The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1908-08-22
The LANCASTER
LINE.
Report of Commission APP
4 pointed by Governor 10
Survey Line * Between
Lancaster and KershaW
Counties. sn '-,.f

Columbia special in the News and
Courier: The report of the commission
to survey the county line between Ker-
snaw ana Lancaster apparently gives
Nersnaw county the better of the situa.
llon, as III throws portion of the town
Oh hershaw INTO kershaw county. The
line has been in dispute for years. how
ever, and 1T is not certain that this re-
port VIII settle the controversy. altbougb
the survey was made in accordance
with an Act of the General Assembly of
1908.
The commission was composed of
MI. y. =. wilson and Capt. G. ). Dwight
OF this city, both expert engineers. and
, Prof. f. III. Colcock, of the Universitv
OF South Carolina. The report was sub
mitted several days ago to the Cover
nor and referred to the Attorney Gener-
al and was today made public by the
NoNernor. The commission finds that
the hrst half of the line, from Catawb ba
river to'the Salisbury road, is clear from
unmlstakable landmarks, but from the
salisbury road to Lynches river il is
not so clear, and the line was run i'm ac-
cordance with the instructions of the
ACT OF 1908 1t was found that the line
runs through the centre of the town of
hershaw, but not parallel to the street
known aS Center street. entering the
town south of this street and CROSSING
TITO the north. While the main business
section of the town is left in Lancaster.
the bank and hotel are in Kershaw. ac
cording to this survey.
The report of the commission is ac-
conpanied by complete map of the
locality, by the different exhibits show
ing the points referred to in the report
and by copy of the Act of 1908, under
which the survey was made.
The report states that the Act of 1899.
defining and declaring the boundary
line, was adopted and governed the
commission in all cases, and that Mills's
Atlas, the maps, records and data of
other surveys, the evidence of citi-
Zens living along the line and other old
landmarks were considered only in SO
far as they might serve to illustrate and
explain the true intent and meaning of
the Act. That the landmarks referred
to in the Act, ,where they could be found
governed in preference to courses and
distances, but where they could not be
found, or where none are mentioned in
the Act, courses and distances set forth
In the Act governed. That the
courses given in the Act were
construed to mean the magnetic bear
Ings in the year 1892, and were subject
to correction for variation of the needle
from thatyear to 1908 and also to what
ever further correction might be neces-
sary on running trial lines between
given landmarks. That the survey, in
accordance with the terms of the Act,
commenced at Catawba River and pro-
ceeded eastwardly to Lynch's River.
In marking the line the commission de-
cided To use, and did use, granite posts,
IA (,
the opposite side, which were placed at
the ends of all lines, at all angles or
corners and at such intermediate points
as seemed advisable.
The commission states that the entire
line from Cawtaba River to Lynch's
River is now marked with these granite
posts, set with the top one foot above
the ground, the letters being cat in TO the
stone. These stones are set at the ends
of the lines on the two rivers, at each
angle or corner in the lines, and at each
prominent road crossing, including one
on each street in the town of Kershaw,
making thirty stones in all The stones
have been set centering accurately on
the lines, and in retracing the commits
sion says that the centre should be
found by measurement and prolonged
from these points.
The account of the survey as given
an the report is very interesting. Peay's
Ferry, the starting point on Cataw ba
River, was identified without difficulty,
AS 1t is clearly marked by the old road
approaching the river, and the identifi-
cation was confirmed by Mr.. j.. j. Per
'ry, county supervisor, of lancaster, and
Hon. John G.. Richards, of, Kershaw,
who were present, and by other citizens
of the two counties.
From Peay's Ferry the commission
measured one-half mile up the river, |
following the meanderings of the stream,
approximately, to the boundary line. |
1t is stated that the point thus found
does not correspond with the Mills
Atlas or with later surveys.
The commission then says:
"In order TO determine the variation
in the bearing from 1892 to 1898 we
made a careful study of the elaborate
reports, including tables and maps is
sued by the department of coast and
geodctic survey, and made our own
solar observations. With the data in |
hand we made a correction in the bear |
ing of fifteen minutes east, running the !
first line as a trial north fifty-four de- |
grees and fifteen minutes east, in |
stead of north fifty -four degrees east. |
We found at distance of 80, 77O |
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