The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-10-05

have on them, IN accordance with the agree
mcnt, the letter "M' on the side facing
Maryland, ana the letter p" ON the side
facing Pennsylvania, except those at the
end of every fifth mile, which were marked
with the arms of the respective proprietors.
These stones were procured in England,
and are of the formation known as oolite.
which probably has a greater capacity to
resist the action Of the weather than any
other stone that it would have been practi.
cable to have obtained. Though they have
been exposed to the action of the elements
for more than century, they have not
been injured in the least.
On the 2lst of November, 1864, the com
missioners met at Christiana bridge, aud n
fsw days afterwards the surveyors dis
charged their assistants and left off work
for the Winter season. Early in Marcs,
1865, they repaired to the south end Of the
fifteen mile line, near Muddy Run, and at
tempted TO ascertain the direction of the
parallel of north latitude west from that
from doing So for seven days when, on the
2lst of that month, a snow storm began,
which lasted three days, and they note in
their journal that, at Q o'clock on the morn
ing of the oath Of March, the snow was
three feet deep. However, the snow did
not remain long, and they commenced on
the 9Th of April to run the due west line
that still bears their names, and continued
it till, at the distance of about twelve miles,
they crossed the road leading from Octo-
raro to Christiana bridge. Then they re-
turned to Newark for their instruments, in
order to verify the accuracy of their work,
and found that they were 1919 feet north of
the true parallel. They, however, produced
the line to the Susquehanua river, and
found by observation that they were more
than five chains north of the true parallel
The distance from the northeast corner of
the county to the east side Of the Susque-
hanna, as determined by them, is about
% miles; and the widt h of the river, which
they obtained by trIangulation at that time
where the line crossed, it was g. chains, 4
perches and IS links.
The surveyors then proceeded to retrace
and correct the line, and having finished
that part of the work, went to the tangent
point, and on June the LIST, 1865, " found a
direction for running north line per time
Of the pole = transiting the meridian; also
L.. - ~ f.t,r
other Is, and found it good" They then
produced the north line till it intersected
the west one, and thus determined the loca-
tion of the northeast corner of the State.
But the boundaries of Cecil county were
not yet fully etermined, for it was stipu-
lated in the agreement, As before mentioned,
that if the due north line from the tangent
point should cut segment of the twelve
mile circle, it should belong to New Castle
county. That line having done this, it
became necessary, by the terms of the
agreement, To locate that part of the arc
between the tangent point and the north
ern extremity of the segment. The sur
veyors then proceeded tn locate this part of
the circular line, and found that it inter
mile, thirty. six chains and five links from
the tangent point, which is the place where
the three States join each other
The surveyors, on the 18th of June, 100
III the presence of the commissioners of the
two Provinces set up and erected the stones
To perpetuate this part of the boundary
These stones were quite different from
those used to mark the other lines, being a
kind of bastard marble or limestone One
of them was placed 1t the tangent point,
where it yet remains. The arms of the
Penns are legible on the east side of it, but
the action of the elements has entirely OBJ
liberated the arms of Lord Baltimore from
the other side. Four other stones were set
IN the periphery of the circle, and one at
the point where the north line intersec;ed
it. One of the ooiitc stones was also set in
the due west line 1T the northeast corner of
the county. This last stone, we have rea-
son to believe, was prepared in England
especially for this place. II had been acct
dentally broken in two and was mended by
drilling holes in it and inserting iron
clamps into them and then filling the holes
with molten lead. Thus, after the lapse
OF one hundred and thirty-three years after
CeciIius Calvert received the charter of
Maryland and ninety one years after Cecil
county had been organized, was the ques-
tion Of its boundaries determined During
nearly all this long period the controversy
between the different proprietors of the
two provinces had been handed down from
had the otherwise peaceable settlers, owing
To the i'll feeling cugeudered by this contro-
vcrsy, imbued THEN hands in each Others
blood. These troubles had not afflicted the
part Of The province, and although quarrel
ing and bloodshed are always 10 be deprc-
Gated and avoided, they, or the causes that
produced them, were not devoid of good
results.
To the efforts of the respective propIic-
taries TO extend their jurisdiction and the
extraordinary inducements they offered 10
the settlers for this purpose, we are in
deb;ed for the early settlement of the coun-
ty. and the sterling qualities of its citizens,
which, i'll many cases, have been transmit
ted from their ancestors, who were induced
10 settle here when the country WAS will
derness. The vistas that the surveyors
were obliged to have made through the
woods for the purpose Of tracing the line
were about eight yards wide and were dis
tInctly visible in the growth of the timber
till quite recently. The surveyors and
those in their employ are said to have been
jolly set, and they are said to have lin
gered long at the northeast corner of the
county, near which may yet be found some
tine springs OF cool water, to enjoy the
pleasure of drinking the apple jack and
peach brandy for which that part of the
country was famous. Tradition says they
had pet bear which they always took
with them, and that the curiosity aud APP
prehension Of the simple country people.