KinSource - Tale of the Week - The Fence Is Down

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Daily Globe, May 29, 1887, p. 2

THE FENCE IS DOWN.

The One Built Thirty Feet High by Dr. Ohage.

A historical fence, twenty-five feet high, on the property formerly owned by Dr. Ohage on Pleasant avenue, but recently sold by him to another party, was torn down yesterday and an old conflict, the details of which filled the newspapers several years ago, is ended. Dr. Ohage bought a lot adjoining a vacant one owned by the widow Theobald and built a large house upon his property with the understanding that the vacant lot would remain vacant, thus setting off his dwelling to greater advantage. In a short time Mrs. Theobald began the erection of a house upon the vacant property, and to get even Dr. Ohage erected an unsightly fence if boards, ranging in length from twenty-five to thirty feet on his lot, completely shutting off the light from the widow's windows. The widow got an order through the city council instructing the chief of police to tear down the fence. The doctor got an injunction from the court restraining the chief from doing so. The widow then began suit in court to have the fence removed, claiming damages, and the case was tried and retried and appealed, with the final decision of the court that there was no law to compel the doctor to take down the fence.