Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-03

boutoniere for the duke should his |
highness require II.
NOW COMES THE TROUBLE.
Subsequently Penn desired to sell the
property again. The historical fact was
that the home administration at London
had become jealous of the great pro-
prietor's immense landed interests. He
,'was becoming bigger king, territorially
speaking, than the sovereign of England
himself. The government made things
so unpleasant TOR Penn that he at length
realized there was no alternative but to
sell the three counties to the English.
He made his overtures and matters were
apparently going along all right for the
sale when suddenly ii was discovered
by the English conveyancers that
Penn could give no western boundary
for his title to the three counties. There
was continual dispute over this point
and the question pended for a long time
between the agents on the two sides. AT
length in the reign of Queen Anne it
was determined to leave the arbitration
OF the quarrel to the sovereign. Queen
Anne quickly settled the question as
follows: She ordered that a line be run
due west from Cape Jones (now Henlo-
penn across the Peninsula TO Chesapeake
bay. This was found to be about 10
miles, AT point exactly half way the
queen ordered a stake 10 be driven which
was to be forever the basis for the west
ern line of the slower Counties" This
line ran north to the New Castle circle.
THE MORRISON WOODS STONE.
At this point Of impact is the three
| sided. stone which is now in Morrison's
woods, just west of Newark. The pres
ent three-cornered stone was placed
there in 1s49 by George Read Riddle of
Delaware, Francis Kay of Maryland,
and Mr.. Ayers of Pennsylvania. These
surveyors placed it close to the old
stone, which is there at this moment,
lying at the base of the new three-cor-
nered stone. The latter stands six feet
above the ground, and has the names of
the three states, Maryland, Delaware
and Pennsylvania, indicated upon IT..
Obviously it claims to divide the three
states.
TAKE NOTICE HOWEVER.
1t must be carefully noticed however
that the stone placed by Queen Anne's
surveyors is the proper historical
authority. The right by which the
a tri-State right or interest in the
locality has no basis whatever.
Mr.. Brinton stoutly asserts that the
disputed 700 acres belongs neither TO
Pennsylvania nor Delaware but to
Maryland. Pennsylvania claim arose
somehow but upon what historical basis
nobody knows. Mr.. Brinton bases his
opinion on the obvious fact that west OF
| ha A Hat 81, 10
of the original Penn grant was Mary
land territory or in other words it was
the Calvert or Baltimore estate. This
would extend west of the circle, run
ming north to the dissection of this
southern Pennsylvania line. This is
fair and simple geographical mathe
mates, for Penn made his purchase OF
the New Castle circle years after the
Calvert grant had been made and the
line dividing the two territories those OF
the Baltimore and Penn families. The
only question existing between the two
was as to the east and west line whether
it was the 10th parallel or somethinl
south of it, This was afterward!
. amicably settled by the Calvert famil,
, east and west making the boundary
a
parallel but 39so N.
But it is apparent that that question
= does not affect the disputed territory al
! it must be settled in regard to nortl
= and south line not one running east anC
I west.
> The fact of all west of the New
Castle circle and south of the Pennsyl
> vania line was never questioned n
| Ia fhn
4 running the Mason and Dixon line II
+ 1904.
y The Mason and Dixon line made
] tangent with the 12-mile circle. So ais
does the Queen Anne line.
d PENNsYLvANIA's LAND HUNGER.
When the two surveyors, Mason an,
: Dixon, were sent over here, their dutie
S were to survey the southern boundary Q
n Pennsylvania. This was accomplishe
e on the basis of the concession of the 1
G miles belt from the Calvert family.
d established, as il stands now, the Penn
II sylvania state line, due east and ives
n about 10 miles south Of the 40th parable
10 The state line runs along due east an
west, as will be remembered, until
strikes the l2-mile circle, when til
~ northern boundary of Delaware make
- the odd and abrupt curve as seen in til
a. map.
a Now this was all well enough, an
there would never have been any troubl
Ia had Mason and Dixon restricted then
10 selves to this limit of their duties Blu
IL insti5ated from some direction, il Is b.
~ lieved Pennsylvania, they intereste
cr themselves in something further an
III ran survey line at right angles to III
n state line to meet the tangent of ii
" Queen Anne line coming up from II
i south at the threesided stone in Morr
"a sons woods. This Immediately afford,
n the disputed territory for Pennsy Ivan
IN then and there put in her claim for Il
A. little slice Of land contained east of Il
no Mason and Dixon extension, west of ii
. Delaware circle and south OF the PEN
Il. sylyania state line. The question is
he what right Pennsylvania, under III
10 circumstances, makes the claim to d
~ 700 acres of land. Now, before the G
NJ tension of the Queen Anne line or VIII
"a was tantamount to II, in this come
IL ton, the running OF the Mason al
II. Dixon line at right angles to the Sout
ern Pennsylvania and state line this lai
m, west of the 12-mile circle was und
mr. puted Maryland territory, and II "
"a. only when Mason and Dixon made ii
II short connecting link that the title
Pennsylvania was heard of at all.
1T BELONGS TO MARYLAND.
on That piece Of land, Mr.. Brlnton sa,
a's belongs to Maryland, and there is
III mistake whatever about it. Also, De
-th ware has no business to make al
nd claims outside the circle.
The citizens Of the disputed circle
nnAN mrl .tnnnrnllM In VIZ Nl.t.l Ia q