The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-07-31

II
their surysy - the old Harrison ford.
II. Bob 4o1So wAs With US, a Ker-
shaw man . SO 20 so years, who
Hives In sfey hundred yards of the
limo and ah0ut one mile OF the cor
ner 1t Lyncbes river, he corrobrates
the Byrd statement as to the Halle
McIlwain-Rassda line here and
also as to this being the place old
men had always shown him as the
true corner. -
Take the two lines Of the Wilson
survey before mentioned: frat
from Hammond's spring to Salisburv
road. and then from corner near
Bethel church to Lynches river. in
their report they say Of the FIRST of
these lines, from Hammond's spring
to Salisbury road. we run the exact
degree given in the Act (of 1922.
while on the second 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 any 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 ope- degree variation on
each line. Since the degrees we're
taken in 1893 or earlier.
| Should the Wilson surveyors have
cornered on the McIlwain-Rngsiale-
| Halle cornerstone. near Bethel
church. COS feet south of where they
I did corner, and have run north g.
east, giving one degree for variation
since the yearsl S92-the true varia-
tion to small fraction OF a degree
as | have found from a government
manual. and from the actual resur-
vcy or hundreds OF lines in my TWEEN
y years OF practical experience tand
| 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
Mc1lwain- -Ragsdale cornered Or,
again, had they started at the exact
line on Lynches river with the Halle
McIlwain- gsdale survey, Il mean
at Harrison's old ford) and have run
south 66h west-with only one
fourth degree variation-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. nn-Dwight-Cnlcock survey. admits
that the Act of the legislature in
1892 is presumably based upon the
Halle e-McIlwain- Ragsdale 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 Halle -McIlwain-
Ragsdale survey. plain to the average
man. AND any college man of ten
eaars of4aetllpl practicas experience
in running old and disputed lines can
Judge IL / am correct.
Leaving the description. given iii
the Act OF 1892. and going back be-
yond the Halle e-McIlwain- -Rngsdale
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. l find some facts which
wish 10 state briefly.
First, taking the corner near
Hanging Rock creek, and | find that
the creek itself has been changed
Mr.. J. II. Robinson showed me on the
ground as near as he could where the
old creek run. and by actual measure
il was 1870 to $50 yards south OF the
bridge as it now stands. He said
when he was a boy the creek run
around south edge OF bottom at
bridge and west OF the old road to.
or near where 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. ID. Ussery corroborates this state
ment and adds that he knows this to
be a fact as we'll as he Ia living
Others tell me they know this to he
true.
This canal. where the bridge now
is. was cut since the war about 1855
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, find by
oldest people Of both counties. any
further north than the stone corner
found by Haile-McIlwain-R -Rag gsdale
in their survey. The older set of pe1-
pie did claim large rock set up in
the sand, on east edge OF road and
right in front Of church. but Halle
McIlwain- Ragsdale in their survey
did not corner on this rock. This is
nice granite rock, which stands 2
to 2h feet out Of the ground and
about 6 inches square. while the
stone Haile-McIlwain- -Ragsdale cor
nsred on h . blaAk rock about 8 %
l2 inches In diameter and Eat feet
farther north.
Poss Lanier. the very oldest set
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 Croxton), that the corner OF
Lancaster and Kershay counties was
q black rock under a cedar and not