The Delawarean., 1900-07-18
WILL THE BOUNDARY LINE
Be CONSIDERED AGAIN d?
Interesting Situation of the PENN
sylvan1a-Delaware Dividing
Stones, and Particularly
OF Mr. JohnsoA.

The boundary line between Pennsyl-
yania and Delaware, over which there
has been much speculation in recen.
years, on account OF an abuse OF the
peculiar lines of old Fauher Penn. may
come up for final adjustment in Della
ware at the next session of the General
Assembly.
Although the old boundary commits
sion has long since discharged its duty
and has placed its findings and the new
line on file in the office of the Secretary
of State here, and on record in the
New Castle county Recorder of Deeds
office, yet there still is one thrifty
farmer, John j. Johnson, who is le-
gally resident of Delaware and actu-
ally a resident of Pennsylvania.
DR.. Beniah l.. Lewis of Harrington,
former State auditor and a member of
the late boundary commission, was
seen to-day and explained why the
work of the commission, though long
since accepted by the authorities, thus
come up for further legislative action.
When the commission had complet-
ed its work. said DR.. Lewis, ''it will
be remembered that Mr.. Johnson.
Joseph Thompson and others objected
to living in Pennsylvania, by refusing
to pay their taxes and carrying the
matter to the courts. Judge Hemphill,
| think, decided in New London town
ship, that Johnsons claim that the
finding of the boundary commission
had not been ratified by the General
Assembly of Delaware. and recorded as
such in New Castle county, but only
then deposited in a vault, taxes could
not be legally collected from him in
Pennsylvania. And there the matter
stands"
The dissensions in boundary lines
grew out of William Penns edict that
a twelve mile circle should be drawn at
the Court House steps in New Castle
and that should form THE northern
boundary of New Castle county. When
the commissioners made a rigid ex-
animation, they found nearly thirteen
miles in the possession of Delaware TO
the north, and. if carried easterly IL
would throw the old .amplugh house
on the Delaware river into Delaware
and thus give Delaware Marcus Hooks
port of entry. This was finally con
ceded by Pennsylvania representa-
tives and the line was carried west 70
the Old Line Tavern. nearly two miles
above Centreville. where the legal line
then existing became extinct. and the
Pennsylvanians held the Delawareans
down to the twelve mile limit This
threw jib-shape slice of land, nearly
mile deep, containing Mr. Johnson
ct. al. into Pennsylvania
This parting of the ways and also of
a goodly piece of fertile Delaware land
was partly recompensed by Pennsyl-
vania's conceding to Delaware all ofI
the triangular strip of 74O acres divid-
ing the counties of Delaware in Penn
sylvania, New Castle in Delaware, and
Cecil in Maryland, and which would
have belonged to the Keystone State
had the twelve-mile circle been strictlyI
followed, but which was then Della
wares by the observance of the nearly
thirteen mile line The Delaware com
rissloners could do nothing better
since they We're met on or e side by the !
regularly established Mason and Dixon
line of the United States Government
and on the other by Maryland lines,
which had not been brought into
question.