The sun., 1906-06-22

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| 30 fseehi ssasiaH NJ Ne New tmt IeH'a't'
! iUs several Fswspsprf correspondents w
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freislNUe fisu ths' y go ~ Stout ON
irHianIfrtbi HH NJ i"ffliHfF iurairl NJ WV
Itmsi1tH Hi flr Hrfihva4' fafHff n Waas1
sNusuts w. Illustrated bH Hf.ul" WITH
/ dmrffm FfpuH rHd up
Nav the faei Is ihr runtfHIef1r wHs elosrl
rltaHirfthlt mufr ihHH ifa vHlfa 49,, Hnd
ihe matter hns never hepu ltlett"i ~ thn
courts N sHhrf state since n va s"''lei w
IN aet NJ toheftss, passed M iisl dief
survey made Wv Commissioners Ih1fnna
ltutchlfs. John Fuins and navd Hil,en.
heusr, ihteS men amplg qualified frf thet
task Thomas Huiuhina We lofn ln Mui.
mouth, n 4 shout ifgn. and MS Frugfaphef
under Oen Utcrte IN tho Rovoiui luhatv Nmf,
John bwlns, born IN Maryland IN iiai' vas
pss'of NJ tho ffst Presbyterian thnfch IN
philadelphia, and vice president ~ ne Amef'
icaa Philosophical s0sieir pavid Wteh'
maiics while 10y m HE fathers farm, ana
vas tho most proficient surveyor IN the oouh'
nv The New YORK aud ponnAylvanla line
wnq run by him IN i5ai The Nittehhome
line bpt weHn Massachusetts aud Ndw YORK. ne
II WA called, beramn the line ~ Jurisdiction
between tho two states, aud has 40 continued
from August. IiS. whom II was dehnHely
marked, to the present time. There was
hitter controversy over che boundary from
the first settlement n the country, untll the
contestants finally referred tho matter 10
Congress The original settleTs OF New YORK
claimed As far enat a. The Connecticut HNer'
while the Massa chusetts settlers claimed even
west Of the Hudson River. These rival
claims led to bloodshed In several instances
The question that has been before the Leg
islaturc of New York since the Illegal attempt
to che n ~ tnis boundary line In 1893 Ia whether
the ncs location at the point where the Bos-
ton and Albany Railroad crosses the state
line, some twenty-nlne miles south OF the
northwest corner Of Massachusetts, ls valid
Some ten OF fifteen years ago one Wilson.
connected with the New York state Engl-
neer's ofice. seems to have undertaken TO
review this line on his own responsibility and
run a new line. instead Of obeying his In
str,ictions TO renew the line Of jurisdiction.
This new line he found by taking nearly nifty
Offsets. Thereupon, request was iorwarded
10 the. Massachusetts ToPographical Commis-
and finally the Legislature OF Massachusetts
passed resolution in 1897, reading in part ms
follows. The commissioners on the topo-
graphical survey OF Massachusetts are hereby
authorized, acting with any officers that may
be appointed by the state Of New York to
locate define, and mark, by appropriate
monuments, the true line between the terri
tory under the jurisdiction Of Massachusetts
and that under the jurisdiction OF the state
Instead Of obeying the law and renew
ing the established monuments as they were
IL nk,TY. nTia ttlFn
the commissioners expended thousands of
dollars on the work OF proJeSStlng S & neT t % i,ne
from ndeT TO ine S,Ete cne S rrbt
and left. and rarely intersecting any of the
old monuments, transferring individuals from
eineer N review all the State boundary monu-
mens ,anS hrss sBead saf E hs MSsss all
chusetts act Of 1897 duplicated these instruo-
tions. In one instance, the granite ponu.
Massachusetts, by the legal representation Of
three States, September 10, 1890, was taken
oyer the State line and located in the town
When their Illegal work was completed not
member Of either party engaged in that that
moved 1t, their figures differing all the way
from IS feet to o2H feet.
he tSsnsed Ps os fsd byy By an act
There lie, no question about the location Of
the trppe line. Not single inch Of i has ever
and any action by the Legislature Of New
York intended To complete the work done In
1905 il the merest farce.
IL may be a question for the. courts to
decide whether those who moved the state
line monument at the northwest corner of
MASSACHUSETTS are not indictable BY the
Grand Jury of Berkshire county. At any
rate. the Rittenhouse line Of 1897 must remain
the legal boundary, without the slightest
regard to any action by the MASSACHUSETTS
Typographical Commission. now defunct, or
the State Engineer Of New York, or any laws
passed by either or both Of the States. until
new commissions are appointed by both
States, their work 10 be referred to Congress
for approval or rejection.
The Massachusetts, and New York line
having been established by special act OF
Congress can be changed now, only by the
same authority: consequently the attempt OF
tho Massachusetts, Topographical ComIns-
substitute. straight line for the one marked
by the old monuments and their transfer Of
residents from one State to another were all
wrong and cannot be set right by any pro-
ceedings of the State Legislatures
NELSON SPoFFoRp,
Surveyor on the Massachusetts, Northern
Boundary from 1898 to 1898.
HAvERHILL. Mass. June IS.