The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-08-10
A FAMOUS BOUNDARY LINE
Survey of Mason and Dixon'S
Line Lately Completed.
THE ORIGINAL MARKERS.
The Work When First Done Extended
Over the Period Of Sixteen Years,
from 1853 to 1779-Much Trouble
Was Encountered with the indi.
ans.

! Mason and Dixon's line has lust
been surveyed for the first time since
the scientists whose names II com.
memorates traced 1t, 140 years ago.
The work now completed was done
under the direction of a joint com.
mission representing Pennsylvania
and Maryland. This line, which be.
came historic as the division between
the slave States and the free States,
was originally marked by stones or
other designations placed one mile
apart. But in the course of time
many OF the markers disappeared, and
disputes as to local boundaries arose
Pennsylvania and Maryland each ap-
propriated $1,000 for n new survey of
the line, and work was begun in April
1901. w. G. Hodgkins, OF the United
States Coast and Geodetic Survey, be-
ing in charge OF the corps of engi-
neers.
AS was the case with most OF the
land grants made by the British
crown in the seventeenth century,
. William Penn and Lord Baltimore
found that their respective provinces
OF Pennsylvania and Maryland appar-
emily overlapped each other For fifty
years much lawlessness prevailed
along the border because Of the
boundary disputes, and the settlers
did not know to whom they owed Al
legiance. Finally. in 1760, the pro-
prietaries of the two provinces en-
ployed Charles Mason and jeremiah
Dixon, two celebrated astronomers Of
London, to fix the boundary line. They
began work In 1893. In June, 1853,
when the party had reached the top
OF the Little Allegheny Mountains, 100
miles from the starting point, the In
dians assumed a threatening attitude.
Although the surveyors seemed to be
peaceable, the red men could not un-
derstand why the palefaces should
cut this road through the forest, or
why some Of them spent much Of the
night in gazing at the stars through
brass cylinders. Finally the Indians
forbade further progress. Then at a
cost Of $500 a council OF the Six Ma
tions was convened in New York, In
June, 1867, and permission was Sc
cured to continue the work. The coun
Gil sent party Of braves to act as
escort to Mason and Dixon, and the
survey was resumed; but in Septem-
ber, when the Monongahela was
reached, the Indians again grew rest
less. and Mason and Dixon were
obliged to abandon their task twenty
four miles from their goal. In 1T79
other engineers completed that part of
the line between Pennsylvania and
what was then Virginia, but is now
West Virginia.
Mason and Dixon were both elect
ed members of the American Philoso-
phical Society. They returned to Eng
land, and later were sent to the Cape
of Good Hope to observe the transit
of Venus. Dixon died in England in
1777, but Mason came to Philadelphia,
where he died in 1881
1t is the portion OF Mason and
Dixon's line that extends as far as the
western limits of Maryland which
has just been resurveyed Some of
the original boundary stones were
found to be still in place. They had
been chiseled in England from lime
stone, and weigh 500 pounds each,
being four and one-half feet high and
one foot square. On one side is the
letter "P," and on the other the let
ter "M." Every fifth stone bore the
coat-of-arms Of the two proprietaries
Mr.. Hodgkin's men endeavored to
trace the stones that were missing
and succeeded In recovering a large
number. Some were doing duty as
doorsteps, some were In bake-ovens,
one served as q curbstone in Clear
sprng. Nd. and two had been used In
building a church along the national
pike. The old markers In many in
stances bore curious inscriptions,
some carved by soldiers of the Federal
and Confederate armies during the
campaigns of the civil war. Every
one of these stones that could be Sc
cured was placed in position on the
boundary line. II broken, the pieces
were clamped together. The stones
were set in bed Of concrete, to guard
against future removal.
In few localities a half dozen or
more of these stones were found in
proximity This leads to the belief
that possibly they were not put to ac
tual use as boundary markers. 1t Is
known that the full number of stones
required by Mason and Dixon was i'm
ported, but in conveying them west.
ward through the forests, so many
difficulties were encountered, it is sup,
posed, that portion of the consign-
ment was abandoned along the road;
and In the course of years settlers
found these stones useful for a variety
OF purposes other than that for which
they were intended. This theory is
substantiated by the fact that the
western part Of Mason and DiXon's
line was found to be marked princi.
pally by mounds or wooden posts, few