Evening journal., 1906-12-05
STORY OF MASON
And DIXON Line
Border War Recalled By DR..
Matthews Of Johns Hopkins
University
CLAIMS OF The TWO STATES

professor Of photography at the Johns
Hopkins University lecmred on Mon
day night on the history cf the Mason |
and Dixon line. Dr Matthews went /
into an elaborate explanation OF the I
conflicting claims OF different nations |
to territory IN the North American |
continent and brought out In clear re-
lief the controversy between villain I
Penn and Lord Baltimore over grants |
resulting IN the order Of the King OF |
England confirming the extension OF |
Maryland to the fortieth degree. with /
Cape Henlopen as a base. The lectur- |
er continued
"The gentlemanly old colonist. Lord
Baltimore. unfamiliar with the political
intrigues and out OF touch with the
religious views OF the court, attempt
ed now and then to have this order
reversed without success before his
death in 17l4.
During the same year William Penn
became harassed by financial diff
culties. and was compelled to mortgage
his interests In Pennsylvania, and the
later years OF his lifetime was marked
by a decadence OF mental strength
prior to his death in 171S. The subse-
quent contests over his will and the
rapid changes I'm the proprietorship or
Maryland all conspired to prevent the
actual settlement of the boundary for
many years.
I'm 1924 an agreement was reached
| By Hannah Penn and Lord Baltimore
to settle the boundary, but this was not
carried out on account OF the early
death Of Mrs. Penn.
In 1852 an agreement was reached.
singed by Charles fifth Lord Baltimore.
IN which all Of the claims Of the Penns
were conceded. According to this agree
ment the boundary line OF Maryland
was TO be as it now u.s. and commits
sioners were to be appointed wi.hin
two months to run and mark the
boundary. which had 70 be finished by
December in the same year.
Under this agreement commissions
ers were appointed. who met at New
Castle but they were unable to come
to a satisfactory common ground either
there or at their subsequent meetings
at Joppa and again at New Castle.
I There We're mutual recriminations that
J the Pennslyvanians were trying to
force more than their rights. and that
the Marylanders were not ready to go
forward IN the fulhllment Of their
principal agreement.
Lord Baltimore Yielded.
Lord Baltimore seems to have
> recognized his serious error in signing
the agreement of 1892 and brought che
3 question Of his rights before the privy
3 council In an attempt 10 gain a con-
D a sf..f,
I would have nullihed Nis agreement
] The prdvy council IN turn recommend
= ed the controversy be settled in The
, courts, and accordingly the Penns. ir
1885. filed a bill in chancery against
Lord Baltimore. praying Tor a decres
OF specific performance Of the agree
ment OF 1882. This case dragged
through the courts until 1850. wher
Chancellor TIardwicke decreed that the
agreement must be carried out.
while the proprictors Tero attempt.
r ing to settle their contest by words
s discussions and tedious cases IN cour
e IN Europe. their adherents ga Americ.
were using me forceful weapons of N,
frontiersman to determine the limits q
their respective jurisdiction.
Border conflicts became so serioui
that In 1887 the king in council orderet
e the governors to suppress the bordel
b tumults. to grant no lands In the dis.
T, puted territory and to establish
temporary line during the pendency O.
r the chancery suit. The running OF tn
temporary line was commenced late n
1888 and finished in the following year
This line. which has been known M
: Temporary line, extended 81 m,lci
westward from Philadelphia and con
sists OF several parts.
: Surveyors Abandon Work.
5 THE decision in the chancery cas-,
in 1850 occasioned renewed surveying
: activity In America. The problem
presented were exceedingly difficult.
but the surveyors undertook the worl
= with a will. Beginning at the Fen
4 wicke Islands. the point supposed 4
: be intended to represent Cape Hen
lopen. which was erroneously placed II
: the old Dutch map used at the hear
ings OF 1885, the surveyors ran thei
line due west across the peninsula O
the eastern shore.
THE question arose regarding tn
/ western end Of the line. and this wa
referred to the lord chancellor.
"a year or two later through tn
activity OF the Penns and the resistance
OF Frederick, Lord Baltimore the set
. tlement was again delayed until on tn
9Th of July, 1900, a voluntary agree
J, ment was reached between the Goa
; tending proprletors. In accordance
p with this agreement. commissioner
= and surveyors took up the work o
running the boundaries in the fall o
@ the same year.
e Beginning at the middle point o
2 the trans peninsula line, the surveyor
ran due north as far as the Nanticok
Z river. when work was suspended unit
f; the following yeas. During 1861 meri
q dian line was pushed up the peninsuli
to Christiana and an intersecting lin'
c was run to New Castle.
/ "The angle between these two line
J, aided the surveyors in determining m
= offset necessary to run a line tangen
( to the New Castle circle, as require,
n by the decision Of 1850
: ''The spring and summer OF 1862 wa
. spent in running the tangent line. ap
lproximately as It is to-day.
y ION September 9. after having ex
. tended the line over eighty-one miles
. the surveyors found that their line wa
not correct. and they repaired, afte
receiving further instructions. 10 IN
middle point to revise their line. B,
. the time twenty-five miles had bee
I lrun the deviation was so great tha