The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1909-01-20
FAIN0ySL0.N!D.0N1TRI!EIE
The Cause Of Several Hard
Fought Legal Battles.
iTs SIZE WORTH MILLIONS.

Rut the Lawyers Never Have Been
Able 70 Freak Through the PhaIanN
ef Legal Enaetmonts That PrOIervo
tbs Old Landmarks In chsapslde.
Fhcre Is tree In Cheapslde. Lon.
don, that may be described as the
most expensive of fits kind on earth.
IL hye dollar gold pieces filled the entire
trunk and flye dollar bills futtered In
place of every one OF the leaves IL
would not buy the terra frma it occu-
pies, Tor the land on which It stands,
the northwest corner of Wood street
and cheapsIde, is worth $4.6oo, 600 }an
acre. The tree has stood on the spot
for more than 200 years. while its site
has augmented In value to almost fab.
uious proportions. n 81
There have been several hard fought
lawsuits over this plot Of ground, the
hght having been carried even to the
house of lords. But so far the lawyers
never have been able to break through
the phalanx of legal enactments which
preserve the tree. In the hrst place,
there is law In England which pro
hibits builders from putting up a
structure which shall keep out the
IlRht from windows which bear the
mysterious words "ancient lights"
This tree in Cheapside literally Is sur
rounded by number of "ancient
ARhts" proprietors whose consent new.
or has been obtained when II came
70 cutting down the tree and putting
modern structure on Its site. For
the same reason the storekeeper who
rents the tiny two story structure on
The corner Just in front of the tree
never has been able to put his build
Ing up beyond its present height.
Some years ago one builder, who
thought himself moro "cute" than the
others. started to take the law into his
own hands and put up building,
thinking to "arrdnge" with the owners
u the "ancient lights" afterward. But
he was met with "a perfect shower
Of injunctions. proceedings, writs and
indictments, more than would have
covered the tree In its full spring
bloom, and 1t is said he never has been
able to pay the thousands of dollars of
law costs which his little experiment.
resulted in.
A few years ago some gardeners
were ordered to lop Off certain limbs OF
the tree which hung over Cheapside.
II was done really to save the life of
the tree and with the consent of the
parish clerk and churchwardens of st.
Peters, Cheapside, the ancient little
Norman church in Foster lane, near by.
who guard this tree from the yandals'
clutches, when the men began to
work on the tree. however. 1t created
\ big sensation in Cheapside. %They
are chopping down our tree" went up
from a thousand nngry throats In the
district. Policemen were called. and
doubtless there would have been an
other shower of wrIts, injunctions and
proceedings had not the minister OF
the parish explained the real reason
for The looping operations.
Another. almost impossible barrier
which protects the tree in its position
Is the fact that 1t grows in sacred
ground. There Is law in London that
no building can be erected on sacred
ground without special act of parlia
ment, and woe betide the unhappy
man who dares to put up even a shan
~ within the sacred precincts of a
graveyard In England.
This particular corner of Cheapside
has been immortallzed by Words.
worth:
AZ the corner of wood street whom day.
light appears
There's thrush that sings aloud; 1t has
sung for three years.
This bird wns wont to perch in the
now famous tree, and 1t attracted the
attention of Wordsworth, who used to
breakfast in a little Shop near by. AS
far back as the year 1392-just hun
dred years before Mr.. Columbus dis.
covered America--nnother tree stood
In this graveyard and Is spoken of by
Chaucer:
That whosoever ploynes II away.
He shall have Chrystls' curse for aye.
The free is therefore a direct de.
scendant of perhaps the oldest tree on
record I'm England. and 1t may almost
be described as an English institution
This particular portion of Cheapsldc
II back of the general postoffice and
IS one of the finest pieces of real es-
tate in the world. With the tremen.
dous difficulties that stand In the way
oflits being built oyer-the sanctity of
the land itself and the power of the
"ancient lights" statute-it Is prob.
able that tllls piece of ground Will re-
main ''unimproved" for another cen,
fury or two. In recent interview the
manager Of the real estate agents who
control nearly all the land in the dis.
trIct declared that "the old tree I'm
Cheapside occupies n position which is
likely never be built upon" There
would be perfect howl of execratien
from all sides II any one were to at.
tempt to put up modern building
there, for Wood street. itself Is so
harrow that the people on both sides
Of the street have right to claim
ancient lights" and the builder whe
went I'm for improving this property
would have to square" so many peo-
pie that he would never be able to get
any profit out of the building, New
York Press. J< fgs
The Fraction.
''The average family in America com
A n. 1,T ha.