Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-12-19
THE BOUNDARY QUESTION.
Charlotte Observer Wants to Annex
Parts of York and Chester.


In 1885 or 1886, during the admins
tration Of Governor Scales, the Hon
s. B. Alexander, Of Mecklenburg coun.
ty, was appointed special commission.
er to resurvey the state line between
North Carolina and South Carolina
about which there has been much dis
pute, Of a historical sort at least, since
Colonial days. When North Carolins
was established its charter granted the
right to erect a monument on the At
lantic and to run line from that point
northwest to the thirty fifth parable
of latitude. For some reason which has
never been explained, this line was
stopped before 1t reached the thirty
fifth parallel, and subsequently there
was a line run from the end Of that
survey to a cornerstone erected on the
old Salisbury road at Massey in Ian
caster county, South Carolina. Com
plant was made by South Carolina
about this line and commissioners were
appointed by each state to adjust the
to run a line from the cornerstone on
the old Salisbury road at Massey, d.
rectly north to the corner Of the Ca
tawba Indian lands and thence to the
Catawba river, following the lines OF
the Catawba Indian lands. From the
point reached on the Catawba river
the line was continued to the junction
Of the Catawba and south Catawba
rivers. From that point the line was
to go directly west The line from the
cornerstone at Massey, north and west
has never been surveyed by the states
Of North Carolina and South Carolina
jointly. These lines, as we have not
ed, were surveyed by the state Of North
Carolina during the administration OF
Governor Scales, and from the records
it was found that the Catawba Indian
lands were surveyed in 1772.- There Is
no authoritative mark on the lines OF
the Catawba Indian lands and as all
deeds to property on either side of the
line call for the state line, 1t Is very
important that It should be perma-
nently established. In the survey made
during the administration Of Governor
Scales, 1t was found that the state OF
North Carolina lost LOO acres on the
northeast line of the Catawba Indian
lands and that North Carolina gained
3,400 acres on the southwest line of the
Catawba Indian lands TO the Catawba
river. The report Of the commission
er and engineer Is now on file In the
governors office at Raleigh.
The disputed state line, or that Is
to say, the property within the present
state line includes in North Carolina
the reputed birthplace Of Andrew
Jackson. If the original survey had
been extended to the thirty fifth par
allel Of latitude as required in the state
charter, the birthplace Of Jackson
would have been unquestionably in
the present state of South Carolina and
as General Jackson judged Of his
whereabouts by parallels Of latitude
and not by the marks Of surveyors set
up by them without authority, it was
entirely natural that he should have
regarded himself as being a native of
South Carolina.
1t was said yesterday that at the
time the battle Of Kings Mountain was
fought, the battlefield was unquestion-
ably in North Carolina. It was also
said that If the thirty-fifth parallel of
latitude should be followed, as the
charter Of the state requires, a very
large part Of York, Chester and Spar
tanburg counties would fall within the
state of North Carolina This Is a
most important and astonishing state
ment, and we do not suppose that any
North Carolinian would object to re-
linquishing the claim to the birthplace
Of Andy Jackson II by so doing Meek
COuHly "Oulu O,fUU
acres Of land now supposed to be ly-
ing in South Carolina, and in addition
to this territory. would also get the
battlefield of Kings Mountain and a
large slice Of territory lying in York,
Chester and Spartanburg counties. In
the unhappy political condition obtain
ing on the other side Of the present
state line, we are inclined to believe
that there are thousands Of good peo-
pie in the three South Carolina coun-
ties named who would welcome annex
alton to the grand Old North State.
At the next session Of the legisla-
lures of the Carolinas, it Is hoped that
a determined effort will be made to
have the boundaries Of the two states
finally established. Governor Kitchin,
of North Carolina, we are sure will be
glad to cooperate with Governor
Blease, Of South Carolina, in having
the long disputed question determined.
Observer.