Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-03
THE rRIo-sTArE QUESTION.
Mr.. Brinton's Facts Met From Twi
Sources-- Claimed for Pennsylynnia.

Mr.. Brinton's Facts Met From Two
sources--Claimed for Pennsylvania.
A gentleman who appears to be in
possession of facts which bear upon
their face evidence of indubitable
authority makes the following contribu-
ton upon the interesting 12-mile circle
and "tlat-iron" historical question. Its
valueis in direct opposition to the claims
made by Mr.. Brinton for Maryland and
obviously makes Pennsylvania the right
full posscssor of the little triangle;
EditorGasette and Joarnai 1t can be readily
shown that Mr.. Brinton is wrong in sup
posing the little triangle at the junction
of the states of Pennsylvania Delaware
and Maryland, to belong to the latter as
claimed by him in your paper of yester-
day. But independently Of this, the fact
that the states of Maryland and Delaware
never claimed IL ought to be sufficient.
Let it be borne in mind that the contro-
versy was not between the states or
provinces rs such but simply between the
heirs or descendants of Cecilius Calvert,
Lord Baltimore of Baltimore, and those of
William Penn; in each case as PRO
prietors" or owners of the land in dispute.
Let II also be remembered that the de-
scendants of William Penn were the 'pro-
prietors' of all that is now included in the
states of Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Under the final agreement of July 4th,
1760, between Frederick, Lord Baltimore
and Thomas and Richard Penn, it was de-
terrnined thatthe line across the Peninsula
from the stone pillar east of the null
berry tree in Fenwick Island" (about 10
miles south of the present Cape Henlopen
formerly called Cape Cornelius) at 60
miles, 29S1 perches Twas the correct one;''
that the middle of such line should be
ascertained and stone pillar should he
liked at that point; that from such point
a northwardly line should berun, whether
the same should be due north or west, so
as to form tangent with the semi-circle Mt
New Castle 'and past the said
point of contact further north till Il
reached the latitude of 10 miles south of
the most southern part of Philadelphia;
that from said l5-mile point, a line should
be run due west TO the utmost longitude OF
Pennsylvania"
Thus all south and west of these lines
belonged to the Calverts, and all east and
north of them to the Penns; and, as the
triangle spoken of is comprised in the land
east OF the tangential line, il is manifest
that the. state Of Maryland can have no
claim to il.
The New Castle semi-circle and the line
across the Peninsula was run before the
arrival of Charles Mason and jeremiah
Dixon, in l76364. These gentlemen run
the 'northwardly" line to the '15-mile
point" and the one due west from that
point. The former is, therefore, just as
much MASON and Dixon's line'f AZ the
latter. NJ.
RATIFIED by THE THREE STATES.
The agreement entered into between
Lord Baltimore and the Penns, referred
to above was clinched by the legislatures
Of Pennsylvania, Delaware and Mary.
land by their ratification, about 1850, Of
the survey made by j. d. Graham
under the supervision of II. G. S. Key
Joshua p. Eyre and George Read
Riddle, commissioners representing
Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware
respectively. Surveyor Graham per.
formed this work between November
10th, 1S49, and February 9th, 1850. Hi.
survey was confined to the ascertain.
ment of that portion of the 12.mile
circle and the tangential Maryland line
figured Q the subjoined plot.