Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-12
STATE BOUNDARY.
The Work of Locating to Commence
on May |.
Organization and Personnel Of the Join!
Commissioa-Interesting Points OF the
Bosndary-Mason and Dixon's
Line and the Panhandle.

MANY persons have doubtless wondered
why, in the location of State boundary
lines. the four counties which compose the
Pan Handle of West Virginia were left in
such a position. AS many more have
doubtless an indistinct ami indefinite idea
of the imaginary belt known as the Mason
and Dixon line, without exactly under
standing it and Of associating it with the
slave line without KIN owing why. All OF
these matters were made clear to REGIS
TER reporter, yesterday, in conversation
with Mr.. Frank l.. Hoge and Captain J. }.
Chipley, members of the Boundary Com
mission, who had just returned from
Pittsburg. from a meeting OF the JOINT
Commission, composed of three members
each from West Virginia and pennsylvania.
THE UNCERTAIN BOUNDARY.
II has for some time been desired by
both States to precisely locate the two
straight lines which divide:the States, one
running east and west and one north and
south and meeting, at right angles, at the
southwest corner of Pennsylvania. For
the purpose of so doing, Pennsylvania APP
propriated $4,000, expecting a like sum
from this State. The Legislature of West
Virginia OF 1879 appropriated $1,000 and
Gov. Mathews appointed Col. J. Z. Glst, OF
Brooke, F. L. Hoge. ESQ.,, OF Ohio, ana
Capt. J. J. Chipley, OF Hardy, as commls-
sioners for this State. The amount was
entirely too small and through the enorS
of Mr.. +. P. Mcneil, the Legislature OF lSS2
added two thousand dollars. Even this
was deemed insufficient, and at the last
session an additional thousand was appro.
priated, making 81, 900 in all, sum equal
to the Pennsylvania appropriation. Inc
money being secured the work was ready
to begin.
ORGANIZING THE COMMISSION.
The two commissions met on Tuesday at
the Monongahela House, at Pittsburgh, Tor
organization. The West Virginia commits
sion organized by electing Col. Gist Chair
man and Mr.. Hoge Secretary. The Penn
sylvania commission was made up OF
Messrs. W. W. Walker, James Mccullough
and Col. James Worrell. The joint com:
mission orAanzed by electing Col. Worrell
decided to employ Col. G. H. St. Clair, OF
the L. s. coast and geodetic survey, with
assistants, and he and Mr.. Hoge will begin
the preliminary survey in May, commenc'
inc at the southwest corner of Pennsylva-
MIA and moving north. This is meridian
line and ends at the poil.t where the ONO
river leaves Pennsylvania. The north 50un.
darv line of West Virginia begins at the
southeast corner of Pennsylvania and runs
straight east to Maryland, taking the Ma.
son and Dixon line. The con mission will
erect monuments at every mile, marked on
the sides "P." and Nv, v" respectively,
and the number Of miles on the Others.
MASON AND DIXON LINE.
As stated, the southern boundary OF
Pennsylvania is marked by the "Mason
and Dixon line" which name is quite
familiar and has passed into history. Its
location dates back to 1853 and grew out OF
a dispute between VIM. Penn and Lord
Baltimore, to whom England had granted,
respectively, what are now fennsylyania
and Maryland. Mason and Dixon were
sent out BY the Crown to locate the divi-
sion line. Penn was entitled to five de-
grees OF longitude, west from the Delaware.
With guard from the Six Nations, the
surveyors began their work and completed
il as far west as the second crossing
of Dunkard's creek in Monongalia
county. But at this point they struck
THE GREAT SOUTHERN WAR TRAIL
of the Indians, and the Six Nations would
not permit them to proceed further. Only
SO miles were required to complete the
line, but for 10 years it remained incom-
plete. In 1892 Col. MCLEAN and COL Jos.
Neville, of Hardy county, then Virginia,
projected the line to the end of the de-
grees. The line was marked by mile.
stones, marked "P' on one side and "B' on
the other. At every five miles waa a
monument, bearing on its respective sides
the coats of arms OF Penn and Lord Btlti-
more. This is the history OF the Mason
and Dixon line. 1t was not slave line, as
was supposed, as slaves were held in Della
ware, north of it.
THE PAN HANDLE.
When PENIS territory was thus lined
out, the great tract of Virginia, originally
granted to Sir Humphrey Gilbert by Eliza.
BETH and SO named, in honor OF the virgin
queen, extended far west and was subdivi-
ded afterward. Carolina, named in honor
of King Charles. afterward bounded it on
the South and Ohio, named from the river,
an Indian exclamation at its beauty, hem
med it in on the west Ohio extended east
only to the river and between the tributa.
ry and the Pennsylvania border, left the
narrow strip now composed of the counties
of Hancock, Brooke, Ohio aud Marshall,
and known as the Pan Handle,