The Shasta courier., 1865-03-25
COURIER.
Mason and Dixon's Line.

We are indebted to the S. f. Call for the
following interesting account of the subject OF
which it treats. 1t will prove instructive to
our readers:
Mason and Dixon's Line" so famous for
many years past, as indicating to the public
mind the dividing boundary or frontier be-
tween Freedom and Slavery in the United
States, did not originally have that significa
ton. 1t was simply the boundary between
the TWO rival proprietaries of PENNSYLVANIA
and Maryland. 1t is the parallel of 390 43>
26.3 n, as drawn by two English mathemat
icians, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon.
1t begins at the north east corner of Mary
land and runs due west. For nearly ninety
years, viz from 1851 to I76S. the boundary
between the rival companies whose grants
respectively embraced Pennsylvania and
Maryland, was a common subject of dispute,
often leading to collision, riot invasion and
bloodshed. By grant from James these
two colonies were settled in 1906, the terri
tory ceded the two Companies covering II
degrees of latitude, from $40 to 450 n. The
North Virginia or Plymouth Company pos
sessed the Northern portion the Southern
territory was held by the London Company
latitude 400 being generally considered the
dividing line. These grants were revoked by
King James in 1924, and subsequently
Charles | granted territory to the son of
Lord Baltimore, Cecilius Calvert, which he
named Maryland, in honor of the Queen
Will am Penn received from Charles III the
territory of Pennsy ylvania III 1851. In 1872
the heirs of Penn and Calvert made an
agreement for the settlement of the disputed
boundaries. Commissioners were appointed
in that year, and again in 1739, to run this
line in accordance with the stipulation
agreed upon. New questions arose. Other
agreements were entered into, without deter
mining the boundary, until 1760, when
Commissioners were again appointed. These
were John Lukens and Archibald MCLEAN,
and the latter's six brothers, who labored
three years in running their line across the
peninsula of Maryland, through the dense
forests, and establishing certain other lines
and points. The London proprietors, grow
ing impatient. employed Charles Mason and
jeremiah Dixon to com plete the survey
They reached Philadelphia in 1763. In 1854
they run their parallel of latitude west to the
Susquehannah, thus making commencement
of the famous line ever since bearing their
name, having examined and adopted the
' iihCo VI thCll piCutCcSsOIS, anu
working in connection with the McCleans. In
I765 they fixed the point which is to this day
the point of intersection of the three States of
Delaware. Maryland and Pennsylvania
Then beginning where they had left off at
the Susquehannah, they continued their line
due West, at times obstructed by hostile In
dams, until 1867, when, having reached a
point 224 miles from the Delaware, and to
within &c miles of the whole distance to be
run, their further progress was stayed finally
by the Indians of the Six Nations. There
being no remedy, they returned to Philadel-
phia, reported to the Commissioners, and
received an honorable discharge December
26, 1767. The establishment of this line
terminated all the border troubles which had
for almost 90 years existed between the ad-
herents of Penn and Baltimore. Subsequent
events, the adjustment of slavery in all the
States to the north of this line, while that
institution continued to exist to the south of
it, made the term ''Mason and Dixon's Line"
a synonym for the boundary between Slavery
and Freedom. The recent action of Mary
land has left it so no longer, that small por
ton of Delaware joining Pennsylvania not
being on that line.