The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-07-21

THE GEORGIA L1NE.-A writer in the Athens
(Ga.) ITatchman is contributing series of ar
ticles devoted to the early history of that town.
Of course, the Georgia University comes in for
full share of attention, as the progress and
prosperity of Athens has been co-extensive with
that venerable institution. Speaking Of the
University, reminds the writer of these remi-
niscenccs of little incident concerning the
line between South Carolina and Georgia, and
he has related it in a pleasant and agreeable
manner. As many Of our readers in what is
now known as "the Fork" are probably not
aware that Georgia once claimed the valuable
territory belonging to them, we append the in
oident as told by the correspondent of the
Wdtchman:
The line between Georgia and South Carroll
ma, was the northern bank of the Savannah
river, at high water, from its mouth to its in
tersection with the 35th parallel of north lati-
tude, and when it forked the larger of the two
should be considered continuation OF the Sa-
vannah. Now the Tugalo and Seneca was the
first fork from its mouth, when it became
question, which was the larger. 1t was gener-
ally conceded that the Seneca was the princi-
pal stream, and was therefore considered the
boundary between the two States, and that the
lands between the rivers belonged to Georgia.
And among the lands decided by the State to
the University, was a tract of 5000 acres lying
between these rivers, near their junction, and
very valuable. (Let me say, parcnthetically,
that anterior to the time now spoken OF, this
territory between the rivers was considered as
belonging to Georgia, and was represented in
c1of,, xr,i ioI q
Mr.. Lane the uncle of Gov Swain, for so long
time President of the University of North
Carolina, at Chapel Hill I think Lane was a
native of Oglethorpc county. know that his
family lived here in Athens and its vicinity
many years after.) But subsequent surveys,
pretending to be more carefully made, deter
mined that the Tugalo was the larger, and it
became the boundary line, and the 5000 acres
of land was lost to the University. But our
Board of Trustees resolved to make an effort to
retain it to the College, supposing that such a
tract, away in the back woods, remote from any
settlement, when public lands were worth little
more than the cost of surveying them, could be
of small consideration to State, appointed one
of their own body, a lawyer of distinction, to
wait on the Legislature of South Carolina then
in session, and ask that the grant to the land
should be confirmed to the University
doubling that so small favor would be cheer
fully conferred. (Those were days of kind
feeling between the States.
Col. G. was q man of exquisite taste in wines
and brandies, or at least he thought SO, and
kept that gift in active exercise on all proper
occasions, and sometimes when the occasion
was not proper. The South Carolinians knew
exactly how to entertain such man with be-
coming hospitality. There were some gentle
men, members of the Legislature, who, learn
ing the object of the Coils. visit, and desiring
to become the owners of the land in question,
and believing that the Legislature would con-
firm the grant to the college determined, if
possible, to prevent the application, and sue
ceedcd, by keeping the Colonel in such bliss
ful state Of mind, in testing and giving his
opinion of the various old and costly liquors
upon which they desired his judgment, that the
Legislature adjourned before the Col. had op-
portunity to present the claims of the Univer-
sity, and before its next meeting the lands were
sold