The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-06-04
Mason and =:
:: Dixon Line.
Baltimore Americana

4 OAAOAA AAAA40s I
Baltimore Americana
THE engineers who are making the
new survey OF the Mason and Dixon
line, under the direction of the United
States coast and geodetio survey, are
progressing rapidly with the work. The
commission directing the survey In
cludes the superintendent OF the coast
survey and representative from Nary
land and Pennsylvania. The original
running of the line was done accord
ing to the terms of the final agreement
concluded in 176O, after protracted no
gotiations. There was 4 conflict OF
grants OF Maryland and Pennsylvania,
aud ether complications affecting the
titles. Tie Penns had a friend at
court, and the Calverts were finally CO
creed into conceding everything de-
m anded. It is the belief OF many that
the line formed the dividing line be-
tween the slave and anti-slaye states.
This is erroneous, although it was gen
orally understood TO be the division
during the civil war and was frequent
~ spoken of as separating the north
and south.
In the briefest way, the Mason and
DIXON line Is the boundary between
Maryland on one side and Pennsylva-
uia and Delaware on the other side. 1t
formed the northern and eastern boun-
dairy OF Maryland, 20 far as limited by
contiguous states. At the time OF its
survey Delaware was part OF Pennsyl-
vania, and was known ~ "the three
lower counties on the Delaware river. :"
The term is, however, often extended
to cover the whole southern boundary
,t Pennsylvania, and not without good
easons, as Mason and Dixon had re-
csived instructions to complete the
whole of that line and had actually
Progressed some thirty miles to the
eastward OF Maryland, then unmarked
md unknown, when their operations
we're stopped by the Indians, who were
nen all-powerful west of the Allegha-
,ies. This was in 1768, and was the
inal act of a long and ram
corous- dispute between the lords, spro-
rrietors of Maryland and Pennsylvania,
Which had its birth in the grant by
King Charles I OF England to Caeci-
,us Calvert, Baron Baltimore, of the
,,rovince of Maryland, carved from the
parent province OF Virginia, and ex-
ending on the north to the 10th par
ilel of latitude. This included the
whole of Delaware and about fifteen
niles width along the southern border
Pennsylvania. When, many years
ater, William Penn obtained from King
charles II the grant of the province oil
Pennsylvania and established the town
Il Philadelphia, he found to his DIS
nay that the 10th parallel would pasl
through that town, and he therefore 10.
fused to accept that charter limit as his
boundary.
It was only after nearly a century Of
controversy, Of litigation, almost o.
;ivil war, that Penns descendants final
y acquired the fruition of his schemes
After several years abortive attempts
~ local surveyors to carry out the
mandates Of the English courts Of law
he proprietors employed two notee
English mathematicians- Charles Ma
son and Jeremiah Dixon-to come t.
his country and mark out the boun
larry on the ground. They brought
he hest instruments OF the day, ani
entirely discarding the compass needle
20 generally and unfortunately employ
ID in similar work, they made a sur
vey that Is really monumental In it.
way and undoubtedly the best OF al
he provincial boundary surveys. Al
Giving IN Philadelphia in the fall O
1863, they began active operations tn,
following spring and continued tn
work until the fall Of 1768, when the,
we're discharged.
| The object Of the present survey !
% restore the old monuments, many Q
which haye been destroyed or remove,
and to erect additional monuments 10
The better definition of the line, On
ing to the fact Of Maryland being
slave state, while Pennsylvania was
Tree state, the line was frequently men
toned in the long discussions oyer tina
burning question and many contour,
it with. "the Missouri compromlss
Inc. 1t was also generally forgotte1
that the boundary between Marylan,
md Delaware was part of the Maso,
and Dixon line. These were bot
ilave states, and there was, therefore
no distinction to be drawn. Since tn
appointment OF the survey commission
under acts of the legislatures OF Penn
sylvania and Maryland, in 1899 an
1900, engineers have run across man