Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-06-24
FAMOUS LONDON TREE
The Cause of Several Hard
Fought Legal Battles.
IT'S SITE WORTH MILLIONS.
Eus the Lawyers Never Havo Been
Able 70 Break Through tho PhaIanx
of Legal Enactments That Preserve
the Old Landmark In Chcapside.

the Old Landmark In Chcapside.
There IS a tree In Chenpside. Lon
don, that may be described as tho
most expensive OF It's kind on earth.
II five dollar gold pieces filed the entire
trunl; and fye dollar bills nuttered in
place of every one of the leaves 1t
wouid not buy the terra fima it occu-
pies, for the land on which 1t stands.
the northwest corner of Wood street
ard Chcapsdr IS worth $4,500,000 an
acre. The tree has stood on the spot
for more than 200 years, while It's site
has augmented in value to almost fab
ulous proportions.
There have been several hard fought
IN wsults 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 enactmcnts which
preserve the tree. In the first place.
there is 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 Cheapslde literally is sur
rounded by number of 'orciept
| lights" prcprietors whose consent new
or has been obtained when it came
to GU ing down the tree and putting
modern structure on it site. For
the same reason the storekccper who
rents the tiny two story structure on
the corner Just In front Of the tree
nevci has been able to put his build
ing up beyond its present height.
Some years ago one builder, who
thought himself more cute" than tbh
others started to take the law into his
own hands and put up building
thinking to "arrange' with the owners
of tbs ancient light" afterward. But
he was met with a perfecs shove.
of iniuncticns proceedings. writs ano
indictments. more than would have
covered the tree In It's full spriag
bloom, and II IS said he never has been
able &c pay the thousands of dollars of
law costs which his little experiment
resulted il.
A few years ago some gardeners
were ordered to lop off certain limbs Of
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, Chcapside. the ancient little
Norman church In Foster lane, near by,
who guard this tree from the vnndals'
clutches. When the men began to
work on the tree. however. 1t created
n big sensation in Cheapside. They
are chopping down our tree" went up
from a thousand angry threats in the
district. Policemen we're called and
doubtless there would have been an
other shower Of writs. injunct!ons and
proceedings had not the minister Of
tho parish explained the real reason
for the looping operations.
Another almost impossible barrier
which protects the tree in its position
is the fact that it 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
gra veyard in England
This particular corner Of Cheapside
has been immortalized by Words
worth:
At the cornc, OF Wood street when day.
light appears
There's thrush that sings aloud; 1t has
/ sung for three years
! This bird was wont to perch In the
now famous tree. and 1t attracted. the
attention Of Wordsworth. who used to
breakfast In little shop near by. AS
far back as the year 1392-jusr hun
drcd years before Mr.. Columbus dis.
covered Amcrica-anothor tree stood
in this graveyard and is spoken of by
Chaucer:
That whatsoever ploynes It away.
He shall have Chrystis' curse for aye.
The tree Is therefore a direct de-
scepdant of perhaps the oldest tree ON
record in England, and 1t may almost
be described rs an English Institution.
This particular portion Of Cheapside
Is back Of the general postofilce and
is one of the finest pieces Of real es-
tate in the world. With the trcmen-
dous difficulties that stand In the way
OF its being built over-tbe 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 "unimproyed" for another cen
fury or two. In Il recent interview the
manager of the real estate agents who
control nearly all the land In the dis
trlct declared that 1.-The old tree in
Cheapside occupies position which Is
likely never be built upon" There
would be perfect howl Of execration
from all sides IL 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
If the street have right to claim
"ancicnt lights" and the builder who
went in 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.