The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-01-14
HISTORY Of MASON
AND D|XON'S LINE
Prior to Famous Survey the Boundary
of Pennsylvania Was Indefinite.

1t was Isl years ago Nov. Is that
Charles Mason and jeremiah Dixon, who
were the originalsof the famous phrase:
mason and Dixon's Line" arrived
from England.
The story of the running OF this line
is right interesting. 1t seems that the
King of England owed to one of his
admirals nearly $4,000. This Admiral
was the father of William Penn, who
on the death of the Admiral inherited
the claim. King Charles granted in
payment of his claim 10000 square
miles of land in America. William
Penn sent petition to the King in
June, $780, asking for his grant of land,
and expressing a desire that he be
given the territory that was on the
northern boundary of Maryland as far
as plantable. 1t was to be bounded on
the east by the Delaware River, and it
is said that this was the largest grant
of land ever made to one man in Ameri-
ca. So very large was the tract and so
rather indefinite the boundaries that it
/ became the subject OF long series OF
! disputes. and it was over 100 wears be-
fore the matter of legal boundaries wa
quite settled
The first survey to establish the
boundary and settle the dispute was
made by Charles Mason and jeremiah
Dixon two English surveyors who were
brought to this country by the heirs of
both parties for that purpose. They
arrived in America Isl years ago Nov.
Is, 1863, and began that year the sur
vey, completing it in 1867.
Lord Baltimore had claimed that the
10th degree fell north of Philadelphia,
whereas the King in granting it sup
posed 1t would fall at the head of
Delaware Bay. Penn insisted that the
line be fixed where it was supposed to
be.
The charter says that the province
granted to Penn was to eX, end five
degrees westward from the Delaware
river, and 1.-THE said land to be bounded
on the north by the beginning of the
third and fourth degrees of northern
latitude, and on the south by a circle
drawn at II miles distance from New
Castle northward and westward unto
the beginning of the fortieth degree
northern latitude"
Just what the beginning Of the
third and fourth, p" and the beginning
of the fortieth' degree meant was not
clear. Penn, finding that the 10th de-
gree tell too far north to give him a
harbor on the Chesapeake, commended
that the beginning" of the 10th de-
gree did not mean the 10th degree and
he won in part; but it cost him dearly,
for although the charter set the boun-
dairy at the beginning of the forty
third degree" which would have thrown
it north of Buffalo, it was finally fixed
at the forty-second degree.
In 1882 the heirs of Penn and Balti-
more signed an agreement that the line
between Pennsylvania and Maryland be
run due west from the tangent of the
western boundary of Delaware, with
the arc IL miles from New Castle.
Mason and Dixon surveyed it west for
244 miles, and at the intervals OF a
mile cut stones were set in the ground;
each stone had large P on the north
side and on the south side. Every
five miles was placed a larger stone,
bearing the Pennsylvania coat-of-arms
on one side and that of Lord Baltimore
on the other. These stones were cut
in England and afterward brought to
the colonies.
The survey was completed in 1772 by
Col. Alexander Mclean. of Pennsyl-