Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-11-20

might venture to surmise that Nc
Minnviile, being very nearly equidis-
tant. north and south, between Lake
Michigan and the Gulf of Mexico, and,
east and west, at the centre point be-
tween the Atlantic Ocean and the
Kansas border, the enthusiastic sur
veyor had thought to locate his honora-
BILE geographical position by tso to
speak swinging around the circle.
All such hypotheses aside, however,
[ would be gald to know authorita-
lively the origin of or the occasion for
the circular or otherwise curved bound
aries of the three Tennessee counties
referred to, their popularity of out
line, as already indicated, being unique
II believel among the thousands Of
counties in the Union, with the single
exception of the north boundary Of
Delaware. OF course the great mass of
the counties in the States beoynd the
Mississippi, with their latitudinal and
longitudinal subdivisions into precise,
straight lined ranges, sections and
quarter sections, permit no such hetero-
dox boundary course as that of an arbi-
| trary circle or any portion Of circle.
| hope the reply to my inquiry may
not give thee special trouble. 1t will
likely be of interest to others besides
myself. Josiah W. Leeds.
The following explanatory reply was
received from the secretary of the His
| torical Society addressed
| II reply toyour question as to the
forms of Warren, Oyerton and other
counties in this State, that in Ten
nessee county can not be less than p
miles across. These counties, to avoid
the constant change made by the Leg
islature in the county lines, had the
line drawn II miles from the county
town, except where river or large
| stream formed part of the line at
about the II mile limit, thus cutting
off all chance Of change in the line.
Robert I. Quarles. y
AS will be seen by the diagram above,
the effect of two of the curves coming
together is to give to the lower part of
| Pickett county somewhat of the thin
wedge shape with which we are familiar
in the case of London Britain town
ship, of Chester county, where it is
caught between the northeast corner OF
Maryland and the dip of the arc OF
Mason and Dixon's Line. Where ii
is stated that in Tennessee county
can not be less than % miles across, 9
tho meaning thereby intended or car
ried into practice is that every county
is required to be at least that many
miles across as measured in its length
or breadth for, in the case of Pickett
county, its minimum breadth between
the Fentress county line and the Ken.
tucky border is only about seven miles,
while the counties Of James and Meigs,
lying along the Tennessee River, and
bounded on their eastwardly side by q
ridge of the Appalachian Mountain sys
tenn, similarly measure only about
seven miles in breadth at their mar.
rowest points. The boundary makers oi
Warren county have indeed ingeniously
disposed of all questions about ade.
quate legal measurement, whether
taken by length or by breadth, yet had
their neighbors of the adjoining coun.
ties generally essayed to adopt the like
circular plan, it is to be feared that
some particularly confusing work
would have resulted. Meanwhile tbs
three curvilinear- bounded counties Of
Tennessee are likely to permanently
enjoy the distinction of constituting
a unique trio, class very much by
themselves, j. w, u.