250 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1739. 



surface measure, not knowing that this fully covered the whole 

 difference between the two plans of measurement. This plan 

 was determined upon before receiving the Governor's answer ; 

 the Maryland Commissioners supposing they had yielded but 

 little in making the compromise, while those of Pennsylvania 

 knew that the only sacrifice they had made was in form, and that 

 they had really yielded nothing in substance. 



The next disagreement was about the chain to be used in the 

 measurement. It was the custom to have the two-pole chain 

 made one inch longer, and the four-pole chain two inches longer 

 than the exact measure, to make up for inequalities and irregu- 

 larities. Col. Gale contended for the chain to be reduced to the 

 exact measure. After much contention, and a threat on the part 

 of the Pennsylvania Commissioners to break, and run the line 

 exparte^ this point was conceded by the Maryland Commissioners ; 

 but at the same time these gentlemen set up a claim for an allow- 

 ance of a half inch in every chain for the thickness of the sticks. 

 They at length receded from this position, and the measurement 

 of the meridian line was proceeded with ; and at their coming out 

 at the end of the line, the Pennsylvania Commissioners " were 

 greatly astonished" to find themselves "no more than 20 perches 

 more south, than the corner the Jersey Commissioners had fixed 

 for the end of the South line." Having commenced their mea- 

 surement eighty perches south of the east and west line run by 

 the Jersey Commissioners, and having the fullest confidence in 

 the accuracy of their work, they concluded that the Jersey Com- 

 missioners had made "too large measure in the South line by 60 

 perches." 



From the end of the South line they immediately proceeded 

 to run the temporary boundary line westward to the Susquehanna, 

 where, owing to sickness and death in the family of Col. Gale, 

 the joint commission was broken up. Beyond the Susquehanna, 

 " to the top of the most Western hill, of a range of hills called 

 the Kittocktinny," distant from the place of beginning about 

 eighty-eight statute miles, the line was run ex parte by the 

 Pennsylvania Commissioners.^ 



In running the West line from Philadelphia, the Commis- 

 sioners note several points in our County and beyond it. On 

 the evening of the first day, they left off, " in the land of 

 Thomas Worth of Darby township;" on the 2d day "at Samuel 

 Levis' in Springfield;" on the 3d at John Worrall's in Provi- 

 dence ; the 4th at the widow Yarnalls in Edgemont. Here 

 meeting with unusual attraction, they reviewed part of their 

 work, but on the lOth of April they were on " the plantation of 

 Jacob in Thornbury township;" on that of Joseph Hunt 



' Penna. Archives, i. 566, 558, 568 to 576, 599, 600, <fec. 



