The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-08-26
WESTERN BOUNDARY.
surveys Between Maryland and West
Virginia Now in Progress,

Baltimore Sun, writing under date
August goth, contributes the follow
ing, which is of interest to all Mary
landers:
When the last mention was made
IN this correspondence to the survey
OF the boundary between the states of
Maryland and West Virginia now in
progress on behalf of the state of
Maryland to be used in the case pend
ing in the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States, attention was called to the
fact that the Fairfax stone had been
destroyed and that the engineers in
charge of the work had established
the point where the stone formerly
stood, and from that place would run
due north line for the purpose of
retracing the Michler line run in 1859.
In the prosecution of this work the
representatives of Maryland have
made a discovery which will give
them a great deal of additional work.
add interest to the issue between the
states and involve the ownership of a
large area of land.
From the point where the Fairfax
stone formerly stood the Potomoc
river starts off on its couase in a west
erly direction for some distance. and
then gradually curves until it flows
almost due east, crossing the Michler
line at distance of four thousand
feet from the Fairfax stone. 1t was
determined to survey, measure and
lay down on the map the Potomac
river, or North Branch as it is called.
from the place where it crosses the
Michler line to its source at the Fair
fax stone. The engineers accordingly
begun at the crossing above referred
to, being at the end of four thousand
feet from the Fairfax stone on the
Michler line, and following the mean
behring's of the North Branch for a
distance of three thousand seven
hundred and fifty feet, at which point
they found the stream divided, one
prong or fork running southeasterly
to the Fairfax stone and the other
running in a northwesterly direction
toward Backbone mountain.
Very little seems to be known of
this last mentioned fork of the North
Branch. 1t is said that no notice has
been taken of it in the whole contro-
versy about this boundary.
Continuing their work, the engin-
GERS found the distance from the fork
to the Fairfax stone to be six thous-
and, three hundred and seventy-four
feet. They next surveyed and meas
ured the fork or prong running in
northwesterly direction and found its
length to be six thousand four hun
dred and thirty-seven feet.
The source or fountain of this
branch is a spring located within two
hundred and ninety-siX feet Of the
crest of the Great Backbone noun
tain, which is the water shed. One
hundred and fifty feet from the crest
of the mountain, and on the west side
thereof, is another spring which flows
west to the Cheat river in West Vir-
ginia. The spring which is the
source or fountain of the northwest
ern prong of the Potomac is about
two miles northwest from the Fairfax
stone. A due north line from this
spring would be six thousand three
hundred feet from and west of the
Michler line.
The question which confronted the
Representatives of Maryland at this
iuncture was at which one of these
sources shall the boundary begin.
This is practically the question which
has given all the trouble since the
year 1885. Virginia and West Vir-
ginia have claimed that the line
should begin at the Fairfax stone. 1t
is also claimed by West Virginia that
Maryland having by the act Of 1852
required Michler to begin at that
stone, thereby recognizing that point
as the beginning and is now estopped
to deny it. The representatives of
Maryland claim that inasmuch as
Michler's report was never adopted
by Virginia, and inasmuch as West
Virginia repudiates the work done
and the line run by Michler, that,
therefore Maryland is not estopped,
but on the contrary she is RENTED to
all her rights under the original grant
to Lord Baltimore.
1t will be well to remember just
here that the Fairfax stone was plant
ed under an adjustment between
Lord Fairfax and the crown, and not
by any adjustment with the state Of
Maryland by the state of Virginia.
Virginia under her first constitution
as free state expressly disclaimed
title to or jurisdiction over all terri
tory embraced within the grant of
the King to Lord Baltimore. The
first constitutional convention of
Maryland held shortly after Virginia S
disclaimer, declared that Virginia had
no ripbt 70 any territory covered nv