Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-10-15
MASON AND DIXoN,s LINE ',
From tle NatiouaI JuteY;gcnc,-

THESE are words which, it may well be said
without poetry, have been for years past more
familiar in mems mouths than even the most
distinguished of the gallant band who shed
their blood with Prince Hal on the memorable
feast of CrIspian: but we doubt whether one
In ten thousand of those who have been in the
habit of repeating them ever took the trouble
OF inquiring how they originated or what they
meant This was task for the curious seeker
into musty records and the forgotten annals of
our colonial history; and the knowledge of
them which has been recently unveiled is one
OF the happy results of the many Historical
Societies scattered over our Union. Their
learned and laborious researches have already
illustrated many obscure passages in our early
history; for, young our nation yet is, the
country is old enough to bear within its bosom
many monuments of race infinitely superior
In oil the arts of life to the aborigines found
here by Columbus, Cabot, or Smith, showing
anteceaents of a nature and character to ex-
cite the interest not only of Americans, but of
the world; which but for their profound inves-
LEGATIONS might have remained, like the origin
of the Gipsies, unknown to the present day
20 utter phrase or a word of which he could
not interpret the meaning, what multitude
of culprit's wonld "Mason and Dixon's Line''
have caused to be called before the tribunal of
Justice! And what crowd of mingled feel
ings must the repetition Of them awaken in
those who can remember the evil uses made of
them by the lovers and promoters of excite
fnent for excitement's sake Those words
we verify believe, had as much to do in BRING
ing about the first sectional disputes and eal-
ousies as any other taunt or all other irrita-
ting taunts together, ever uttered by North or
South against each other. They were the war
cry of Round-Heads and Cavaliers the tocsin
that invited demagogues, in ard out of Con-
gress to civil discOrd-the menace of scperate
and independent empire. And yet there new
er were words of more harmless import in
their origin and meaning. If the venerable
men who crossed the Atlantic for the sole pur-
pose of laying down this invisible and limo.
cent line, which has given Immortality to their
names, could have foreseen 'sto what base u
ses'' it would be brought, we are persuaded,
little as we know Of their characters, that E.
ven royal mandate would have failed in NOV
ing them to undertake it.
For our attention being brought at this time
to the geographical significance of this fImous
line we are indebted TO the researches of Mr..
John II. B. Latrobe, of Baltimore, a gentle
man whose profound requirements and litera-
~ taste have contributed much to enrich the
common stock of knowledge. The subject
was chosen by him for an address before the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania; and as
we presume but very limited number of CO.
pies were printed for distribution, we shall not
subject ourselves to the charge of carrying
figs to Athens if we quote few passages from
II for the benefit Of our readers. Speaking of
the political turn given to purely geographic
cal question, he says:
ga consequence Of this state OF things has
been TO perpetuate the memory of the old sur
veyors who established it-a rare good fortune
as regards their fame; for, while the engineers
who located the road across the Simplon have
been forgotten in the all-absorbing renown Of
the master whom they served; while, Of the
thousands who sail past the Eddystone, not
one perhaps knows who it was that erected, on
crag in the midst of the sea, the wondrous
lighthouse that has now defed the tempests
of a century while oblivion has been the lot
of other benefactors of mankind whose works,
of everyday utility, should have been their
enduring monuments. Charles Mason and Jer-
emah Dixon, who eighty-siX years ago, ran a
line through the forest, until the Indians for
bade the further progress of chain and COM
pass, and whose greatest merit seems TO have
been that of accurate surveyors, have obtain
cd notorety for their as lasting as the
history of our country"
1t was in 1868 that the proprietaries of Penn
tslvania and Maryland agreed with CharlesMa-
son and jeremiah Dixon to survey the bounda-
ry between their respective grants; and these
"two mathematicians or surveyors" landed in
Philadelphia in November of the same year,
and entered at once upon the work agreed up
on. According to their own account their new
line did not vary an inch eastward of that
which had been established by previous sur
veyors; $50 that, after all, says Mr.. Latrobe,
ethe sighting along poles and the rude chain
measurements of 1761 and 1852 would have
answered every purpose, had the proprietors
only thought 500
He gives a minute account Of the progress
of this work from time TO time. and thus con-
tinues:
'The lines whose history has thus been giv-
en- were directed to be marked in particular
manner, both by the agreements of the parties
ana The decree of Lord Hardwicke; and the
surveyors accordingly planted, at the end OF
every NTH mile. a stone craven with the arms