Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-07-05
THE SOURCE OF THE POTOMAC.

Attorney G6DeTal Ndlluef, vi nlhL
land. returned to Baltimore rec CHntly,
after an absence of several days, which
he spent in tracing the source of the
Potomac river. His object was to fs-
miiarize himself with the territory in
dispute between Maryland and West
Virginia. He will arrange q conf,r-
ence at an early date with the legal
representatives of the latter State wi: h
view to taking preliminary steps pre-
paratory to the argument OF the CO
before the United States Supren e
Court, in which it has | sen pending
since 1888.
The survey of the boundary lines fs
claimed by the respective States has
been completed, and when the case
comes up for argument there will e
the greatest array of maps, plans anu
other papers laid before the court for
mauy fay.
About forty square miles are involv
ed in the suit. This land has hereto
fore been claimed by West Virgini' .
Some of the landowners psy taxes in
West Virginia and some don't pay any
taxes at all.
Ia his search for the source Of
the Potomac, Mr.. Gather found
the puny spring, or rather nine
springs in group, on noun
tain side from which Marylarder
claim the Potomac derives its source.
Two miles below this group the stream
formed by their united contributions
meets another stream which finds lis
origin in d group of three springs. Al
these springs is located the famous
Fairfax stone, which West Virginia
claims is the true boundary. Mr..
Gather says the West Vlrsi. ians found
their claims entirely upon the fact that
because this has been the boundary il
must, therefore, still be the boundary.
He says they do not take into consider
alton the fact that Maryland repud'ated
Tue boundary as soon as they discover
I'd its location. over century ago, since
which time the matter has been In d 5.
| pute.
The boundary was, moreover, he say
located without consultation with Il
Maryland authorities.
The question to be determined by Il
court is, Of course, which is the source
the Potomac, the group OF springs as
claimed by West Virginie, or the group
claimed by Mary yland, and in determ'' =
| ing that question many diversified OPT :
ions as to what CONSTITUTES ;ne source OF
d river will be considered. Each side, ii
is expected, will submit mass CT sciei =
tifc testimony on The point at is u.
"MarylarG has been most ST aneluly
robbed of territory said Mr. Gather
Saturday, "In our bill before The Su-
preme Court we maintain that the south
branch of the Potomac is the proper
boundary, and the grant to Lord Balti
more demands that the south branch
should be the boundry between MARY
land and West Vireinia-or Virginia, ,ss
it wa, then, but w, st Virginia, ss ii
now is. Should the court grant our
claim, large tract OF land IN Wes'
Virginia will me added to Maryland.
at is not fact generally known that
# the original boundary line OF the grant
of land to Lord Baltimore had been ad
hered to Philadelphia would be in
Maryland. The grant called for the for
tieth degree of latitude as the northern
boundry. This line is just above Phila.
delphia, ,aod ifMaryland's claim to it had
oeen maintained all of the southern tier
of Pennsylvania counties would form a
part of Maryland. William Penn, how
ever, claimed the land, and the result
of the dispute was the running of q
boundary line between the two States
by Mason and Dixon, two surveyors,
which was accepted by the Maryland
proprietors.
Mr Gather expressed himself as con-
6dent of winning the pending suit be-
fore the Supreme Court. He was ac-
companied on his observation trip by
Messrs. F. H. Sncell, member of the
Oakland bar, and w. l. Brown, jr., who
SISTED in surveying the boundary be-
tween Marylaud and West Virginia.