Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-01-23
Stones Marking the Historic
Mason and Dixon Line Have
Been Removed.
FARMERS AND RELIC HUNTERS
nfali \
ARE TO BLAlIE-soME OF THE
STONES ARE USED TO SUPPORT
coRNcR1Rs OR TO MAKE A
DOORSTEP.
4 aianateh from oxIord. pa. says.

s,sDoteh from oxford, Pa, says:
rs-.ent tr ip for miles along the IA
.,,ona Maron and Dixon's line reveals
the fact that this, one OF the Oldest
iandmarks OF thu, country, is doomed to-
ohliteration IL not soon re-established
and preserved. ~.
soeine one of the stones that were
erected bv the pioneer engineers. but
n 4. visit be made to a farmhouse along
The line now and then one OF the old
landmarks may be discovered support
in,r "A coucrb or in use az the door
s+en Beinc lust what no needed, the
farmer dug IL up.
Then. too. the relic hunter has LETT
the mark Of his hammer on nearly
every stone OF the line. Not satisfied
with. a little chip of the old stone, the
vandals attack the figures thereon and
pound away until large piece is Sc
cured. These are sold at good prices
10 collectors of curiosities.
There is but one stone from the
northeast corner of Maryland TO the
Lancaster county line In Pennsylvania
distance of about twenty miles, that
Is not badly dishgured, for It is hidden
IN a hedge.
Tho orisinal stone at the northeast
corner of MARYLAND was planted by Ma
con and Dixon in the Fail Of 1864 at
tor thoy had completed tho New Cas-
tie circle That stone fixed the north
cast corner OF Maryland I'm latitude 80
degrees AZ minutes 1858 seconds. II
was located in a ravineand was mark
ed M and "P." Tradition says by &C
cident the stone was broken in tive
pieces. which were aftorward cementet
together by leaden bands. During the
revolutionary war, II is said, these
bands were made into bullets by thu
continentals, the stones were separated
the top lost, and the base became earth
bound.
The efiacement OF so Important
landmark caused friction, until II
1879, the governor Of each OF the thre
interested states appointed a commits
sioner to find the point once occupie
by the missing initial stone. II.
S. Key, OF Maryland, J. /. Eyre, O
PENNSYLVANIA, and G. X. Riddle, q
Delaware. composed the commission
Colonel Graham. OF the United State
Topographical Engineers, assiste
them and located the site OF the orig
nal stone. AS a hole was being mad
lOl the ntW nAlAN Va AlAaAN1 NAtN blhA
SIC, chosen by the commission. II
long-buried portion Of the initial stor
set up by Mason and Dixon at the con
mcncement OF the line was uneaIthe
10 was buried again. These commit
sicners also refxed the triangull
stone marking The junction OF PEN
aylvania, Maryland and Delaware.
is south OF Newark. Del, and stanl
between two posts Of wire fence in
woods
The stones erected along the line
the pioneer surveyors are llmeston
and were brought from England.
the end Of each mile they placed
stone with IN" on the south side an
"p" on the north side. Stones beari
the Baltimore and the Pennsylvan
cIcsts were put up at the end OF ca
fifth mile. A few miles south OF O
ford, son the William Brown farl
there IS one OF the ffth-mile stone
Until ruined by vandals It was su
bic monument between two gr,
states. The stone leans over towa
the Maryland side. A great many pl
pie visit It each Summer.