Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-11-19

of the two provinces in 1900 Nof
Hampshire having had an exaar; Wv
with Edward Cranfield as tha tence
administrator" which was far
being pleasant or profitable T I'm
Bcllamont was succeeded by DndI oiu
who served for twelve years. ana ~
himself succeeded By Col. Sbm Taa
Barnet was governor from 179- =
1929, in which year he died and Nv ~
cabinet then sent out Belcher - nc
had formerly acted as their ao.,,,.
Each province mad an ASSEMBLE bn:
with only one governor, and he u no.
also governor OF Maine, which bsJ
been acquired by Massachusetts f l,
1877 by purchase for the sum of fi 9sd
Before each Of these governors ~.
boundary dispute between New Hann,,'
shire and Massachusetts was repeafas
ly laid, without any decision Of ,bo
disputed points by the royal govern.
ors. AS early as 1894 a commiss;a.
was appointed by the cabinet to "taIa
such measures as they might deem ey.
esdient for settling the peace and 60.
curity of the country ON a solid for,n
dation. Governor Belcher renewed
these efferts to settle this boundsrv bo
tween the provinces, and a mass ~
papers was sent to the king in Inc raos
1920, who decreed that the soutSsra
boundary of New Hampshire shonl5
be a curved line corresponding with
the course of the Merrimac river. al
distance Of three miles on the north
side thereof, beginning ct the Atlantic
ocean aHd ending at point due NORTH
from Pawtucket Falls (now Loweln
at boundary pine tree (ln the present
town of Pelham, n. H, and from
that point by line drawn due west
to tho west bank of the Connecticut
river in the province of New York
(now the state of VermonO. The
king also decreed that the line shopId
be run and established by the two
provinces: but if either should refuse
TO act IN the matter when the other
might fix and establish the line ey
parte. Massachusetts was angered nv
the decree, and refused to have auy.
thing to do with running and mark.
ing this line, which was done by
Now Hampshire surveyor, Richard
Hszen, under the direction of Gov
Belcher in the winter of 174l, com.
formally, as was then supposed, to
the decree of the king, Massachusetts
all the while objscting to the line as
an improper and unfair one.
In his survey Hazen made an allow.
aace of ten degrees for the westerly
variation of the needle. Subsequent.
ly, and previous to the revolutionit
became known that Hazen had made
a serious blunder in making such
large allowance for the variation OF
the needle. Instead of 10 degrees his
allowance should have been degrees
40 minutes only, and he had there.
fore hit the Connecticut river bya
line degrees 20 minutes 10 far north,
and the line should have been placed
further south on that river by 942
rods, or nearly three miles. Thus,
Massachusetts was given a triangular
piece of territory with a base Of Sc
miles from the 'boundry pint" in
Pelham 10 the connecticut river at
Hinsdale. q perpendit ular OF OF 972
rods down the river, and q hypothe,
muse thence 10 the boundary pine
the territory embraced containing 30
square miles, or over SO 600 acres Of
land. The matter continued to be
discussed When the proposition was
made to give Massachusetts, still less
than the New Hampshire surveyor
had accorded to her she insisted that
the line was in the right place, and
New Hampshire became the obiecting
party, and has so continued TILL this
day, so that ii has not been possible
for either at the same time TO argue
as to tue correct boundary line be-
tween them. This year both states
have provi1ed for joint commission
to establish q boundary line which
both states can agree is the true one.
The Massachusetts towns, which, it is
claimed, lie wholly or partiallyIn
New Hampshire, according to the
kings decree, are beginning at the
easterly point, TyngsbOro, Dung"
stable. Pepperell, Townsend. ASH
burnham, Winchendon, Roy<on,
Warwick, and Mortified. The New
Hampshire members of it will insist
that the line shall be so established
as to bring such of these towns as
fall within the true "due west" line
into the state of New Hampshire. Inc
joint commission is expecttc to get
together shortly.