Evening journal., 1922-05-29
TALK BOUNDARY
At CONFERENCE
Pennsylvania and Delaware
TO Finally Adjust Line
Next Monday
SOME FARMERS
IN TWO STATES

Farm owners of the northwester
section of New Castle county VIII
have been unable to determine Fl
what State they live, the Delawar
Legislature having changed tn
boundary lines between Pennsyl
vania and Delaware are awaiting tn
outcome of the conference 10 b.
held in Mil Creek Church on Wed
nesday, June Z. This conference
will be attended by members of th'
Chester County Commission, the New
Castle County Levy Court and the
New Castle County Board Of Assess
ment
The present muddle growing oui
of the changing of the boundary
lines between the two states. is q
question that stirred the residents OF
that section as early as 200 years
ago.
The Delaware Legislature in
changing the boundary lines in 1921
caused much confusion by legislat-
ing residents out of Delaware into
Pennsylvania.
Kent Ebright, whose farm and
home are on Foulk road well inside
the bounds OF New Castle county,
awoke upon the morning Of March
20, 1921, and found that legislative
approval of a new boundary line the
day before ran through the middle
of his house. The fact that he en-
joyed the privilege Of sleeping in
Delaware and eating his meals in
Pennsylvania did not disturb Mr..
Ebright much. He rather enjoyed
the novelty. until the question arose
as to which State he was a legal
resident Of, the one he sleeps in or
the one he eats in.
But this only relates an incident
that is a small part of the troubles
caused by the change in the bound
airy line. Thomas Zebley, Albert
Petitdemange and other farm own
ers along the line have had their
farms cut in two, one part in Della
ware. the other in Pennsylvania,
with the newly erected monuments
marking the new boundary standing
ont in the middle of their fields AS
a result, many of the farmers do not
know how IN 20 about II 10 pay their
taxes. Some have refused to pay
them until they know where they
stand.
In many instances farmers, who
have been born and spent their iVes
in Delaware, who have voted IN
Delaware. held office in Delaware,
and sent their children TO school IN
Delaware. have found that they are,
bv a mere act of the Legislatures or
the two States, shifted over the bor-
,x,4.a Ingfpa1
being able to send their children 70
New Castle county schools, none OF
them over a mile distant. they are
now compelled to send them, In
MANY instances, four or flve miles
TO schools in the neighboring Penn
sylvania county
: The pride which these families
take in being natives OF the nrst
state TO join the Union has been
hurt. Families which have lived IN
one State for generations object 10
heing iegislated into another.
Hone has been revived that the
old boundary will be permitted to
remain by the action of Levy Court
last Tuesday in asking United States
senators Ball and DUPONT 70 ascer-
tain if President Harding has signed |
the measure providing for the new
boundary settlement. II not the
Senators are expected TO seek fur
ther delay, possibly sufficient to hold |
over the entire question until the
next session of the Delaware Legis- /
lature.
The story Of the old boundary |
dispute which was considered set
tied when the famous Mason and |
Dixon line was surveyed and ap- |
proved. begins years prior to an at
tempt to settle the dispute by com
rnissioners appointed by Pennsyl- |
vania and Maryland in 1883. In |
August. 1853, Lord Baltimore and
Thomas and Richard Penn employ
ed Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, OF
England, to mark, run out, settle,
fix and determine all such parts OF
the circle. marks, lines and boun-
daries as were not yet completed"
They finished their work in Decem-
Der, 1857, the boundary between
the two states then received the
name by which 1t has since been
known. A circle was laid out, with
the center OF the town of New Cas-
tie as the center. and with a 12-
mile radius. Beginning at Cape Hen
iopen they ran a straight line north
until It made a tangent with the
circle at a point on a straight line
twelve miles due west from the cen
ter of New Castle.
The establishment of the boundary
was source of trouble for many
years. and was marked by riots and
other border troubles Final proc
lamation Of the Governor of Penn
sylvania announcing the completion
Of the work was delayed until April |
S. 1775. II was then necessary for
the territorial assembly Of the three
lower counties tc pass legislation |
declaring that all persons who had /
resided in the disputed territory, |
but now acknowledged citizens of /
the lower counties, should enjoy /
all rights and privileges therein. |
Later the creditors against persons 1
resident in the lands which had |
fsllen within the lower counties !
were established.
Beginning with the point where
the circle struck the tangent sur
veyed by Mason and Dixon and
commission appointed !