Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-06-01
BOUNDARY LINE is
FIXED Fos ALL TIME
Contention Between Two States Since
Creation Of West Virginia Has
Given Much Trouble

GtNcH WuCH lFOAptS
Washington. May as-The last
chapter OF the famous boundary con-
troversy between Maryland and West
Virginia was written yesterday when
the United States supreme court sns.
tanned the majority OF the boundary
commission and definitely fixed the
lire which is to divide the two States.
The courts opinion was another vic.
tory for West Virginia.
More than year ago the court en-
tered a decree in the case. and while
II was supposed at the time to be
equally favorable to the two States,
the later perusal OF the courts opin-
ion indicated that West Virginia had
got the better of the long fight.
When the decree was entered the
court appointed commission of three
10 make the decision effective.
This commission. composed OF w.
McCuiloh Brown. representing Mary
land; ]. X. Monroe, representing West
Virginia, and Samuel $. Gannett, rep
fescitHtS tilc tHiteu lstdNtS 1tOioSi-
cal survey. spent a year surveying
the disputed territory and in fixing
the boundary in accordance with the
findings of the court originally, The
commissions report was filed with
the court and demurred TO by Mr..
Brown on the part of Maryland.
The exception taken by the Mary
lander resulted in a reopening of the
case. The Geological Survey expert
had sided with the West Virginians.
Yesterday the Supreme Court upheld
the majority of the commission and
ordered that the line be fixed in ac-
cordance with their views.
In its brief review OF the case the
court announced that the disputed
part of the boundary would run from
Deakins, on the old State line, along
the south bank of the North Branch
of the Potomac river, to the Pennsyl-
vania line.
The court also stated that the ex-
pense of the commission amounted
to $17,154 Under the ruling each
State to bear half the total cost of the
surveys and other work in connec-
ton of the final decree
The Maryland-West Virginia bound
airy dispute dated from the creation of
the latter State. The change in the
course of the Potomac river caused
the old line to be obscured, and sever
al thousand acres of land were involy-
ed in the controversy.
This boundary line has been unset
tied for period of between ITS and
200 years. The territory in dispute is
strip of land about III miles wide,
and about SO miles in length, running
along the entire western boundary of
Maryland and the eastern line of
West Virginia, and containing about
As square miles.
Dispute on Since 1746
Maryland claimed this strip of land,
and in 1746 what is known as the Fair
fax stone was planted at the southern
end of the line, where The headwaters
of the Potomac form the southern and
northern boundary of Maryland and
the territory which then belonged to
Virginia. The Supreme Court decis-
ion knocks out Marylano's contention
that the State line should be moved
west about 1h miles.
In an effort to settle the controver-
sy. Lieut.. Michler. an army engineer,
in 1859 restored the original Fairfax
stone, which still did not satisfy Mary
land
The commissioners ran the line so
as 10 affect the citizenship Of as few
lerscns as possible, and it is said
that not more than dozen property
owners will be come residents of West
Virginia by reason of Inc establish
ment of the line.
Principally all the taxes in the ter
ritory have been paid to West Virgin
la during the period OF the dispute
1t is possible that several times the
value of the land involved has been
spent in legal and other fees.