Childs v. Dahlke

138 N.W. 277, 151 Wis. 82, 1912 Wisc. LEXIS 260
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 29, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 138 N.W. 277 (Childs v. Dahlke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Childs v. Dahlke, 138 N.W. 277, 151 Wis. 82, 1912 Wisc. LEXIS 260 (Wis. 1912).

Opinion

IÍERWXN, J.

The first, second, third, and fourth assignments of error may be treated together, since they involve the controversy over the width of Mill street, and whether the fee in the plaintiff’s lots 6 and 7 extends to the hydraulic canal, so called on the plat.

It is established by the findings and the evidence that the plaintiff is and was-before the commencement of this action the owner of lots 6 and 7 fronting on Mill street, together with 150 inches of water to be drawn from the mill-pond at any point on the lots aforesaid under a head of ten feet, the water to be measured at the conductor where it issues onto the wheel or wheels; that the deed through which plaintiff claims title provides that the parties of the first part are to keep up and maintain and keep in repair the dam at said mill-pond, except when the necessity for such repairs is oc--casioned by the carelessness of the said party of the second [88]*88part, in which latter case the said party of the second part is to make the necessary repairs, and in all cases the said repairs are to be made withont delay; that a dam was constructed by legislative authority on White river in 1851 and a plat made and recorded in 1852 covering’ the property in question, which shows Mill street north of plaintiff’s lots and south of the hydraulic canal; that there was a head of ten feet of water on the dam before the hydraulic canal was constructed; that, by reason of their ownership of the dam and several conveyances' through which they took title and mesne conveyances upon which plaintiff took title, the defendants are under obligation to maintain a dam and power substantially as it was when their‘grantor, Thomas Wells, took title in 1866;. that the surface of mill lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 and part of T adjacent to the dam and Mill street was about the elevation of the surface of the dam and Mill street; that the old bed of White river, extending easterly from the dam, was some ten feet lower than the crest of the dam, and the water for hydraulic purposes for use on said lots could only be drawn from the pond; that the dam and Mill street on top of said dam extended from near the northwest comer of mill lot 1 ■across the valley of .White, river in a semi-circular course northeasterly and easterly to about State street, thence Mill street continued easterly to its end throughout its whole width on the natural surface of the ground, which sustained an elevation of some ten or twelve feet above the ordinary surface of the water in the river in a state of nature; that on the plat at a point opposite mill lots 3 and 4 on Mill street west of State street appear the words and figures “49-1" wide;” that Mill street is a public highway throughout its entire length; that plaintiff owns an easement or right of way in lands to the north of mill lots 6 and 7 to the canal to conduct from said canal to any place on said lots the water power owned by him.

The court also found that in 1855 H. G. Otis Childs and [89]*89Sylvester Craig, by conveyances from the owner, became the owners in fee of mill lot 5, together with 100 inches of water to be drawn from the pond, which afterwards became the property of Eelix Dombrowski, and that said 100 inches of water power is a first call on said water power, and that the plaintiff’s 150 inches is the second call on said water power; that through due mesne conveyances from the original owner, Helen M. White, who made and recorded the plat, the defendant Neshkoro Milling Company becanle the owner of mill lot 1 in block E and mill lots 2, 3, and 4, together with the remainder of the water power; that the dam was constructed prior to the making of the plat; that the hydraulic canal delineated on the plat had not been constructed at the time the plat was made, but the water of the pond extended in a depression on the north side of Mill street to a point about a rod east of the east line of State street; that at the time of platting, Mill street had a water boundary on the westerly and northerly side from near the northwest comer of mill lot 1 to a point a trifle east of the east line of State street, but no water boundary east of that point, although such boundary was delineated on the plat; that Mill street as dedicated was 49-J feet wide at all points except the east end, and the facts proved failed to show any dedication of any additional strip widening Mill street east of State street beyond the width of 49J feet, and that the hydraulic canal was constructed with its south line east of State street to the angle opposite lot 6 some sixty-six feet north of the south line of Mill street; that Helen M. White in making the plat intended that Mill street should be 49J feet wide throughout its course, excepting the wedge part at the easterly end, and intended to construct the canal upon her own land along the north side of that street.; that the title of the owners of lots 6 and 7 extends to the center of Mill street of the width before stated and no farther, except the easement^to tap the canal and conduct therefrom the 150 inches of water appurtenant to said lots; that mill [90]*90lots 2 and 7 inclusive have no natural northern riparian boundary, and no riparian rights were naturally appurtenant thereto on the north side thereof.

The foregoing findings, or some of them, are attacked by appellant as not supported by the evidence, and especially it is insisted that Mill street is more than 491[ feet wide and extends to the hydraulic canal, and the title in fee to plaintiff’s lots extends to the canal. We think the finding that Mill street was not intended by the proprietor of the plat to extend to the south line of the hydraulic canal is well supported by the evidence. The figures on Mill street “49J wide” are significant on this point. The fact that the evidence and findings show that while the whole space between lots 5, 6, and 7 and the south line of the canal was used by proprietors of the lots to some extent, it appears the travel by the public generally was upon the 49-|--foot strip along lots 5, 6, and 7. Moreover, it is quite apparent from the established facts that the canal was intended to he and was constructed wholly upon the land of the proprietor of the plat through whom plaintiff claims. Other findings heretofore recited and supported by the evidence show that it was not the intention of the platter that Mill street should extend to the hydraulic canal.

17or is it necessary to consider whether White river or the hydraulic canal is navigable, because in our view of the case the question is wholly immaterial. Mill street opposite lots 6 and 7 not extending to the canal, the fee in such lots stops at the center of Mill street. Of course, since the plaintiff’s lots did not extend to the hydraulic canal, they could not under any circumstances have riparian privileges upon the canal even if navigable, therefore there is no question of riparian rights in the case.

Counsel for appellant rely upon Smith v. C., M. & St. P. R. Co. 83 Wis. 271, 50 N. W. 497, 53 N. W. 550; Mariner v. Schulte, 13 Wis. 692; Smith v. Ford, 48 Wis. 115, 2 N. W. 134, 4 N. W. 462; Brown v. Baraboo, 98 Wis. 273, 74 N. [91]*91W. 223; Waite v. May, 48 Minn. 453, 51 N. W. 471. An examination of these cases convinces ns that they do not rule the situation here.

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Related

F. W. Woolworth Co. v. Vogelsang
187 N.W. 179 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1922)
Childs v. Dahlke
151 N.W. 378 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1915)

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Bluebook (online)
138 N.W. 277, 151 Wis. 82, 1912 Wisc. LEXIS 260, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/childs-v-dahlke-wis-1912.