The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-09-07
washington Star.

TO the famous Mason anu DiSoi iiiN,
which has played an important part
in the history Of the country. The
work of remarking this ancient boun-
Diary was carried on under the direction
of DR.. William b. Clark OF the Mary
lane geological bureau and the secre-
tary Of internal affairs of pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Legislature IN 1889
~ppropriate 1000 TO repair and reset
The monuments on the boundary line
between this commonwealth and the
adjacent state of Maryland on the
south" In 1900 the Legislature of
Maryland made a like appropriation or
$50 to carry on its share Of the work.
Surveying parties were sent into inc
field In 1898 and the major part of the
work was lone some five years ago,
but the commission unit uneX-
pected difficulties in the search Tor
some of the original marking stones
and the task was not completed ana
reported to the governors OF the Two
states until this year.
Mason and Dixon'S line received its
name from the original surveyors,
charles Dixon and Alexander Dixon,
They were sent to America IRON Lon
don in 1863 to lay down the boundary
between the estates or LORD Cecilu9
Calvert and william Penn, to avert
chat at one time threatened to be a
civil war between the followers of the
1.-Two great land holders.
The surveying vas begun in 1864
and pursued until stopped by he M
dams at Dunkard creek, now In the
state of West Virginia, in the autumn
Of 1857. Through the greater part or
tine distance from the eastern end or the
Zine to Dunkard creek, 244 miles west
OF Delaware, the line was marked by
stones one mile apart, in winch tle
letter "P' was cut In the north SIDE
and the letter IN" in the south SIDE.
- - Xl--. III -ru VIZ n an WA
placed with the arms OF Penn engraved
on the north side and those or calvert
on the south side. Fortunately Tor
posterity, the original surveying party
ran the line by the stars Il dld not
depend upon the fluctuations or the
magnetic needle. If 1t had been sur
viewed by a compass in 1900 1t would
have shown deviation Of at least two
miles ,-and were the line to be run over
again at the present time with an UNI
corrected compass, according 70 lhe
records OF the original survey. the de-
Walton would reach about nineteen
miles south Of where It now Is II tlle
rich coal mines Of the Maryland coun-
ties would belong to Pennsylvania. n
later surveyors soon discovered the
trick Of their predecessors and followed
the same course.
The agreement which furnished the
basis of the original survey was made
~ I'VE the cOIOilISlS VI L Gill tio
those of Calvert and was contained IN
the charter given by King Charles IL.
10 William Penn in 1851. A semi-circle
with a rwelye-mile radius was to be
drawn around the town of New Castle,
Del, and beginning at the
river and extending north and west. "A
right line was to be run from cape
Hetlopen on the coas, of New Jersey,
die west TO the middle point OF the
peninsula etwee the chesapeake
and Delaware bays. From this point a
meridian line was to be run due north
so as 10 form a tangent with tie semi
circle drawn around New Castle From
the point where the tangent touched
the circle the uieriden was TO run due
north until 1t reached the latitude OF Il
point fifteen miles south of Philadei-
phia. From this point q line running
due west was TO be The boundary be
tween tbs two estates.
According TO the record kept by the
original surveyors the work necessary
70 establish these several points was
accomplished with great difieuity
through the forests and marshes across
The intervening rivers. Il consumed
three years. beginning with 1850, 70 es-
Iablish the line across the peninsula
and to fix the tangent point hen the
London surveyors took UP the work.
Nearly q year more was consumed 10
4naile sure OF the latitude of the point
iAtteen miles south Of Philadelpnia.
Eiflally the point WAS established where
egle three corners Of the states OF Deia-
Mare, Pennsylvania and Maryland
aneet, and this point was duly marked
~ a suitable stone and survey OF
dle celebrated Mason and Dixon line
8as begun IN the sumner Of 1854.
THAT year the line Was run n
partially marked TO the Susauehanna
river. The next year II was continued
to the Alleghany river and q little fur
EAer to the westward. but by q decree
sf inc Indians Il Was brought abruptly
Up ii stoe, and the surveyors returned
40 philadelphia.
i33 I8a9 d desire to test the survey
4sSek shape and the legislatures OF the
aasgga5 gssttesiiateresLed made a~ppsoprla-
5agsss aid appointed commissioners 70
feiaaed IN the Ilasaas Of Of GoiotJl James
u. 6srafain VI the United states topo-
srs3staaca3 g6ftgey. Colonel Grahafs
IS mt 9Ess the work and Ia the main
-oFrpboeated II. He found that the
radius IF twelve nliIes used to estab-
sssg thg arg OF the circle Ms tTo feet
Mfsd four inches short and that the tan
segt aoigt lad been placed III feet tor
Tar south. The corner stone Of the
s4gae atstss was reset according to this
survey asn6 MARYLAND received l.8i
aleaes III 3ssaA SIS the result. Since ther
8haEe As& been no effort y
assstsoa sse accuracy Of h orfgina
gsse mile ntones used TO mark tn
1gsGary we're brought from England
sSsegHad and ready for setting up. TIL
@yDr OF transporting them over tn
fraeiicss wilderness wa found alnios
44~garrlountablc and a TO be abari
sdos.ed over d part of the line. Wher
.s costs could not be carried piles Q
& four fest square and eight fee
a.isyh were built In their place, and !
go instances wooden posts We're use
al some or the inaccessible hills {
western Maryland. The marking post
we're about twelve inches qua an
varied III length from three to five fee
usYle stones are ooiite and are suppose
la have been quarried near Portsmouth
england.
The work of restoring the old mark
irsgs, and, where they could not \
recovered, OF setting UP iron posts. w
sntrusted I'll w. G. H%odgkins OF til
coas and geological survey. Mr.. Hode
Jins and his assistants had mar
Sex periences in their ecovery
.sailse &c III missing mile stones. nv
S3f crownstones. as the ive-mi
aIiar.sers We're called, were found ser,
dGog steps3of the Mutual Righ
ssftnch, queer old house OF worsh
=. aMY -