The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-07-31
Boundary Line Betlpeen Kershaw
and Lancaster Counties

fplace Doia.e4 out To them time Of
their syryey - the old Harrison ford.
ur Beb 1D04c WAS Nth us. q Ker-
shaw msa H 50 20 so years, who
fives IN s-f9r hundred yards of the
line and ah1ot one mile Of the cor.
ner at Lynubes river, he corrokrates
lMcIlwain-RaSad line here and
also a., 70 this being the place old
men had. always shown him as the
true corner. Is
Take thew lines Of the "Wilson
survey before mentioned; frat
from Hammond's spring to Salisbury
road, and then from corner near
Bethel church to Lynches river. in
their report they say of the frst of
these lines, from Hammond's spring
to Salisbury road. we run the exact
degree given in the Act (of 1922.
while on the rs0eond line from
Bethel church to Lynches river.
they say, we gave one-fourth degree
variation. They found no corners.
Now. II one of their lines was cor
rect. without my variation. the other
could not be correct with one-fourth
degree variation given. or vice versa
But, as matter OF fact, they should
have given Qper degree variation on
each line. lnse the degrees we're
| taken in 18t&. or earlier.
Should the Wilson surveyors have
cornered on the Notwithstanding
Halle cornerstone, near Bethel
church. sos feet south of where they
did corner, and have run north 81
east, giving one degree for variation
since the years1 S92-the true varia-
tion to small Traction OF a degree
as have found from a government
manual. and from the actual resur-
vey or hundreds OF lines in my TWEEN
ty years OF practical experience (and
| might add) have made a speciality
OF locating old and disputed lines,
should they have done this. and
have continued their course thus on
to Lynches river, they would have
struck Lynches river at or within a
few yards Of the ola corner place at
Harrison's old ford, where Halle
McIlwain-Ragsdale cornered. Or.
again, had they started at the exact
line on Lynches river with the Halle
McIlwain-Ragsdale survey. Il mean
at Harrison's old ford) and have run
south eeh west-with only ONE
fourth degree vaYiation-they would
have struck the Salisbury road more
than 80 yards south of the corner
that Haile-McIlwain-Rag did, as
a matter Of fact. corner at. and over
500 yards south of their own corner.
Now. since the report of the Will
son-Dwignt-CoIcock survey, admits
that the Act Of the legislature in
1892 Is presumably based upon the
Haile-McIlwain-R survey, I
have dealt principally with that sur
/ vey in my report. and think I have
made the difference in the Wilson
survey" and the Haile-McIlwain-
Ragsdale survey. plain to the average
eeArs otsaetu9l practtcas experieDc ce
in running old and disputed lines can
Judge II / am correct.
Leaving the description. given in
the Act OF 1892, and going back be-
yond the Halle NcIlwain- -Ragsdale
survey (of 1889 and 1922 and TAX
ing up the old plats and maps OF
Lancaster and Kershaw counties and
all the most substantial evidence OF
old people. find some facts which !
wish TO state briefly.
First. taking the corner near
Hanging Rock creek. and I find that
the creek itself has been changed
Mr.. ]. II. Robinson showed me on the
ground as near as he could where the
old creek run. and by actual measure
it was 13O to $50 yards south of the
bridge as it now stands. He said
when he was boy the creek run
around south edge of bottom at
or near where a little branch enters
bottom and there crossed the road
under a bridge. running along south
edge OF bottom back eastward to
present channel near large rocks.
w. d. Ussery corroborates this state
ment and adds that he knows this to
be u fact as we'll as he Ia living
Others tell me they know this to he
true.
I This canal, where the bridge now
is, was cut since the war about 1865
to 1875. Measuring from old chan
nel here. according to oldest data.
does not miss corner at Bethel
church very much.
Second. corner near Bethel church
has never been considered, I find by
oldest people Of both counties. any
further north than the stone corner
found by Notwithstanding
In their survey. The older set of pe'-
pie did claim large rock set up in
the sand. on east edge of road and
right in front Of church. but Halle
-Ragsdale in their survey
did not corner on this rock. This Is
a nice granite rock. which stands
to ~ feet out Of the ground and
about 6 'inehes r, square,. while the
stone Haile-McIlwain-R -Ragsdale cor
nsred, Oh - . blsAk rock about -
IL inches In diameter and 247 feet
. farther north.
! Poss Lanier. the very oldest sat-
tier. who lived, right by corner. and
perhaps the best informed man In
this section Of the state. told me be-
fore his death Tin presence Of Mr..
WIN Cro1ton). that the corner of
Lancaster and Kershay counties was
black rock under q cedar and not