The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-20
Cumberland, Md, Correspondence Rich.
mond,, Va. TirnAs.Ddsnatch

mond, Va, Times.Ddspatch
There are many popular errors regarding
the Mason and Dixon line, a boundary
laid out in colonial days which later fig
ured prominently in,,the affairs of the re-
public. The work of remarking or restor-
Ing, as It We're, this line is rapidly near
ing completion under the direction Of q
joint commission of Maryland and Penns-
lyvania. Proud because Lord Baltimore
and William Penn were instrumental In
having 1t located, each state appropriated
$4,000 for the restoration of the line.
Inc work OF re1narking or reconstruct
Ing the line was started as the result Of
an investigation by the Pennsylvania de-
partment of internal affairs. There was
no trouble about the location Of the boun-
Diary and IT was simply to maintain In
terest in the historical line that Maryland
lent corporation in the work of remark
ing, which began actively in April, 1901.
and has been pursued at irregular inter-
walls ever since. The placing of the mark
ers Is IN charge of Edward R. Martin
while Captain W. q. Hodgskins of the
United States coast and goedetic survey,
is In active charge Of the field work. Gen.
eral James, w. Latta, secretary of internal
affairs. Is commissioner on the part Of
Pennsylvania, and Dr. William B.; Clark
of Johns Hopkins university, chief Of the
Maryland ageo Biological surve, on the part Of
~. "
One of the erroneous impressions re-
garding the Mason and Dixon line is that
it, was marked altoge Cher with stone.
Markers Of stone5were used wherever pos
sible by Mason and Dixon, but at points
almost inaccessible thgy were obliged to
resort to mounds of earth. or rock and
both can be seen. yet intact after no years
on high mountain points to which in those
days Of inferior transportation the stones
could not be carried.
$780,,
st.s.. 'tndS'HaryiLine.
Another idea generally entertained is
that the line is thirty feet wide. Recently
could not have = sention ~ the 1,aa me ne
private use. that it was used by neither
state and he could realize from it by
putting out crops. The line Is simply i'm
aginary and the fallaeious impression that
it is thirty feet wide comes from the
fact that In making the survey Mason and
Dixon cut gap thirty feet wide thru the
almost impenetrable wilderness, traces Of
which gap remain to this day. The survey
of this line was no trivial engineering feat
as some are won't to believe, It is well
authenticated fact that the work cost in
the neighborhood of 100000 and that at
one time Mason and Dixon had in their
employ as many as 100 axmen. The work
started in 1853 at the instance of William
= ClAAA d1iu ana the survey
ors were three Years In surveying from
the northeast corner to the foot of Savage
mountain. In l767 the work was finished
from the latter point to Virginia, now
West Virginia. Engineers now at work
on the line marvel at the thoroness of the
work OF Mason and Dixon. who, despite
the lack OF means of transportation and
belng harassed by the Indians, accom-
pllshed task which at this day the sur
some points III IN
inmate The country is yet rough, engin-
GERS passing thru 1t in making railroad
surveys, STATING that 1t IS the most diff
cult OF access they ever encountered.
III. nr,n,n., ao,+.,.
gllalles MASON ana Jeremiah Dixon were
a. =! .1onolners OF celebrity IN England. In
1879 revision was made OF the line by
commissioners appointed by the states Of
pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware.
50 accurate was the work Of Mason and
Dixon that the change involved by the
correction amounted to less than two
acres, winch We're added to the area Of
Maryland.
The original stone markers many Of
which are yet intact, We're transported
from England. They are of a light gray
ish-brown color, being a peculiar admix-
ture OF sand and limestone and are uis-
tingushable by peculiar Odor, not unlike
sulphur. Wnen a stone is broken this
odor is quite fresh. These stones weigh
in the neighborhood of 500 pounds and
are Az feet long by foot square. 1t
was no easy matter to transport them
thru the Wilderness 1t has been neces-
sa.rv to substitute about seyentyfive new
stones to replace those carried awa.y or
broken up. az feet long and 10 inches
square. Every fifth stone is a crown stone.
with the coat-of arms Of Penn on one
side and the escuteheon Of Lord Baltimore
on the other. The other stones are marked
with q, p on one side and an M on the
other. The stones on the entire line num-
Der 200.