Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-11-28
Old Surrey By George Washington
Gets 0. K. By Government


generally known. runs now between
Rockingham and Shenandoah coun-
tics. With the original Augusta anu
Frederiek counties To the south and
north respectively.
IN the organic act FOR the forma-
ton Of the two counties, or parishes
aB they were then called. % was re-
auircd that tho hno should be- q
straight one from the head spring Of
Hodgman river. ono of the sources
OF the Bappahannock. GO the head
spring of the Potomac.
since it was required that the line
should Doe straight DC was Grst noccs-
mty Goo gCt the approximate course hy
build.Ty large bou0rcH on the Inter
youiug high points. Then starting
from tho top of M1smnutten noun
tains. the line was run straieht AWAY
over Intervening mountains and riN-
ors toward the northwest
The FairTax stone.
Away on across pnrt OF rhat Is
now West virginia there Is nrgc
rock known today as the Fairfax
stone. 10 Is the monument which
marks THE southwest corner of Gar
ret county Nd, the southeast corner
OF Preston county. w Va, AM
prominent points Ia the boundaries In
two other West Virginia counties. a
line from Orange court house. coin
Gliding with the shenandoah and
Rockingham county line. passes
through this Fairfax stone, which
gives the name 20 "a nearby station
Fairfax. on the Western Maryland
railroad. 10 has hcen assumed that
100 running This line. hish rock
northwest uf orange court house was
tho starting point, and that from here
Cd Was possible to see distant peak
iu the North mountain funge over the
top of the intervening Massanuttcn
miuntain.
Washington. OF course. used q sim
pie compass. ana his line could not
ma expected 90 check absolutely with
that obtained hy the government SUR
voyors who have rotruCcd bis survey
using high-poWer transits and an the
refined and accurate methods which
modern instruments allow. NtNerthc-
less. the line was run 800 carefully in
the first place That but little variation
has been found In IL. Even without
Instruments Do Us possible Co disun'
guish the course Of tho line With SUR
pisug di-tiuotncss. FroJr Che top n
Middle mountain an the Nassanutlcn
range. the Shenandoah Rockingham
a or TairfuN Inc can Dee readily fol-
lowed hy means cot the boundary
icncos dating from earliest days. and
T hv blocks OF timber. altCru'teN
/ cleared away or ieU standing, which
/ como up from either county ano
/ stop ut ne hue like squares in q
,hcckcrhoard. Then 90 one turns u
the southeast tho same dcmurkutiuni
are plain across tho valley of the
south fork of the shenandoah, cut
ting straight through the present
Page county, which is made of Ian,
! formerly in Shenandoah county, be-
I longing 90 the FlrfX grant an,
/ partly from land formerly In Rock
nshum. Thus, as FAR aH the eye ear
see Ia either direction. this old line
shows plainly.
Tho Washington compass, now q
bo seen at tho United states nntiona
museum In the city named for it'
oWnor. is presumed Geo be- the same
one used In running this line more
than 1850 years ago.
Washington survey Marks.
Tho Fairfax stone stands us per
/ monont monument Ia addition
there are. throughout that section u
the country, various other racurds o
/ those Washington surveys For c&
ample. large white oak which
stands in the corner ot farm about
~ miles from Lost city HARDY
county, West virginia. was, accord
. ing to persistent story at that see
ton of the country marked b'
! Washington.
Survey hlazes cut into trees, and
since grown over, have boon en-
away, and count OF the annual lay
crs of growth over tho old wounds
shows them 20 have been mndc aI
the time Washington was surveying
! one strung thing about these hlazei
! is that they are several feet highci
/ thnn those Tut on trees by woods
! men OF today This fact has givcr
rise Ia sort of approximation thai
! Washington, known 90 have beer
very tain was actually % giant othcl
authorities have said that Washing
ton ala much of his work ON horse
back and made his hluzcs with o
long-hundled aX from The saddle.
The town at Whitepost CLARKE
county, Virginia, takes its name from
"a post presumed 90 have been get Pos
/ Washington as ono of his survey
marks Tho post. formerly exposed
is now covered hN "A protecting case