The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-11-19
"D1xrE" LINE.

which later figured prominently II
the affairs of the Republic. Th'
work of re-marking or restoring as i
were, this line has recently beef
completed under the direction of Z
joint commission of Maryland and
Pennsylvania, States proud of the
line because Lord Baltimore ane
William Penn were instrumental il
having it located. Each State appro
priated $50 for the restoration O.
the line, which is known as the
boundary between North and South
and from which comes "Dixie. /"
The work of re- constructing the line
was started as the result of an inves.
tigation by the Pennsylvania Depart.
ment of Internal Affairs. There was
no trouble about the location of the
boundary and it was simply to main
tain interest in the historic line that
Maryland lent cooperation in the
work of re-marking, which began
actively in April, 1901, and has since
that time been pursued at irregular
intervals.
The placing of the markers was in
charge of Edward R. Martin, while
Captain w. c. Hodgkins, of the
United States Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey, was in active charge of the field
work. General James w. Latta,
former Secretary of Internal Affairs,
was Commissioner on the part of
Pennsylvania, and DR.. William B.
Clark, of John Hopkins University,
chef of the Maryland Geological Sur
vey, on the part of Maryland.
One of the erroneous impressions
regarding the Mason and Dixon line
is that it was marked altogether with
stone. Markers of stone were used
wherever possible by Mason and Dix
on, but at points almost inaccessible
they were obliged to resort to mounds
of earth or rock. Both can be seen still
intact after 40 years, on high noun
tian points to which in those days of
inferior transportation the stones could
not be carried.
Another idea generally entertained
ie that the line ie thirty faat rvi4s.
Recently farmer asked one of the
engineers if he could not have a Sec
ton of the line for private use; that
it was used by neither State and he
could realize from it by putting out
crops. The line is simply imaginary
and the fallasious impression that it
is thirty feet comes from the fact that
in making the survey Mason and Dix
on cut agap thirty feet through the
almost impenetrable wilderness, traces
of which remain to this day. The sur
vey of this line was no trivial engineer
ing feat as some are wont to believe.
1t is well authenticated fact that the
work cost in the neighborhood of
5000, 900 and that at one time Mason
and Dixon had in their employ as
many as one hundred axmen.
The work started in 1868, at the
instance Of William Penn and Lord
Baltimore, and the surveyors were
three years in reaching the northeast
corner to the foot of Savage Noun
tain. In 1867 the work was finished
from the latter point to Virginia, now
West Virginia. Engineers recently
at work on the line marve1ed
at the thoroughness of the work of
Mason and Dixon who, despite the
lack of means of transportation and
being harassed by the Indians, accom-
plished a work, which at this day the
surveyors at some points found it diff
cult to initiate. The country is yet
rough, engineers passing through it
in making railroad surveys stating
that it is the most difficult of access
they ever encountered.
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dix
on were astronomers of celebrity in
England. In I84o revision of the
line was made by commissioners ap-
pointed by the States of Pennsylvania.
Maryland and Delaware. So accurate
was the work of Mason and Dixon
that the change involed by the cor
rection amounted to less than two
acres, which space was added to the
area of Maryland.
The original stone makers, many
of which are yet intact, were trans
ported from England. They are of
light grayish brown color, being a
peculiar admixture of sand and lime
stone, and are distinguishable by a
peculiar odor, not unlike sulphur
When stone is broken this odor is
quite noticeable. The stones which
were planted east of Sideling Hill
were landed at New Castle, Delaware,
and transported across the country.
Those for points west of Sideling Hill
were brought up the Potomac river
on fatboats. The stones weigh in
the neighorhood of 500 pounds. and
are four and one-half feet long by one
foot square. 1t was no easy matter
to transport them through the will
derness.
1t has been necessary to substitute
about seventy-fve new stones to re
place those carried away or brok
en- up. The new stones are all oi
white marble, four and one-half fee
long and ten inches square. Every
fifth stone is a crown-stone, with th'
coat-of-arms of Pennsylvania on ont
side and the escutcheon of Lord Bal
timore on the other. The other side!
are marked with 'P" on one sid,
and an ''M'' on the other. The stone
on the entire line number 200, and III
to Sideling Hill I33 stones have beef
placed at intervals of mile. Wes
of Sideling Hill they were placed a
irregular intervals of from one-half {
miles to one and one-half miles. Thi: