Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-01-23
THE BOUNDARY QUESTION.

corresponding who Contends That the
iay'"r and Pierson Line IN the one tho
sew boundary should Have Been Laid
Out From.
Editor The Gazette: Now that .the
commissioners of the boundary line have
MADE their report, their work is open
10 criticism, not unkindly, but from an
engineering point of view
>. When we speak of Mason and Dixon's
line u Is generally meant the southern
boundary OF Pennsylvania, between
that state and Maryland. But Mason
ana Dixon ran two other lines, one
from Cape Henlopen west "a miles and
some feet, and from that point they
ran line northward, not due north,
but degrees and 36 minutes west, un-
III they struck an imaginary circular
line, having for its centre the spire of
the Court House at New Castle. This is
called the tangent line, but after touch
ing the circle their route was altered
ana continued due north to the north
east corner Of Maryland. These lines
run from 1868 to 1867.
But Taylor and Pierson, in 1701, had
measured circular line for the north
ern boundary of Delaware, having for
its centre the horse dyke near New
Castle. The computed line OF Mason
and Dixon, and the measured line of
Taylor and Pierson never could agree,
because they were derived from diff
feront centres.
With the computed circular line of
Mason and Dixon we have nothing now
to do; but the line of Taylor and Pier
son is the true theoretic boundary Of
Delaware. The Taylor and Pierson
| survey, however, was not extended as
far west as the eastern boundary line Of
Maryland. but stopped at the crossing
OF the headwaters OF tho Christiana.
do not know where this line, il eX-
tended, would strike the Maryland line,
nor do know that it has ever been
ascertained; but that point is the
theoretic junction Of the three States.
1t would not be what is marked on the
maps as that junction, but some dis
tance north of it,
Now, the engineers of the recent
commission, according to instructions,
found the old boundary line by means
| OF the land marks from the Delaware
river, as far west as the corner of
Pennsbury and Kenuett townships.
From that point west they found no
traces; but of this point there can be
no dispute. Then why did they not
take up their instruments and survey
the line west to the Maryland boundary?
No doubt they would have followed in
the footsteps of Taylor and Pierson,
for would not impugn the accuracy
Of the field work of any Of the engineers.
This was the simplest plan to adopt,
and il would have established the
boundary as it was originally intended
to be, and also located the true point
of junction of the three States.
As to the circular boundary line
adopted by the recent commission, the
eastern part is the measured line OF
Taylor and Pierson; the western part
is from the computed circle of Mason
ard Dixon; so the two never can agree.
The consequence is that the line which
the commission have agreed on is COM
posed of the arcs of two different cir
cles, instead of one, as il was intended
to be.
Chapter |, section 2, of the Laws OF
Delaware, says: 'The limits of the
State are declared to be the divisional
lines between 1t and Maryland, run and
marked by commissioners, and ap-
proved on the llth of January, 1769
the circular line between it and Penn
sylvania, surved and marked in 1T01,
under a warrant issued by WilliHm
Penn. " This shows that the line OF
Taylor and Pierson is the one to go by.
W. f. Quinby.
Wilmington, Jan. 18th, 1896.