The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-02-03

y Years ago fhe people of Bris. .olsagresd
on the centre of Main strcetas the State ]
line FOR the sake of convenience In the
water works suit Virginia claimed that all
ot Bristol was on her side of the line.
while Tennessee claimed that the State
line was really the cast rn line of Main
street. This is the point they expect to
establish in the United States Supreme
Court.
The records in the case would fill sew.
,cral bound volumes of ordinary size, and
include hundreds; of cdepositiens taken ut
Bristol and along the line all the way stos
Cumberland Gap, copies Of surveys made
at different tim,s, and reports of the sew
the dispu.ed boundary at dilfefent times.
The records contain much valuable his
torical matter which has never appeared
in print.
Going back to the beginning, there
was controversy between Virginia and
North Carolina regarding the line be-
tween Virginia and the territory bcloug-
ing to North Carolina now embraced in
the State of Tennessee. In 1888 a com
mission was appointed to establish the
boundary, starting on the Atlantic coast.
When they reached White Top Mountain
that bold sentinel of the Alleghanies
which can be seen hundred miles in
any direction, upon whose summit the
three States of Virginia, North Carolina
and Tennessee corner. they disagreed as
to the line westward. Two lines were
run from the White Top to Cumberland
Gap, only three miles apart. One survey.
conducted by the Virginia commissioners.
was called the Worth survey. The North
Carolina survey was known as Hendcr.
sons, and was made by General Hender.
son, who at one time had n charter for
nearly all the territory now included in
the State of Kentucky, and in whose
honor the city Of Henderson was named.
Neither survey was ever adopted, and the
strip of disputed territory soon became
known as mo Mans Lend,' and was
the rendezvous of thieves, murderer>land
criminals Of every description. These
outlaws came from both sides of the strip.
and when a man committed crime
within reasonable distance he made a
break in that direction, where he was
positively secure from officers of either
State.
The coalition Of affairs was the cause
of bitter controversy between William
B'ount, first Governor of Tennessee, and
the Governor of Virginia. They "ft
and b!ed," as the saying goes, over the
matter from the time Tennessee became q
State in 1906 until 1902, when they finally
agreed to appoint commissioners from
each State to settle the boundary. These
commissioners agreed on compromise
"equi-distant between the Worth and
Henderson lines, which has ever since
l.,, l,on mi
people on either side work their roads
and pay taxes up to this line. 1t is sup.
posed to be straight line, but it is not.
The law required the engineers to run
absolutely due west from the White TOP
to the CumDerlano mountains, out owing
to the density of the forests and to other
natural obstacles there are several offsets
the most valuable of which is in Denton 5
valley in Hancock county, and in Powell's
valley, near Cumberland Gap.
There was no trouble about the line
any more until along in the '50's, when
the country had become more thickly set.
tied. Confusion then arose as to the
proper location OF the boundary, because
of the destruction by fire and otherwise
Of marked trees.
In 1858 both States agreed on q Joint
commission, with power to appoint engi
neers to run out and remark the compfo-
mise line of 1902. The Virginia commits.
sioners were Leonidas Baugh and James
Black, of Abingdon, aud Tennessee was
represented by General Milligan, oil
Greenville, and Colonel George r. Nc
Clellaud, of Sullivan county. A carefu
survey was made and exhaustive report
of the same submitted to the respective
Governors. The commissioners reporte,
that they had found no difficulty will
the old line, and that it was correct &c
cording to the compromise.
Governor Wise, of Virgins, recon
mended the rejection of the report, which
the Legislature proceeded to do. Hi
objection was based on the fact that tin
engineers commenced their survey at tn
base of White Top Mountain, instead o
a. H. ~. A