The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-03-30
ON THE MASON
AND DIXON LINE
New Survey Is Being Rapidly
Rushed Along.
FAMOUS LINE is BEING RERUN
VENERABLE. AND INTERESTING
STORY OF A BOUNDARY.
LINE IS BEING RERUR

Washington March 29.-The engineers
who arc making the new survey of the
Mason and Dixon Line under the direction
of the chief of the United States coast
and gcodeuc survey. are progressing
rapidly with the work The commission
directing the survey includes the super
ntcndent OF the coast survey and a rep
rescutative from Maryland and Penn
syiyania. The surveyor in charge is Cap
tain W. e.. Hodgkin5 of the United
states coast and geOdetic survey
1he original running of the line was
zone according 90 the terms of the final
aalrti4tul concluded I'm 400, after pro-
lactea negotiations. There was a con-
Atct of grants of Maryland and Penn
$50 lNalla and other complications affect
Ing the titles. The Peuus had friends al
court and the Calyerts were finally co..
creed into concedinE. everything de
mahded 10 is the belief of many that
the line formed the dividing line between
the slave and anti-slave states. This is
erroneous, although it was generally UNI
oeIsiood 90 Dee Che division during the
cIFil war; and was frequently spoken of
as separating the north and south
Boundary Line.
I'm the briefest way the Mason and
Dixon line is tho boundary between
"
and Delaware on the other side lt
formed the northern and eastern bOun-
Diary or Maryland So far as limited by
contiguous states At the time of its
survey Delaware was part of PennsylVa-
h.ii- and was known as the three lower
counties ON the River Delaware
Inc term is, however, often extended to
cover the whole southern boundary Of
Pennsylvania, and not without good rea-
son. as Mason and Dixon had received
instructions % complete the whole of
tA4t Inc. and had actually progressed
some thirty miles 90 the westward OF the
western limit of Maryland then UNI
marked and unknown. when their Oper-
ATOMS We're stopped by the Indians who
We're then all-pOWerful west of the Al
leghenles,
Dispute Between States.
This was bon 1868. and was the final act
ar a lonE-maintalned and r8ncOrOus dis
pgte between the lords prOprietors of
Maryland and PENNSYLVANIA. which had
lia birth In the grant by King Charles ]
or England 90 Coecilius Calvert. Baron
Baltimore. of the province of MARYLAND
carved from tne patent province of Nir-
blula, ana extending ON the north to the
i9rtleth parallel Of latitude This i'm
cluded The whole of Delaware and about
LIleeH miles width along the southern
border of Pennsylvania.
Nnen, many years later William Penn
obtained from King Charles IT the grant
laullshed his town of Philadelphia. he
round TO his dismay that the fOrtieth
paEalltl would pass through that town,
ana me- therefore refused 90 accept that
charter limit as his boundary.
10 was only after nearly a century of
controversy, of litigation. almost OF civil
war; tldJ Penn descendants finally aC-
qulred the rruluOu of his schemes After
several years abortve attempts by local
surveyors 90 carry out the mandates OF
tho English courts of law. the proprietors
employed two noted English mathfma-
ucans-t Charles Mason and jeremiah
blA1H-lo come 20 this country and mark
our the boundary on the ground
They brought the best Instruments of
the day and, entirely dlscardiug the com
pass ole. so generally and unfortunate
4 employed IN similar work, they made
a survey that ls really monumental I'm its
way. and undoubtedly the best of all the
provincial surveys
Arriving at Philadelphia i'm the fan of
ll55. they began active operations the
following spring and continued the work
until the tall OF II6S when they were dis
charged.
Object of Present Survey.
The object of the present survey is TO
restore the old monuments many of
which have been destroyed or removed.
and 90 erect additional monuments for
The better definition of the line
Owing Co the fact of Maryland being q
slave state. while Pennsylvania was a
free state, this line was frequently men
uoucd lu the long discussion over that
burning question. and many contOuud il
with the Missouri compromise line
To was also generally forgotten that the
boundary between Maryland and Della
ware was "a part of the Mason and Dixon
llne These were both slave states and
there was therefore no distinction TO be
drawn. If this tTlgmeutary sketch should
incite you 90 seek further information
you can find "a large number of books
and pamphlets touching this line al any
good reference ubrarys
Old Stones Found.
Since the appointment of the resurvey
commission. under acts of the legislatures
OF Pennsylvania and Maryland I'm 1899
and 1900. the engineers have run across
many OF the stones used bv Mason and
Dixon 20 mark the line. 10 has long been
the desire of the government TO have
correct division, and the commissioners
were appointed for this purpose.
The amount appropriated by each state
was 5000. which was devoted 60 the eX-
survey. To the purchase and location of the
survey. 10 purchase and location OF the
monuments and other contingent expenses
connected with the actual re-mar1ing of
the line. The officials of the United
states coast and grOletic survey contrib
ute their work without expense TO the
States their pay coming from the nation
al government