City of Chicago v. Laflin

Appellees were the owners of a wharf on the Chicago river, on lots owned by them, and were about to commence repairs on it in the spring of 1867, when the city filed a bill to restrain and prevent them making such repairs, and to have them declared a nuisance. Appellees filed an answer, denying the allegations of the bill; setting up that they were the owners of the lots in fee, in front of which they were building wharfs or docks which are the obstructions of which the city complains. That they paid more for the lots because they had wharfage privileges ; that the river was shoal water and…