Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-20
"A LARGE SLICE OF WEST VIRGIN
lain LIMBO.

The Baltimore Gazette sets up y claim
on the part of Maryland, to "a large
slice of West Virginia territory, emOrac-
ing portions of Jefferson, Morgan and
Berkeley counties"
This claim is predieated upon an un-
settled boundary question between West
Virginia and Maryland. Without cX-
pressing any opinion upon the merits Of
the case set up by the Gazette, we quote
sufficiently from its editorial article To
show upon what the claim is based:
Mr.. Jefferson in his Notes on Virginia"
written in lTSl. described the boundL-
rieS OF that State, so far as the south
western and western limits are con-
Ce-red, as "the Potomac river. COM
mon TO Virginia and Maryland, TO the first
fountain OF its north branch; thence by q
meridian line passing through that fouu-
tain till il interseCtS a line running east
and west in latitude 80 deg. - min. Ala
sec, which divides Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania, and which was marked by NeSSrs.
Mason and Dixon" Maryland claims her
boundary until the Lord Baltimore charter
10 the first fountain OF the Potomac" One
OF the complications connected with the
question was and is the limit of the Gull
pepper grant, which passed TO the Fairfax
family. and is described rs following the
south side 0f TIE Potomac % is source" This
grant was made in 1869, and an interesting
feature in the dispute could be explained,
peri APPS, by aScertaining the determine
tons OF the English court, which not
unfrequentiy occurred, subsequent to the
issuing Of such grants. The trouble which
grew up in the matter of land claimants
between Maryland and Virginia touching
patents to the north branch on the part of
the latter State, lnaugurated for the first
time a plan to settle the boundary difficult
ty by a survey to ascertain the most weS-
terly branch, which Col CreSap compile
ted, and by it he determined that the south
branch was the most westerly, and there
fore the first fountain 1t was thus estab-
liShed that the western boundary OF Mary
land must he run upon meridian passing
through this point, according TO the origt-
nal charters. Maryland subsequently
north branch as q starting point m
the settlement of the controversy,
but on account OF conflicting instructions,
especially concerning what is known as the
Fairfax Stone;' rs connected with the mi
tial proceedings, the commissioners APP
pointed for the purpose separated without
ANYTHING being accomplished. In this po-
sition the whole matter rests at present,
encountered with the undetermined ques-
tons and lines referred 20 as well as the eS-
tablishment of West Virginia as State by
the Federal Congress out OF the old terri
tory of Virginia. We think the whole cues
tion of boundary must be settled, ii it Gun
be settled at all, by survey in connection
with the ancient charters and subsequent
grants, and not BY any title OF West Nir-
ginia derived by reason Of her creation as q
State. II the CreSap survey be correct, and
no suspicion has been cast on il, and there
are no subsequent determination OF limits
in these grants BY the British court, the
claim of Maryland, on the merits OF the
case, is very clear to large slice OF West
Virginia territory, embracing portions OF
Jefferson, Morgan and Berkeley counties.