Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-01-09

oNer beloIo tuu uOlueI Vi Nui' tAEaudLn
had been born.
How ridiculous it seems that our
commissioners should adopt as an
" Initial Monument Of the old Penn
boundary point that said Col. Gra
ham only chanced to come at without
any legal commission or authority
whatever to establish it. AS a proof
positive that said initial stone was
falsely set by eaid commission as a
restored mark in the boundary Of l70l
permit this writer to state some test
facts which he recently discovered as a
practical surveyor by some of the
wrongcd citizens called upon to ex-
anime and test the work OF the com
mission. First, let us remember that
when Mason and Dixon, about 1865,
ran and marked tho line between Mary
land and Delaware, which ran north
ward up the Peninsula, they made Ii
to touch as a tangent the circular limo
said to be described with a centre at
New Castle and radius of II miles,
and then considered to be the Della
ware circular boundary. Now note tho
test fact recently asrertained by care.
full field examination The circular
boundary as located and marked hy
direction Of our late commission if
extended southwark from the initial
monument with the same curvature
will not touch tho Maryland boundary
as a tangent, as it should have done
by about l,200 feet.
To close this wide gap they did not
dare run their new false curve south
ward, as OF old, but stopped at tho
fancy initial monument and turned
westward to meet Mason and Dixou's
east and west trending line, at the
wellknown northeast corner stone Of
Maryland, thus cutting off the old
Pennsylvania wedge or peninsula and
throwing out as a binder that they
generally recommended its being pre-
sented to Delaware in return for tho
wide strip Of land they had filched
from her. They did il because their
false curve would not close the survey
if extended southwark as it should
have been.
Now, to make palmer still the com
plicated blunders committed, permit
me TO add, that the joint commission
appear to have searched for and re-
stored with commendable care the old
markings along the eastern arc of the
two arbitrary curves which they ro-
solved to adopt as the boundary, and
have ms far as this writer has observed,
approXimated with reasonable close
ness on that part to the alinement in
dicated by the old markings.
But when Mr.. Smith, surveyor on
the part Of Pennsylvania, made report
10 the commissioners stating that a
certain tree marking the corner be-
tween the townships Of Keunett ard
Pennsbury was the only point west o
the Brandywine that could be identi,
fled us being in the line Of lI0l% he
surely pcnned a misleading statement
| The writer OF this review, in his early
hoyhood, 20 years ago, had his attcn
| tion called TO another marked hickory
tree, then notorious as one of the
monumental trees Of the circular
| boundary, which marked also the end
| Of tho limo dividing the two townships
OF Kennett and New Garden. as well
as the corner Of adjoining farms.
| Ile has knoYn ana resided within
sight of said tree for many years unit.
a few years since it became Cecayed
and its place was preserved bv d
/ monumental stone as farm land.
] AliHii lAs oth4llAlllE AllNIF ~ vi rs ktkFs
Again: Mr. Smith, in the same re,
/ port refers to the fact that the joint
commission erected their initial ,nunu-
ment to agree with Il report of one Col.
Graham, made in 1870, even though il
\ Is discGyerahle from the records that
said Col. Graham held no commissioner
| q authority 10 determine such point,
and that moreover tie markings Of thu
uld line Of lT0l had been long estab
/ ltshed and were of prior right to an,
and every other, ~ herein before
celrly stated. Besides tho marked
hickory tree, TO this writer so wei
known as aforesaid, thcfe Wo recorded
titles to land near the White Cla,
Geek and several other remembered
monuments which clearly Indicate tina
thu western arc as marked by the com
mission does by 10 means caincid
With tho old markings ald E04jings o
thu boundary of 1871.
This fact is alsu confirmed l,y man,
old traditional holdings, the paving q
taNes, the repairing Of roads ana atha
means that have been rera4uizal 10
generations too numerous 10 ~ instl
ignored by any uniniormed and ire
spunslhla Commission.
Their errors have been tie result q
q want Of patient, practical ruseare
for the Old markings aud traCitionsao
the more western part of the hnunlar
and the thou%htless adoption of NOR
recent surveys over which tic II
marking5 hold a prior right To thai
effort TO connect their already locate
somewhat satisfactory eastern rortia
of tho line with the falsely uartp
initial monument they chose cont
on the western radius of said castor
arc nearly three quarters of II mi
HOrthwatd from the town uf New CAST
ami with q radius Of only III rs Il
miles dn5rnbed their false woster
: eurye. Tho effect WIS that it made
tangent correction with the rNstCr
arc ar the point named Kennel
i'cnnshurN hut commenced at one
as ! extended westward, 10 diverne ii
ward from The Old long locate
boundary Of lIOl, widening as it a,
yauccu, until on arriving opposite
the place of HE long remamhere
2 hickory nf boyhaod mrmnry, the ne
curve ilad trees passed Upon DsaWai
soil over two hundred feet and sti
j widening westward crossed the Viii
Gay Greek urarly quarter OF mi
below the traditional rocl: pointed oil
u thus writer many years ago; an
: still advancing end widening more al
r more, il cut tho citi2nus oF Viii
. tlay Creoli hunlrad out OF their natl,
, state, wuero tdgy had long liyc,
! voted and paid iEo.r taxos; morrow
, separating tAnm from rev eahao
I house, and forcing NOR children lur
: distances 10 chatter county schons a
i ~. " gratity t44 fancy, or what ro
2 OF 'gn uuapprnNtiyr commission.
= Mere tnaa lHiH Your present 10
/, respondent distoyerud hy carerul a.
, ! animation fH if IY1 dos, Ia,rt ii