The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1943-11-18
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER IS, 1913
THE MASON AND DIXON
LINE

One Of the most famous State boun-
daEies in the nation is the northern
boundary of Maryland, called the
Mason and Dixon Line. The name
originated from two English matho-
maticians, Charles Mason and Jerc-
miah Dixon, who We're employed by
the Penn family to mark physically
the boundary between Pennsylvania
and Maryland for the purpose Of end
ing misunderstanding and contro-
versy involving the inhabitants of the
area.
The work done by the two men
made their names famous and it is
understood that an arc of the meridian
measured by them at that time is
cited in works on astronomy, having
been one of the measurements by
which the shape Of the earth was as
certained.
The eastern portion of the survey
was marked by stones at the end Of
every fifth mile on which appeared
the arms of the Penns on one side and
Of Lord Baltimore, MaryIands pro
prietor, on the other side. These stones
were placed so that the Maryland
mark faced southwark and the Penn
sylvaia mark faced northward. The
intermediate miles were marked with
smaller stones having up" on one side
and "M' on the other side This
method Of marking continued to Side
ling Hill, where the mountains made
it impossible to transport these stones
which were sent from England. The
marking Of the survey west from this
point was achieved with piles Of
stones approximately eight feet high
on the crests Of all the mountain
ranges and was continued as far as
the summit Of the Alleghenies. Be-
You'd the AlIeghenies, the line was
marked by posts around which stones
and earth were thrown to better pre-
serve them.
Contrary to the popular belief the
entire nothen boundary Of Maryland
was not surveyed by Mason and Dix
on. Their line ended at the bottom Of
a valley on Dunkard's Creek, branch
Of the Monongahea River where an
Indian path crossed the line. At that
point they were informed that it was
the will Of the Sioux Nation that the
survey cease" Not wishing to encoun-
ter trouble, the survey was termi-
mated, leaving slightly more than thir-
ty-siX miles Of the boundary to be
completed before reaching the western
end
The accuracy of the survey was
substantiated when years latter the
legislatures Of Maryland, Pennsylvania
and Virginia appointed a Joint com
mission for a new survey, headed by
Colonel Graham, of the United States
Typographical Engineers, to review
the line to the extent deemed neces-
sary. Although having access to better
Instruments and a more accurate
knowledge Of the art, the net change
in land ownership through the few
errors discovered amounted to only
approximately two acres gained by
Maryland.
An amusing incident, however, de-
veloped from the re-survey when it
was found that a gentleman who had
served as member Of the Delaware
legislature had been residing a half
mile within the State Of Penpsylva-
MIA
While the line was established as
State boundary a hundred years later,
it became nationally famous as a line
which split the nation in two.
During the War Between the States
it was popularity considered the boun-
Diary between the North and the South.
Little did the two English mathe-
maticians realize, when they were per
forming their work for the Penn fam
lily, that they were building a monu-
ment perpctuating the memory Of their
names, Mason and Dixon.