The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-29

the conflict Of Jurisdiction over the Terri.
tory chiefly bounded by the two rivers,
between the States OF Virginia and Penn.
sylvania. II broke out In 1774, and ragged
for eight or ten years, restrained at times
from bioodshed only by the common mon
peril Of the Revolution. The charter
Of Virginia, from James I, in 1909,
prescribed no western limits, whereas
that Of Pennsylvaniaissued in March, 1881,
Just a century before the organization ot
Washington ncounty-granted an extension
Of territory five degrees west from the Del.
aware river, Mason's and Dixon's line,
originally intended to mark the boundary
between Pennsylvania and Maryland, had
been run In l76S as far as Dunkard's creek
In Greene county, thus far also serving as
the division between our State and the
"0ld Dominion" But the five degrees
had not been measured, and on the pre-.
sumption Of their exhaustion at the point
just named, Virginia claimed the lands
west OF the Monongahela by the same title
Of lndefniteness set up by her for
those stretching hundreds OF miles
towards the setting sun. She was
not slow, therefore, to assert jur.
isdiction over the disputed territory,
dividing between the counties OF Monon.
gala, Ohio and Yohogania, within
the first Of which the Ten Mile region fell.
When, after period OF seeming inditfer.
ence, Pennsylvania began 10 maintain her
claim strenuously, confusion and strife
were the reBult. "Aien vibrated in their
says Mr.. Veech, ''as caprice
or interest prompted. Land titles became
uncertain, animosities festered, and rnmi.
ties became endurated." Finally set.
tlement came through an agreement OF
chosen commissioners OF the two States, in
session at Baltimore, signed August Jlst,
l770, but not confirmed by Virginia until
June following. The two chief con.
ditions were the extension OF Ma.
sons and Dixon's line to the extent
ot Pennsylvania's five degrees, and the
concession OF title in every case to the hold.
er Of the oldest land warrant, without re-
gard to the State from which II was receiv.
ed. But even then various inferior strifes
hindered the extension Of that line until
1884, when 1t was fixed by the scientific
method, then new, OF Astronomical OBJ
servations." Happy was that peaceful set
tlement OF most exciting and dangerous
question involving persons and great
States in threatening strife. 1t ultimately
brought to an end feuds most dam sing
alike to patriotism and religion.
It was only unhappy, we are accus.
toned to think, in the much regretted
fact that the "five degrees" did not reach
the Ohio river and so take into Pennsyl.
vania the rich and beautiful Panhandle,
now not more illustrious by fine soil and
towns than by an intelligent,
thrifty and progressive population. The
for our loss is to be found in
the greater gain Of the young and noble
State OF West Virginia. Meanwhile,
pending the final adjustment OF
boundary, Pennsylvania, in autici-
patton, organized Washington county
in l7Sl, the second county OF the
West, the frst child OF Independence,
and born amidst the throes OF the Revolu
ton and under the very roar Of British ar
tillery. But even then the irritations of
the question continued to manifest them
selves in bitter strife Of ballots between
the Pennsylvania and Virginia parties
with various results, until time had some
what healed the sore, and the swelling
streams Of SCotch.Irish immigration IRON
the eastern counties turned the scale ei-
feCtually.