What Hallowed Skein of Stars. . .

[robinlandseadel at comcast.net]

    Open this link and go to page 207: 

    http://tinyurl.com/32z9px

    That's the "Waste" legal decision that lies at the heart of "The Crying of 
Lot 49. I won't even begin to try to type it all out---it's very long, very 
thorough and will point us all in the direction our beloved author intended us 
to look at for lo, upon 40 years or more.
                

                    In Pynchon v. Stearns, 11 Metcalf, 
                    312 Wilde, Justice said: "It is held 
                    in England that a change made in 
                    the nature of the property by the 
                    tenent is waste, although the 
                    alteration may be to the greater 
                    profit of the lessor. . . .

                   http://tinyurl.com/337deh

           You will need to search for Pynchon v. Stearns
           in the windows "search' or go to page 1019. In essence, 
           Pynchon V. [could that be Stencil's 'V.'?] Stearns
           allowed tenents to make improvements to their property. 

             Ultimately, the best example of Waste as a term for a property 
             based lawsuit would be the original cover of Vineland, with the 
             clear-cutting of forests. Or maybe the dustbowl. . . .

You will find the phrase "prejudical to inheritance' repeated, doubtless a 
subject on young, disinherited Tom's mind.