends the point of
,-e-r replies The Judge Municipal Court.
,.e- scanning the query through masisterisl
glasses and hearing the opinion of the genius or
r,,lic revenue In my opinjon the brute rrho
fasss his 1ife wins the prize for malevolence.
The Corporation Counsel knows nothing about
.s~5o5ze~s - heaters but declares his is 4
constant warfare with mean men The prem
,.-- he adds is The corporation head who COM
rsls his er1pioves To steal street or tap water
main
The surgeon II charge Of the ambulance service
h=s had an experience fully as extensive a. that
- the city-s legal guardian There Is only ore
simon rrre mean man he asserts and he Is the
ras7 Who drives an automobile over \ child and
-sres away. leaving the lnrle sufferer bleeding in
tee dust of the read
rbr Alderman char r words bur possessing a
80 following merely remarks that the most con-
,a-7p4shle wretch h. knows * the fellow who
s,ssn- come rgp with the coin meaning pre
s,-y7ah'v the beneficiary Of ?. city ordinance who
.,;is - nav into the city treasury TIE compensation
e5 ~ 1av -be rf-hliC's share II pro7tS Sccru-
~, from some sTecisl privilege the Alderman him
elf has helped II grant
zee those chaps mentioned by the off1clels are
81 -e,a-ea - Reelzebub-and We Ye got EN- IN
,.-fra7o hv the hurdred-hut none Ct them IS the
r,esnest answers the plain citizen who has hed q
.- --i.r : neishhor What city dweller has not.
=. one tine or arotrer7 since Self-preseTN at"n
- :. e-er 1avr Of nature the frugal individual
,bo ss-es and ra,ltiplies his earnings may have
80 -b4 n evade easements and taxes. if he can
a, 1, without getting caught If corporation
-.,s IN erla-- or stub end Of a thoroughtare IN
-. ,;rt+ =nd eroc-s thereon annex ~ its fa'-
.o-.- he theft nav he overlooked OF condoned on
H. -l,A,r- that expansion of business inures ~
-. --s7rara af the con1munitv- II he who appIies
r,- = franchise is niEzsrdly with his funds il may
no r-fnr 70 81 honest doubt whether the co1npe1'-
s--;or ha * expected TO pay will ever explore
~ through the city treasury into punhc tnlpro'F-
,-aer-s Anvaav II there is r7aievolence back oi
an or those actions it IS punishable hy law ana
,re-e < no reason why anybody should suffer by
-ase,- Of the r7eapnesz. on the ether hand. there
x form which emhodies the antrthes's OF ioNe
and ,s s,,,e-o- n tine This is the spite fence
and .l,a ,ge7-even' house. II there IS meanes'
man I would say that he is the builder OF the
eri-e fence o. kindred inausitional device
~o7r the spite fence. and for that matter the
eri;a ralse = not new institution. Rather is II
almost ax antique as TIE psychological law that
-i- * natural for men TO love their friends ana
hate -f1eir enelnies- AS IL exists in chicago now
e,er - Is both new and novel. although the mo-
-. a-T