Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-03-22
ABINGDON, VA, March, Is, I'D.
EDITOR OF THE NEWS:

ABINGDON, VA, March, Is, I'D.
EDITOR OF THE NEWS:
see in the" News of the 18th
inst. an editorial in reference to the
state line" between Virginia and
Tennessee. in which you say 1.-THE bonn-
dairy line has never been definitely as
certainpd AMI settled" You are cor
rect. The State of Tennessee was
originally attached 10 North Carolina
and the State of Kentucky to Virginia
The parallel Of thirty six degrees and
thirty minutes north latitude, is the
true line between the two States, the
same being established as such bOun-
dairy - Ivy royal charter and by every
subsequent act OF each of the States
concerned but the want of suitable
instruments to determine the latit:de,
and perhaps the inability of those first
empiOycI in running the line of thirty
six degrees and thirty minutes, cor
rectlv 10 take the latitude; caused the
commissioners of the two States of
North Carolina and Virginia to COM
nit an error that has led to the loss of
/ territory to Virginia. In starting out
( from Currituck Inlet they probably
committed an error i'm settling upon
/ the starting point. But he this as it
may, those Commissioners ran the
+ line only Hp TO the Bl"e RIDGE and no
/ farther. subsequently other commits
! si0ners continued the line to " Steep
Rock Greek believed to be in the
ncighbOrhoad Of tDe "Whitetop Noun
tainsn AftCrward commissioners
were appointed to continue the line
from " Steep Rock Greek to the Mis-
sissiuni River" One of these was
Walker and the Other Henderson.
They could not agree :" in their ohser-
vations - of the latitude each intend
1 in7 10 run on the parallel of thirty-siX
| degrees and thirty minutes, bat they
ran parallel lines about two miles
] apart. Neither Walkers lineo nor
3 -" Henderson's linen was adopted, but
( in 1902 commissioners were sent by
I the two States to determine which of
/ these lines, Walkers or HcndersOns's,
( was the true line. or parallel of thirty
/ six degrees and thirty minutes north.
/ These last commissioners run and
marked a line midway between
/ Walkers line and HPnderson's line, >
and rep. rted their proceedings to the
/ Legislatures OF their respective States
ana the same was established as the
true boundary between Said states. lt
( being reported 10y said commissioners
=" as being run upon the parallel of
( ;hirty->ix degrees and thirty minutes
noFth.n
In 1853. other commissioners were
appointed whose duty was fully set
out in the acts of both Virginia and
i Tennessee. The said acts described
I the line rs the line run between the
" State OF Tennessee and the State of
: " Virginia in the year 1872 10y Joint
+ #" commissioners of those States. due
! " west c0ulse beginning on the sum-
Unit Of the mountain generally known
"by the name Of Whitetop Mountain.
& where the northeastern corner of
Tennessee terminates, to the top of
, 1.-THE Cumberland Mountain where
- the Southwestern corner OF Virgil
% mia ends THE said act also recited
THAT tlae said line has, 10y lapse Of
thine, the improvement OF tie couh-
TRY. natural waste, destruction Of
"a tisn5er and ether causes become in
distinct, unccrtGip and 70 some eX-