Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-03-15

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l 2 miles distance from New Castle northward
and westward unto the beginning Of the for
tieth degree Of northern latitude and then by
a straight line westward TO the limits of lon
gitude above mentioned" In 1852 Penn dis
patched a colony 20 his territory. and soon
aiterward it was discovered, by an astronom-
ical observation, that the true parallel Of 10
deg. was so far north as to exclude him from
any portion Of the coast and from any territo-
ry on Delaware Bay Wishing TO command
an outlet TO the ocean, he therefore, in Au-
gust, 1852. purchased the Duke of York's
right to the land 2 miles around Now Castle
and to all The west coast Of Delaware Bay,
below that to Henlopen. Upon PENIS arri-
val in America with additional colonists in
the autumn Of 1852. he addressed himself to
arranging the boundaries with Lord Balti-
more; but not being able TO make terms with
him, the matter was referred to the King
At this inncture Charles II. died, and the
Duke Of York ascendsd the throne as James
IL. lie decided in favor Of Ponns rights on
Delaware Bay, and ordered that part Of the
peninsular which is between the latitude Of
Cape Henlopeu and 80 deg to be divided by
a right line into two equal parts, that the T..
half should belong to Penn, and the w. to
Lord Baltimore. On May 10. 1882, the heirs
meut for the final adjustment of their disput-
ed boundaries. A semicirclc was to be drawn
at 2 NJ. around New Castle, n. and W.
An +. and w. line was TO be drawn, begin
ming at Cape Henlopcn, and running w. to
the middle point Of the peninsuar. From
that middle point line was to be run north
ward, so as to form a tangent with the circle
around New Castle. From the tangent point
line was to be continued due n. until it
reached point whose latitude would be the
same as that Of | 5 m. s. Of the southernmost
part Of Philadelphia From this point due
W. line should be run to the utmost longi-
tude of Pennsylvania. In 1882, and again in
l739, commissioners were appointed to run
these lines but they had not proceeded far
before new questions arose, and appeal was
made to the court Of chancery in England
After decision upon the question submitted,
new commissioners we're appointed in $50,
and again disagreed, and again an appeal was
made to chancery. After some further delay
/ an agreement was come to in l760 and in
November of that year commissioners to run
the lines met in New Castle. Their survey
| ors (of whom the chief were John Lukens,
and Archibald MoClean and his six brothers)
| then commenced their duties. Their progress
! through the dense forests was slow. During
]
ed their line across the peninsular, as well as
the long tangent line they had measured the
radius from New Castle, and established the
tangent point" The propretors, residing
in London, and ignorant of the time and la
Dor necessary for these surveys grew impa-
tient, and now employed Charles Mason and
Jeremiah Dixon to complete them These
mathematicians arrived in Philadelphia Nov.
/ | 5, 1868, and in December commenced their
work, in connection with the McCeans Of
the old surveyors. They first proceeded to
determine the latitude of the southernmost
point Of the city Of Philadelphia. 1t Is re-
corded in their journal that in November,
1903, they employed carpenter to construct
an observatory in the south part of Philadel-
phia This was the first observatory in A.
merica. On January 6, 1764, they determn-
ed its latitude. They then carefully examined
the various lines run by the old surveyors,
their predecessors, which they adopted as
correct. In the autumn of l764 they run
their parallel of latitude west to the Susquo-
hanna, thus commencing the famous line which
bears their name In 1764-5 they ran the
/ line due north, from the tangent point to tho
northeast corner of Maryland, and in l765
described such portion Of the somi-circo a
round New Castle as enabled them to fix the
| point which is now the point OF intersection
of the three States. Then beginning where
they had left off at the Susquehanna, they
continued their line due west. On October
9th, they had reached the North mountain.
On June 4, 1866, they were at the summit Of
the Little Allegheny. The Indians now be-
came troublesome, but negotiation had
with them by Sir William Johnson and in
May, 1867, delegation OF Indians was sent
to the surveyors, with permission from the
Six Nations to continue their surveys and as
an escort to protect them against tho rowing
savages of the South On June Sth they re-
commenced their line at the Little Allegheny.
On the 18th they had advanced as far as the
Great Allegheny, where they we're Joined by
their escort of II Indian warriors and in
terpreter, headed by the celebrated Mohawk
chief. Hendrick. Mason and Dixon now con-
tinued their advance with motley host Of
red and white men, comprising, in addition to
the Indians surveyors, chain bearers, rod
men, axe men, commissaries, cooks and bag
gage carriers, with numerous laborers and
servants and camp followers. Among these,
beside the seven brothers, McClean, who after
ward became prominent in the revolution,
were Hugh Crawford, an old Indian trader,
who for his services, obtained grant of val
liable land, Paul Larsh of Georges Creek,
ana JOhn ate OF neustono. AT a point Zff
miles from the Delaware, and within thirty
six miles of the distance TO be run, they came
TO an Indian war path, where the line crosses
the Warrior branch Of the old Catawba war
path at the second crossing of Dunkard
Creek. Hero their Indian escort told them
that it was the will Of the Six Nations that
the surveys should be stayed. There was no
alternative, and retraong their steps they re-
turned to Philadelphia, and, reporting to tho
commissioners, received an honorable dis
charge on December 26, 1867. At the end
OF every 5th mile a stone was planted, craven
with the arms of the Penn family on one side
and Lord Baltimore on the other. The intor-
mediate miles were marked with smaller
stones having an NJ on one side and p on
the other The stones were all sent from
England. Tho establishment Of this line ter
minated the border war, which for nearly
ninety years had kept the respective adhcrents
Of Baltimore and Penn in a state of constant
hostility, although for half century more
frequent litigations we're the result Of the
contest. Mason and Dixon returned to Eng
land, and were subsequently elected members
of the royal society. under whose directions
they observed the transit of Venus across the
sun at the Cane of Good Hope in 1908. Dix