Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-09-10
ssas 81 V 1itck


upon operations. Three ysst. YER, spent 81 lhs
propsistoss, Sseonins impaslsa.Sas .hssss.as q ]
progress II tes semmissipnsrs fos. va suspsct
they were nct mAstsre of Ne science of msnsprar
tion or survsying. y Il ID q tho prssent day bod
them rsmovsdA6d ths swo sasn, Mason and pix.
on, whoss Namss have bssons tauseass appesassde
operations. But We leave the history Of the prps-
eosution Of their work Cor another day,
Jeremiah Mason aud Charles Dixon, were two
astronomers Ut considerable distinction, feGidents
Of London. In August, l763, they wers ssnpley-
cd BY tho Psnns and Lord Baltmore, 70 run ths 4
line between. Arrived In Philadelphia In Noven-
bef, furniahed with the best fnstsunients and %
coutssmsnts for their undertaking, they ret about
II at once. firsh they established an Sobssvvseo-i
ry In phlladsiphia for the asceytAinmont of the
true latitude. They then knd the southern lins of
limits Of that city this line they extend hr enough
wess 70 es due north 6 u. .aaEsns point % q.
teen miles, and they then haze gained tho true
latitude Of the great east and west line between
the two proprietaries. They then repair 10 the
tangent point, which b still south Of the main
limo (as appears by nm examination Of the map)
and measure due north MI they como 10 the main
line. Here at the intcrssction oi the two .hass.
they plant the corner atone, which 10 tie begNalng
of"aason d Dieons Hnsp II 10 located In .
deep ravine. near spring Somc years ago, We
are informed the stone having bsen undermined
by floods, was taken BY farmer who lived nssr
and applied 10 the loss diKniiaod, yet more utili
tartan purpose ofa chimney piece. hhss since,
we believe, been replaced By another.
But 10 rsturn to our history. The principal
starting point being ascertainsd. the great labor
If the undertaking begins II required . large
number OF ASSISTANTS and employees to carry on
tho rk,--such rs chain-oarriers air.men, c,uka,
baggage-men and othor servants In the fall of
l7es. shsy had reached point % miles west Of
ing Spring, and on the 4th Of June thsy arc on the
top Of Little Allegheny mountains, 1d0 miles from
the beginning Of their line. Here they were ar
rested In their westward course. The Indians,
through whose hitherto unmolested grounds they
were penstrating, grew jealous and refused to al.
low them TO proceed Chagrined with dsap poiat
undertaking. they take up the backward march.
The Germans ef the two States, howevsr, Joined In
obtaining grand council ofths Indians. ut which
they were successful in receiving permission 10
proceed with tho work.
Accordingly Il was resumed Ia tho summer Of
l7G7. In short time they arrived st the west
ern limit Of Maryland. ana:here II might hs sup
posed they would stop. since beyond that Mary,
land was no longer concerned. But sucl, WAS not
case. They still pushed on. led by the enthusiAs-
tic London astronomer and followed BY the mig
cd reinue, in due line, west. No doubt they
cohsuereu tueE 1~sA W ", W uA not ohiy tno VI
vision line between the two pr,oprietors, but tho
entire Southern line OF Pennsylvania, which was
to extend to point hye degrees OF Longitude west
Of the Delaware, and that polnt.had no. yet been
reached. 'sst ~'s ']
Troubles now began TO attend their progress.
Like Columbus sailors, their Numerous employ
ees began TO grow restless, just when tho consnn-
nation Of their ambition was 90 near at hand.
The surrounding Indians became derce and troab-
lesome and on the eth OF September, when en-
camped ON the banks OF the Monongaheia, twenty-
| six OF their iAborsrs deserted them Not discour.
aged. they sent back TO Fort CombsFland for new
ones to supply the deserssrs' places, and In the
mean time pushed on with such Z: were with them.
At last they arrived ct whore Tho old Catawba
war-path crosses the Inc. as ths second crossing
OF Dunkard Greek, In Mononealia county. va,s and
here their western coorse - hnelly stopped: Thus
We have seen the beginning oi Mssons q Dixon's
line. and here We ace, g f.r % q y is connected
with the names, Mason q Dtson its Examinations.
But whilst the line run by. them ends here, the
even a'sr pIsso. h.s s Jv p mays Msd om Aon