The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-09-06
The Boundaries of rIaryIand.

The General Assembly of Mary
land, at its next session, will be
called upon to make an additional
appropriation with which to com
plete the work of relocating Mason
and Dixon's line between this State
and Pennsylvania. The Legisla-
ture of Pennsylvania will be called
upon to make an appropriation for
the same sum and for the same
purpose.
The legislatures of the two states
have already appropriated $4,000
each for resurveying the old line.
This work east of the Susquehanna
River has been completed. The
surveying corps will move to Delta,
but no more surveying will be done,
as the appropriation has been ex-
hausted. The boundary line stones
have been reset, and where they
were missing they were replaced.
The stones will be reset or replaced
west of the Susquehanna River
when the money is forthcoming.
Another survey, which is far
more important to Marylanders, is
that of the boundary between
Maryland and Virginia. The dis
pute between these two state has
existed for generations, and has
been prolific of more official cores
pOndence than the Fashoda Incl
dent, in Africa. 1t has also caused
bloodshed in the warfare between
oystermen, who accused each other
of trespass. The report of the
Winchester and the boom of small
cannon are familiar on Tangier
Sound.
The definite location of the line
between Maryland and Virginia is
desired to secure uniform fish and
grabbing laws, as well as to secure
a closed season for oysters. The
difference now existing has caused
considerable trouble and expense
to Maryland in guarding her oyster
beds, while Virginia oystermen are
allowed to work.
The boundary between Maryland
and West Virginia, at the head
quarters of the Potomac River, is
also in an unsatisfactory condition.
It, too, has been subject of dispute
and of litigation, which has resulted
in suit before the United States
Supreme Court.
The surveying party which re-
located a portion Of the old Mason
and Dixon's line, found that many
of the original boundary stones had
been removed and were serving as
door steps, foundations for houses,
and for horse posts. Cast iron
stones have taken Replace of theold
stones. The greater portion Of the
line was originally marked at every
mile with stones brought from Eng
land for that purpose. They are
square posts of limestone on one
side of which the letter M was cut
and on the opposite side the letter
P. Every fifth stone had the arms
of the proppietors carved upon the
opposite side instead of the initials.
The stones at the southwest corner
of Delaware and the northeast cor
ner of Maryland had coat-of-arms
on each side. Upon their north and
east sides were the arms of Penn
and on the south and west sides the
arms of Lord Baltimore. West of
Hancock the country was too rough
for transportation and boundary
stones could not be taken along.
This part of the line was marked
by mounds of stones and earth of
about A feet to & feet high, in the
center of which was q post of about
s inches in diameter made from the
trunk of tree. The whole was
surrounded by ditch.
The original running of Mason
and DixoG's line was stone accord
ing to the terms of the final agree
ment between the Calverts and
Penns, concluded in 1850 after pro
tracted negotiations. There was a
conflict in the grants of Maryland
and Pennsylvania. The Penns had
friends at court and Calvert was
finally coerced into conceding every
thing Penn demanded, and this
concession cost him the richest pors
ton of his domain. The line be-
tween Maryland and Pennsylvania
was begun in 1760 by a commission
appointed for that purpose. The
proprietors of the two colonies be-
came impatient at their slow prog
ress and agreed to engage Charles
Mason and James Dixon to COM
plete the work. Both Penn and
Calvert were in London at the time,
and they there engaged these two
men, whose names have become so
famous in connection with this his
toric line, for so many years the
dividing line between the free states
and the slave states of the Union.
After returning from England
Mason and Dixon were sent to the
Cape of Good Hope to observe a.