Evening journal., 1909-08-09
Professor E. N. KaHandi-
CHAM Writes OF Della
wares Boundary Trou-
bIes

E. N. vallandigham. former resident
Of Newark. and at one time a professor
in Delaware College. who is now in liter
ary work. has contributed an interesting /
story about the Flat Iron end Delaware
Northern Circle" TO the Philadelphia Rec
ord. Mr. Vallsndigham writes as follows:
White Clay Creek. locally pronounced
Whiteley Creek. begins as a cold trickle |
from springs well within the limits of
Chester county, Pa, gathers volume with
speed as II runs among the hills. crosses
the northern circle over which the Penns
and the Calverts shed much ink and even
some blood, as a strong and beautiful
mill stream, and finally reaches the Chris
tiana through the green, hst meadows Of
New Castle county's tidal plain.
For the upper six or seven miles of its
course as considerable stream the
White Clay Creek flows through one Of
the lovliest wooded valleys Of Southeast
ern Pennsylvania and Northern Delaware.
"A dozen brooklets cross that oft-surveyed
boundary between the two States to swell
the White Clay, and some OF It's little
tributaries drain part Of that tiny no
mans land. the "natiron" over which
Delaware has persistently exercised jur-
isdiction ever since she was State OF the
Union, though the gray old boundary
stones gave the territory to her neighbor.
Pennsylvania has officially acknowledged
the Jurisdiction Of Delaware. but the at
tempt OF rather more than 10 years ago to
re-establish the whole boundary by a re-
survey under the supervision Of a dis
tingushed joint commission has thus far
failed. New boundary stones we're set in
some places. but a defect in the consti-
tuition of the joint comission has led the
Pennsylvania Courts 10 recognize the
earlier status quo.
Interesting History
Nothing is funnier in the serio-comic
history Of boundary disputes than the
story of the hat-iron and the Northern
circle Of Delaware. II doughty Augustine
Herrman's map of 25o years aeo had pre-
vailed. Philadelphia would have been
nearly or quite included in the posse essions
Of the Caiverts. Herman won his reward
for that iattering map by the gift Of his
principaity Of Bohemia Manor from the
Calverts. to which was afterward added
noble tract OF many thousand acres ex-
tending to the shores Of the Delaware,
not far below the entrance to the Della
ware and Chesapeake Canal Herman. by
the way, projected a canal between the
bays, and actually constructed a cart road
which served as a commercial highway
and portage between the head Of naviga-
ton on streams flowing, one into the
Delaware. the other into the Chesapeake.
There we're periods in which the Cal
verts sought to assert their Gains upon
the Penns by force of arms. Hey for st.
Mary'sv cried the Catholic Mary anders
and grim Scotch-Irishmen Of lower Ches-
ter county and of York answered as they
charged. in the name Of God. fall on.
The English Courts eventually Split tho
difference" or at al events, between this
Courts and the private negotiations Of thu
proprietors the difference was split, and
local surveyors with crude instrument
ran the historic boundary line. Almost ex
actly a century after Herman made III.
map. Charles Mason and jeremiah Dixoi
were fetched over from England to d.
what the local surveyors had alread,
done The Englishmen found the Co!onia
surveyors TO have been capable fen. an'
much that the newcomers did was smpl.
a verifcaton of the earlier work. Be
tween the two sets OF surveyors Delawar'
received almost exactly her present areI
and outward form, and Mason and Dixon
line. the most significant boundary Il
American history was definitely fixed.
Delaware Held on.
In spite Of courts, treaties and survey s
Delaware never relinquished her hol'
upon the iatiron. All sorts Of odd Incl
dents grew out Of the disputed boundary
William Smith. a resident Of the triangle
was elected to the Delaware Legislator
some time near the middle Of the last cen
tury and was recognized by a facetitiou
presiding officer as "the gentleman fror
Pennsylvania" His son William ener
eetically resisted the efforts Of Pennsyl
vania to make him one Of her residents
She taxed him and he paid his taxes j
Delaware. She tried TO survey his land
and he resisted. When census enum
orator attempted to list him as of Cheste
county he refused TO be counted, and a
length, when nothing else seemed Likely
save his citizenship in Delaware, he r'
moved to Newark which is well With
the line BY the irony of fate he has sine
removed to Philadelphia.
When the new Joint Commission Of 10 {
p years ago had the northern circle resul
veyed there were just enough changes on