The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-08-03
Historical "Reminiscences.

running
ties, in this State, until it strikes the bouu-
dairy line between this State and Maryland.
Every geograpLer knows ;hat this peculiar
semi-cirCe line exists, but few know when
or how it was done.
A writer in the Cecil (Md.) Democrat, who
is contributing Events, Incidents, and
Characters" III the early settlements of thosa
States, gives the following in relation to the
establishment of the half moon line. lie
says:
A passenger in the cars from Elkton to
Newark may notice in field to his left.
about hundred yards fran the railtoad,
and near 4 maple tree opposite the Yellow
House, n cut granite stone, with smaller
dark one close on the south side of it. This
is the tangent point made by the divisional
line between Delaware and Mary land. touch
ing the circle of twelve miles radius drawn
from the steepe OF the Court House at New
Castle.
1t is an important point 10 the history Of
Maryland, and is the boundary which set
tied the long controversy between Lord Ball
timor and the heirs of William Penn, in
accord ance with the decision of Chancellor
Hardwcke and the agreement of the Pro-
prietaries. Tie grant of Lord Baltimore,
which was some fifty years earlier than that
Of Penn, was bounded by the Delaware Bay
on the east, and on the north by the fortieth
degree Of north latitude, clearly cOmpre-
hending all Of what is now called the State
of Delaware, and up the Delaware up to the
city of Philadelphia.
Through the whole controversy it is easy
to perceive that Penn had the more inhu-
ence at Court, and small matters were urged
with effect against, Lord Baltimore. There
Fad to be a previous grant of ten miles
I. l. II L
and the words hactjh0s inculta, hitherto un-
cultivated, in the charter of Maryland it was
alleged, could not apply to land which had
been settled by Christian people, and
there had been a Swedish settlement at Fort
Christiaua. The ten miles around New
Castle were to be measured by radius of
twelve miles from New Castle, and the old
surveyors, Archibald Mclean, John Lukins
aud Jonathan Hall, after opening a uistO,
they called it, proceeded to measure with
chain the radius Of twelve miles, and fixed
it at the point where the stones, above re-
ferred to, now stand. This measure was
made about 1850 to 1868. 1t was deter>
mined that the due west line from Cape
llenlopen should terminate at the distance
of thirty four miles three hundred aud nine
perches, and at that point the tangent or
division line between the provinces should
tangent point aforesaid. The land was then
covered with a dense forest and after much
labor and expense vista was opened through
the whole distance of some eighty miles
The parties IN controversy entered into an
agreement to refer the matter to commits
sioners to be appointed by them respectively,
and they recommended that said comm:s-
sioLers take to their aid and assistance Charles
Mason and jeremiah Dixon, two English
mathematcans and surveyors, who came
over and brought better Instruments, and pro-
ceeded at once to flush the survey in accord
ancc with the agreement; which they COM
pleted In about four years, and were honor
ably discharged on the 26th Of December,
1867. OF the work of their predecessors,
the running of the line due west from Cape
Henlopen to It's termination midway between
said Cape and Chesapeake Bay the IL ace
and measurement of. the radius Of twelve
miles from New Castle Court House; and
the determination of the tangent point, were
accepted as settled. In their report Mason
and Dixon say, "We computed how far the
true tangent line would be distant from the
post shown US as the tangent point, and
found 1T would not pass one inch to the
westward or the eastward"
The next point which they determined
was the beginning of the due west line be-
tween Maryland and Pennsylvania, which
was to be on a parellel of latitude fifteen
miles south Of the southern boundary of the
city of Philadelphia. Having determined
the southern boundary of the city, they
measured fifteen miles Cue south and then
run due west until they intersected due
north line from the tangent point aforesaid
and here they set up the corue: stone be-
tween Maryland and Pennsylvania, and ran
due west two hundred and thirty eight miles
to near path called the Indian war path,
but were prevented Ly the Indians from con-
tinuing the line 30 the end of FIVE degrees
of longitude, as they would not suffer it to
pass westward of the war path.
AT the time of fixing these boundaries
there were only Maryland and Pennsylvania
in the controversy; the three counties Oh
the Delaware, New Castle. Kent and Sussex,
being part Of Pennsylvania and accord
ing to the agreement, boundary stones were
prepared in England and sent over to be
placed at the distance of a mile from each
Other, every fifth stone being a larger size,
and having the arms Of Lord Baltimore on
one side. and those of the Penn family on the
other. and on the intermediate stones the
letter NJ on the side next Maryland and p
on the side next Pennsylvania. The stone
at the northeast corner of Maryland having
been set near a stream of water was washed
down and lost, and commissioners were ap-
pointed by the three States. namely: II. G
>. Key, of Maryland, Joshua P. Eyre, o
Pennsylvania. and George Read Riddle, o.
Delaware. to restore the lost boundary. who
called TO their assistance Colonel j. D. Gra.
ham, United States Typographical Engineer
to assist in tracing the liues as laid down b,
Mason and Dixon. These parties met on
the ground in lS47, and finding some dis
crepancies in the measures between the boun
daries, Colonel Graham began to have som,
doubts about the correct measure of the ra
dius of twelve miles from the Court Hous,
at New Castle, and having found the station!
of the coast survey at Iron Hill and at Gray
Hill as base line in determining by trian
gulation the distance between the Cour
House at New Castle and the tangent stone
and by the trial said stone was found to b.