The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-07

Nearly Half the States arc ut variance
THAR Neiybbors Over o Strip OF Land

several such disputes nave iee0', .-'...ar
| settled. According TO the state Tie 80,
| such disputes, though the monuments %
| the boundary between the Stlte ana INC
| states OF Massachusetts, and Vermont are
| In many places missing, and Il Nou'o
require cooperation IN the part OF tne
| three States TO re-establish the Inc anu
mark il with proper monuments me
| lines between New York, New Jersey,
! Pennsylvania and Canada are pr..ty wen
marked.
Several OF the States now have 90 .
| arising out Of boundary dispI'es pendihs
| In the Supreme Court OF toe DHi,ou
States, and that court has suas dSclu,u
| in favor of Tennessee a salt broHgtt ny
| Virginia TO test a question OF juris hctiV'i
| over a strip Of territory fro n two 10 eishe
| miles wide, and extending due vest tioNi
| the North Carolina to the 'Ne1ticNy hhe,
| This question involves. among Cther odd
| things. the jurisdiction over the ,"ih
| towns OF Goodson and Iristol. Tee twO'
| fronting on a single street, had TWO stW
Of town officers. and Virginia elan iei the
whole place as hers. The dual Govern
| rnent will probably so on. as the suptei.ie
| court holds that the line mus remain l
where'it is. The dispute was ninety years
old. Tennessee has another disputed
| boundary on her southeastern corner
| where the line between Cherokee county
North Carolina. and the abut.iag county
in Tennessee has long been d vex.l ques-
| ton.
Iowa has Just lost in TIE Supreme Court
Of the United States a suit against illinois
! over the boundary between the two states.
| The dispute arose under the enabling acts
| passed prior to the admission OF these
| States into the Union. and that trouble
/ some stream, the Mississippi. appeared
as part of the issue The court decided
/ that the line runs through the middle OF
the main channel. Iowa has been involved
| in a like dispute with Nebraska, over the
| question Of the Missouri river boundary.
! but the decision OF the supreme court in
| the case against Illinois has fastened
/ an amicable adjustment OF the dispute.
! Iowa has still another dispute In the
! South, where Decatur county borders
upor Missouri. This, at last accounts,
| was still unsettled.
one Of the most interesting and long
contested boundary disputes in the history
| Of this county will probably come before
| IN, supreme court within the next few
weeks. when Maryland will ask for
| decision as to her boundary on the West
] Virginia side. The quarrel is more than
| 80 years old, and If 1t shall be settled
! in accordance with the contention
| Maryland West Virginia will be literally
cut in twain and left in two lobes, with
|
| separated parts. Maryland will gain be-
tween 10000 and 10000 acres. including
al OF one county, nearly all Of another,
| and parts Of several others. The dispute
| turns upon a provision I'm the charter
under which Lord Baltimore became pro-
prietor Of Maryland That charter named
| the first or most distant source Of the
| Potomac as the beginning Or tord Balti-
! mOre's southeastern boundary Before a
| l.a ,gIa q
OF the restored Charles II. received a
| grant Of territory in Virginia running 70
the Potomac. This was surveyed in the
| interest OF Lord Fairfax, who came into
| possession of the grant. and this survey
made the north fork Of the Potomac Fair
! faXs northwestern boundary. This Incl
dentally decided the boundary between
| Maryland and Virginia. and so ever since
! that fork Of the Potomac has been the
de facto boundary. Maryland however,
has not acquiesced, but has at various
| times insisted upon the south fork as
! being the most distant source" She dis
| puted this question for nearly 100 years
with Virginia. though that State in 1776.
by an amendment TO her constitution,
seemed to recognize Marylands claim.
The dispute was still pending when the
civil war came on, and when that con-
flct ended Maryland found a new defend
4
tilities were resumed at the close Of the
war. and the dispute seemed I'm n fair way
Of settlement. but Maryland fell back on
her ancient claim, and she now seeks "a
enforce it in the supreme court Should
she succeed, West Virginia will be the
queerest looking State in the Union.
Part OF the imaginary water line be-
tween Maryland and Virginia in the oys-
ter-swarming Chesapeake Is a source OF
endless trouble, not so much because OF
any disagreement between the authorities
as from the fact that the warning oys-
termcn sometimes change the buoys over
night and transfer some acres Of watery
area from one State TO another Mary
land. though bordering upon both Penn
sylvania end Delaware. escaped entan-
clement in the recently settled boundary
dispute between those two States. That
question was settled out OF court by a
join, commission. in which sat Wayne
MacVeagh and Thomas +. Bayard. They
made little change in tho line but enough
10 drive one exDatriated Delawarean tC
threats OF violence.
Ohio insists that her northern and west
ern boundaries are wrong. and she may
bring Michigan and Indiana into court
Nearly all boundary disputes arising be
tween States carved out OF the NOrthwes
Territory date back TO their territorial
days The Ohio Archaeological and His
t0rial Society has made an elaborate
study o. the boundary question. and ha:
published voluminous mass Of matte
dealing with the facts.
Vermont has forgotten where her south
eastern corner lies. or, more accurately
the cornerstone. with the superficies Of
tho corner. was washed away in a fresh
~. and the Legislature. at its last ses
I sion, made provision FOR concert OF &C
, tion with New Hampshire and Massachu
: sets 70 re-establish the monument
While tho boundary question is up, Yer
mont will seek 10 have the whole Of he
boundary on the New Hampshire an(
Massachusetts side freshly ascertained.
Connecticut processes to believe tina
, her neighbor. Rhode Island. is in the pos
, session and enjoyment OF some acre
- properly esteemed Nutmeg territory. TIL
] disputed boundary is at and near tn
mouth OF the Pawtucket river. Tn
| stream has been narrowed naturally o
! arthcially. so that in time OF freshet
tho water is forced out of its natura
channel, and IN this way Rhode Islant
has acquired the disputed territory.
The dispute between Connecticut ant
! Rhode Island IS Of 2 sort common be
tween States bordering from cpposit
sides from the Mississippi There is
+ conflict OF jurisdiction between Alssis
{ sippi on the one hand and upon the othe
Arkansas and louisiana The river Ia
again and again transferred the terri
tory OF Mississippi to Arkansas or Louis
; lana and vice versa, so that there ar
lands west OF the river belonging 10 Mis-
sissippi and lands east Of the river be
/ longing 20 Arkansas and Louisiana. TIL