Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-28
STATE BOUNDARIES.

Controversies Whica Have Been In
Progress Tor Century.
From the New York Sun.
The controversy as to the boundary line
between the states of Virginia and Tennes-
see. which has been in progress for more
than 100 years, and involves Jurisdiction
over a strip of land in the Cumberland
mountains nearly 100 miles long, has at
last reached the Supreme Court of the
United States, which has been asked to APP
point board of commissioners to survey
and officially to declare where Virginia
ends and Tennessee begins. The contest.
ono of the oldest between the states. Is one
only of several similar controversies which
have been going on for many years. Some
of the states involved are Maryland and
Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Ken
lucky and Tennessee. West Virginia and
Kentucky. Kansas and Missouri. Texas anil
Arkansas and California and Nevada.
Tennessee was admitted into the Union
in 1895. AT that time the surveys of the
mountain districts. which are partly within
Tennessee. were imperfect, and. to some
extent. misleading, and since then the con-
troverSy as to where the line Of division
runs has been continued steadily. but with
out. as yet any positive determination.
Few American states are separated by ord-
for instance. New Jersey from its neigh
boring states. This line of boundary Is the
Delaware river, and New Jersey lies be-
tween the Delaware river and the Atlantic
ocean. north of Delaware bay. But the
northern boundary of the state, which runs
along the south boundary of Orange and
RCckland counties. New York. IS indefinite,
and has long been the subject of dispute.
In like manner. has the boundary be-
tween New York and Connecticut. Geo
graphically. the line which would divide
New York from Connecticut and Massa-
ChusettS would be the Hudson river. the
head of navigation of which at Troy is
almost exactly opposite the boundary liue
between Massachusetts and Vermont But
for other reasons more cogent than those of
geography, the east bank of the Hudson is
included in New York as well as the we Il.
and like considerations account for some of
the divisions between western states.
New fork's boundaries. though appar-
emily settled in 1Ii6. have been subject to
critical examination from time to time by
various commissioners and agents. and
have been r"-cxamined and established
under authority of various legislative en-
actmcnts. An act was passed by the lesis-
lature May -. 1910. directing the commits
sioners to resume the work of examination
OF the true location of the monuments
which mark several boundaries of this
state. as authorized by the Senate resolu-
ton of 1Si'1. and in connection with the
authorities of Pennsylvania and New .Jer-
sey, respectively. to replace any monu-
i''i'" winch may nave become O1an'cH
or been removed. on the boundary lines of
thos" states. committee was appointed
for this purpose June |. 1870 In 1850 the
New York commissioners met commission
ers appointed by the states of Pennsylvania
ard New Jersey for the purpose of nScer-
tanning the boundary lines as originally
established and marked with monumt nts
The commissioners were authorized to re-
new any dilapidated or lost monument. and
TO erect additional ones il deemed neccs-
sary- Under the provisions of this law the
New Jersey boundary line was completed
as recently as lSS'. and the Pennsylvania
line in 1850