The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-01-01
FAMOUS LONDON TREE
The Cause of Several Hard
Fought Legal Battles.
ITS SITE WORTH MILLIONS.
But tho Lawyers Never Have Been
Able to Break Through the Phalanx
of Legal Enaetments That Preserve
tho Old Landmark In Cheapside.

OOn, tnat may De described dS TIE
most expensive Of It's kind on earth.
If five dollar gold pieces filled the entire
trunk and five dollar bills huttered In
place Of every one Of the leaves 1t
would not buy the terra Grma 1t occu-
pies, for the land on which 1t stands,
the northwest corner Of Wood street
and Cheapside, Is worth $4,500,000 an
acre. The tree has stood on the spot
for more than 200 years, while its site
has augmented in value to almost fab
ulous proportions.
There have been several hard fought
lawsuits over this plot OF ground, the
fight 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 first place.
there is a law In England which pro-
hibits builders from putting up a
structure which shall keep out the
light from windows which bear the
mysterious words ancient lights"
This tree In Cheapside literally is sur
rounded by number OF ancient
lights" proprietors whose consent new
er has been obtained when 1t came
to cutting down the tree and putting
a modern structure on its site. For
the same reason the storekecper who
rents the tiny two story structure on
the corner just I'm front Of the tree
L., aINJ 20 10 IL
ing up beyond its present height.
Some years ago one builder, who
thought himself more "cute" than the
others, started to take the law into his
own hands and put up building,
thinking to arrange" with the owners
of the "ancient lights" afterward. But
he was met with perfect shower
Of injunctions, proceedings. writs and
indictments, more than would have
covered the tree In Its full spring
bloom, and II 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 or
the tree which hung over Cheapside.
1t 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 vandals'
clutches. When the men began to
work on the tree, however, IL created
big sensation I'm Cheapside. "They
are chopping down our tree" went up
from thousand angry 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 n shan
graveyard In England.
This particular corner Of Cheapside
has been immortalized by Words
worth:
At the corner OF Wood street when day
light appears
There's a thrush that sings aloud; II has
sung for three years
This bird was won't to perch In the
now famous tree, and 1t attracted the
breakfast in little shop near by. As
far back as the year 1392-just hun
dred years before Mr.. Columbus dis
covered America-another tree stood
in this graveyard and is spoken Of by
Chaucer:
That whosoever ploynes It away,
He shall have Chrystis' curse for aye.
The tree is therefore direct de-
scendant Of perhaps the oldest tree on
record in England, and 1t may almost
be described as an English institution.
This particular portion of Cheapside
is back OF the general postoflice and
is one of the finest pieces OF real es-
tate III tue WOTlu. WIN tue lIcllltu-
dous difficulties that stand in the way
OF its being built over-the sanctity OF
the land itself and the power OF the
ancient lights" statute-it is prob
able that this piece OF ground will re-
main "unimproved" for another cen
tury 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 In
Cheapside occupies position which is
likely never be built upon" There
would be perfect howl of execration
from all sides If any one were TO at.
tempt to put up r. modern building
there, for Wood street itself is so
narrow that the people on both sides
Of the street have right TO claim
ancient lights" and the builder who
went I'm for Improving this property
would have TO square" so many peo.
pie that he would never be able To get
.l.