Evening journal., 1894-02-19
THAT NEW BOUNDARY.
Triangular Strip Of Land Now
Delaware Soil.
FARMERS WHO ARE OBJEoTINa

the AWeiNc-mlic Nifcio FFom tho new
Castle Court House step and This
Gave Delaware the TrIangle-Farmers
whose Cattle Craze aud Are Assessed In
Both States.
Within few days past, says the Phil
adelphis Press. joint action has been
taken by the CommonweRlths Of Penn.
sylvania and Delaware, finally setting the
vexed question of the boundary between
the states. a question which runs back to
the year 1901 This action WAS the final
report OF the Boundary Commission,
appointed under the act o! May a. 1885,
and the dispute is now permanently set.
tied, unless the courts shall be asked TO
pass upon the validity Of the commits.
sion's decision, which, from present ap-
pearances, seems quite possible The
establishment OF the new line has had
the result Of transferring the houses Of
nine farmers, which were thought 10 be
In Pennsylvania, into the State of Della.
ware. and making about eight supposed
Delawareans citizens OF Pennsylvania
One OF the latter has already announced
that he will pay no taxes In Chester
county. his new home; and another
declares that his rights have been illegally
taken Rway, and that he will carry the
matter to the Supreme Court Of Pennsyl-
vania.
On May 4. 1889. an act was passed at
Harrisburg declaring that Il shall be the
duty Of the governor to appoint three
competent persons as commissioners,
representing this commonwealth, who
are hereby authorized to act In conjunc-
tion with a similar commission from the
state Of Delaware, 10 examine. survey
and reestablish the boundary line that
separates this commonwealth from the
State OF Delaware, and when said line
sball have been properly relocated, TO
mark It's location by the erection Of en-
during monuments
Under this act Hon. Wayne MacVesgh,
OF Philadelphia; c E. Monaghan, Of
West Chester, and w. II. Miller, Of
Media. we're appointed TO represent Penn
sylvania, and these gentlemen, with
Hon. Thomas f. Bayard. j. II. Hofiecker
and DR.. b l.. Lewis, delegates from Del
aware, composed the Boundary Commits
sion. Two surveyors, Daniel FarrR, OF
Delaware, and Benjamin II. Smith, OF
Philadelphia, were employed to execute
the practical part of the work.
On the better maps OF this common
wealth the southern boundary line TO
wards It's eastern end has a decidedly
Jagged appearance. At the northeastern
corner Of Maryland the Pennsylvanis
line runs suddenly due south only to turn
northward again after few miles. fol
lowing the arc OF a great circle which
lands II IN the Delaware river. The
Jagged triangle thus left pointing south
ward contains about 400 acres Of land
The boundary lines inclosing this triangl
were the source Of hitter dispute as earl,
, as the beginning of the eighteenth cen
tury.
Mason and Dixon in 1866 and Colons
Graham in 1850 had indicated the poin
at which the western portion Of th
southern boundary OF Pennsylvania ex
tended exclusively (so as TO cut of from
the state entirely the triangle referreI
toy would strike the arc of the twelve
, mile circle" This point they ascertaine'
was exactly twelve miles from New Cas-
tie Court House. Accordingly II was re-
solved at a general meeting Of the com
, mission TO make this spot the initia
point of the new boundary line Havinl
taken this action. IL was found tina
the only practicable way TO complete th
curve and unite at the same time th
identified marks Of the old boundary wa
7 a radius of about 49, miles, and its cen
tire nearly half a mile south of NeV
Castle Court House, and the other, th
= westernmost, having a radius Of az
proximately III miles and its centr
about half mile north of the Cour
House So the present circle was estRl
lished. The commission also resolve
that the extension easterly to the ~ mil
point of the southern line should
marked as the southern boundary 4
. Pennsylvania at that point. The trl
:, angle therefore goes TO the State Of De
aware without any formal conveyanci
the members of the commission havin
I, no authority to execute such trans
= action.
II On this triangle which thus chang,
n hands are the houses Of J. M McKeowI
s. Wilson, Thomas Gibson, J. Jones ana "
Smith. Although technically within th
limits OF Pennsylvania, these farmei
A have always acknowledged the jurisdic
M ton Of Delaware. and have been take
"A accordingly Mr.. Smith has been a membl
,e Of the Delaware Legislature, bein
i. then known jocosely'Rs the member fro
,t Pennsylvania The eastern arc Of u
b. circular boundary as now drawn depar
IA scarcely at all from the tradition
as boundary. Near the Delaware river
o. Is 200 feet north OF the latter. Furth
e. inland it is go feet north. Then fartb
ic westward the distance between the ne
In line and the old becomes respectively /
D. feet, As feet and 100 feet. This sligl
difference is sufficient TO transfer on
Delaware soil three houses formerly
leved TO be In Pennsylvania territor
viz: those Of Thomas Dilworth,
10 Carpenter and Owen Zebley.
sy The western portion of the curve ru
to widely off from the traditional direoti
n. of the circle of 1901. Indeed, I
in marks Of the latter (which have ~
tn completely disAppeared) must have cl
of ried IL at its extreme westward e
It's close to the northeast corner Of MAJ
,s land. Eight dwellings near this part
%. the curve. by tradition supposed to
in Delaware, are transferred to Per
sylvRnia. Here between the suppos
81, old line and the new one, there /
Tn nearly a thousand acres of land. Ano
rs the residents here are John 7. JohnsC
a. NlsTI- NIL i.