The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1898-07-15

own. II it had, the place where
it was held would certainly be
known, even if the records should
be lost, Most assurediy no re-
cords of West Augusta court
are known to be in existence. In
all probability. that which was
spoken of as West Augusta cour,
was the regular, but somewhat
itinerant court of Augusta coun.
ty. That court was hard to keep
track Of at the time, and it is not
to be wondered at if confusion
has resulted after the lapse Of a
century.
Stanton was the lawful seat
Of Augusta, but in IVA and 1775
Lord Dunmore, then governor Of
Virginia, made much trouble,
both for Virginia and Pennsyl.
vania, by selling western Penn
sylvania and annexing it to Au.
gusta county. In February. 1775,
the court was moved from Staun.
ton TO Pittsburgh. then called
Fort Dunmore. The next month
the court was back in Stanton
again and IN the following Sep
TENDER 1t was again in Pittsburg.
The confusion and controversy
did not end there, but without
following the matter further, 1t
appears probable that what was
spoken of the West Augusta
court was only the western ses.
sion Of the court which should
have been held in Staunton.
In October, 1870, the first at
tempt was made by the Virginia
Legislature to fix the boundaries
of the district Ct West Augusta.
The attempts succeeded about as
we'll as the Englishman's who
bounded the British empire as
follows: ION the west by the
Pacific ocean, on the south by the
Antarctic icebergs (; on the east
by the end of the world, and on
the north by theAurora borealis.' =
With an inadequate knowledge
of the States geography, and IN
Language vague and ambiguous,
the line between Augusta county
and the district of West Augusta
is given thus Beginning on
the Allegheny mountains be,
tween the head of Potomac, Cheat
and Greenbrier rivers, thence
along the ridge of mountains,
which divides the waters ofCheat
from those of Greenbrier, and
that branch of the Monongahela
river called Tygart's Valley
river. to the Monongahela river,
thence up the said river and the
West Fork thereof to Binger-
mans creek on the northwest
side of the SAID west fork. thence
up the said creek to the head
thereof, thence in direct course
to the head of Middle Island
creek, abranch of the Ohio, and
thence to the Ohio, including all
the waters of said creek in tho
aforesaid district of West Au-
gusta. all that territory lying to
the northward of the said bound
airy and TO the westward of the
State Of Pennsylvania and
Maryland shall be deemed and is
hereby declared 10 De In the ols'
trict of West Augusta.
The language and punctuation
of the above are quoted exactly
from the law as it passed the
Legislature. A person with 9
map of the region before him
may cipher out what hesupposes
the lawmakers intended the line
to be. Probably the starting
place was meant to be that point
on the present Pendleton county
line where Randolph and Poca.
hontas have a common corner
thence following the dividing
ridge between the Greenbrier
and Cheat, in a southwesterly
course too point opposite the
head of Tygart's Valley. thence
followingthe dividing ridge be.
tween Cheat and the waters OF
the Monongahela to Point Mar
ion, the mouth of Cheat; thence
4 -