tation the five degrees of longitude called for in the charter of King Charles II. This has been agreed to, and the State of Virginia has sent orders to the Surveyor of Youghiogheny County to join with one to be appointed by us. We have appointed Alexander McClean, Esq. Should he have occa sion for a guard, or any other assistance from you, we make no doubt he will receive it. As soon as they have run the line and reported their proceedings, we shall send up proclamations calling upon all those who fall into this State to conform to its laws and government.

The temporary boundary line run by Alexander McClean, of Pennsylvania, and Joseph Neville, of Virginia, was to be recognized as such until the end of the Revolutionary war, or until the States might be in more tranquillity. A resolution was unanimously adopted by the legislature of Pennsylvania, on the 22d of March, 1783, approving of the line lately run between Virginia and Pennsylvania, and the resolution directed to be sent to the legislature of Virginia. This being accomplished, it only became necessary for the President of the Supreme Executive Council to issue a proclamation, to quiet the minds of the people, which he did, in the following language:

WHEREAS, The General Assembly of this Commonwealth, by their resolution of the twenty-second day of the present month, did approve and confirm the line lately run by Messrs. McClean and Neville as the boundary between this State and that of Virginia, until the final settlement thereof be obtained, we have thought fit to make known the same, and we do hereby charge, enjoin, and require all persons whatsoever, residing within that tract of country situate between the meridian line run by Messrs. Sinclair and McClean, and that lately run by Messrs. Neville and McClean, bounded southward by the extension of Mason and Dixon's line, and northward by the Ohio River, and also all others residing eastward of the said line run by Messrs. Sinclair and McClean, who heretofore may have supposed themselves to be there settled within the State of Virginia, to take notice of the proceedings aforesaid, and to pay due obedience to the laws of this Commonwealth.

Given in Council at Philadelphia, this 26th day of March, 1783.
JOHN DICKINSON, President

Attest: JOHN ARMSTRONG, JR., Secretary.

Thus was temporarily settled the boundary line between these two States, which was afterwards finally and fully adjusted by the adoption, extension, and approval of the Mason and Dixon's line, a history of which we reserve for another chapter. But the student of history cannot fail to observe that when Virginia ceded this part of Pennsylvania, formerly claimed by it, to the State of Pennsylvania, there was a necessity for erecting a new county, hence Washington County was erected in 1781, comprising all the State west of the Monongahela, and southwest of the Ohio.

CHAPTER II.

THE MASON AND DIXON'S LINE.

Its full history-the line run by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon-the claim of Pennsylvania-the claim of Lord Baltimore-the appointment of commissioners-the labors of Mason and Dixon ended in 1767-new commissioners appointed in 1783 by the States of Virginia and Pennsylvania-letter from Joseph Reed on the scientific apparatus to be usedreport of the joint-commissioners-report of the Pennsylvania commissioners-cost of running the line-the western line of Pennsylvania run by commissioners appointed by both States, and the report of the commissioners thereupon-the origin of the Pan Handle in West Virginia.

IN tracing the history of the Virginia and Pennsylvania controversy in the preceding chapter, we were necessarily required to advert to the Mason and Dixon's line, which was extended twentythree miles, and finally adjusted by the commissioners of the two States. We propose in the present chapter to give a history of this celebrated line, which is the southern boundary of our State, and for want of which there was so much trouble, perplexity, and controversial discussions, until its final adjustment and the erection of Washington County, Pennsylvania.

This line was fixed by the distinguished mathematicians and astronomers, CHARLES MASON and JEREMIAH DIXON, during the years 1763-4-5-6-7, and afterwards extended, by authority and consent of the States of Virginia and Pennsylvania, temporarily, but finally adjusted in 1784. We may add, the line properly begins at the northeast corner of Maryland, and runs due west. The Indians (as we will show) were troublesome to the surveyors, but by treaties they permitted them to proceed as far west as the old war path, within thirty-six miles of the whole distance to be run, when the Indian escort informed them that it was the will of the Six Nations the surveyors should cease their labors; there was no alternative. The surveyors stopped, and hence arose the difficulties which we have narrated in our preceding chapter.

By reference to the charter granted by King Charles II. to William Penn, his heirs and assigns, on the 4th of March, 1681, we find the following described land: "All that tract or part of land in America, with all the islands therein contained, same is bounded on the east by Delaware River, from twelve miles distant northwards of New Castletown unto the three and fortieth degree of northern latitude, if the said river doth extend so

as the

far northward; but if the said river shall not extend so far northward, then by the said river so far as it doth extend; and from the head of the said river the eastern bounds are to be determined by a meridian line to be drawn from the head of the said river unto the said three and fortieth degree. The said land to extend westwards five degrees in longitude to be computed from the said eastern bounds; and the said lands to be bounded on the north by the beginning of the three and fortieth degree of northern latitude, and on the south by a circle drawn at twelve miles distance from New Castle northwards, and westwards unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of northern latitude, and then by a straight line westwards to the limits of longitude above mentioned."

It is evident that Penn's grant of land from King Charles was to lie west of the Delaware River, and north of Maryland, because the charter by Lord Baltimore for Maryland included all the land to the Delaware Bay, "which lieth under the fortieth degree of north latitude, where New England terminates;" hence the only mode by which the form and extent of Pennsylvania could be determined was by the two natural landmarks, viz., New Castletown and the River Delaware. This river being her eastern boundary, New Castle was to be used as the centre of a circle of twelve miles radius, whose northwestern segment was to connect the river with the beginning of the fortieth degree, while the province was to extend westward five degrees in longitude, to be computed from said eastern bounds. The Penns claimed for the western boundary a line beginning at thirty-nine degrees, at the distance of five degrees of longitude from the Delaware; thence at the same distance from that river in every point to north latitude forty-two degrees, which would take into the province of Pennsylvania some fifty miles square of Northwestern Virginia, west of the west line of Maryland. Lord Dunmore, however, scouted this claim, and insisted that it would be difficult to ascertain such a line with mathematical exactness, and that the western boundary of Pennsylvania should be a meridian line run south from the end of five degrees of longitude from the Delaware, on the line of forty-two degrees. This claim, on the other hand, would have thrown the western line of Pennsylvania fifty miles east of Pittsburg.

The foundation of the Mason and Dixon's line was based upon an agreement entered into on the 4th of July, 1760, between Lord Baltimore, of the province of Maryland, and Thomas and Richard Penn, of the province of Pennsylvania, and the three lower counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex on the Delaware-on account of the very long litigations and contests which had subsisted between these provinces from the year 1683. These parties mutually agreed among other things to appoint a sufficient number of discreet and proper persons, not more than seven on each side, to be their respective commissioners, with full power to the said seven persons, or any three or more of them, for the actual running, marking, and

laying out the said part of the circle (as mentioned in the charter from Charles II. to William Penn), and the said before-mentioned lines. The commissioners were to fix upon their time of commenc ing said line not later than the following October, and proceed with all fairness, candor, and dispatch; marking said line with stones and posts on both sides, and complete the same before the 25th of December, 1763, so that no disputes may hereafter arise concerning the same.

James Hamilton (Governor), Richard Peters, Rev. Dr. John Ewing, William Allen (Chief Justice), William Coleman, Thomas Willing, and Benjamin Chew were appointed commissioners on the part of the Penns.

Horatio Sharpe (Governor), J. Ridout, John Leeds, John Barclay, George Stewart, Dan of St. Thomas Jenifer, and J. Beale Boardley on behalf of Lord Baltimore.

The Board of Commissioners met at New Castle, in November, 1760, and each province selected its own surveyors. The Pennsylvania surveyors were John Lukens and Archibald McClain. Those of Maryland were John F. A. Priggs and Jonathan Hall.

The commissioners and surveyors agreed that the peninsular lines from Henlopen to the Chesapeake, made under a decree of Lord Hardwicke in 1750, was correct, hence they fixed the court-house at New Castle as the centre of the circle, and the surveyors proceeded on this data to measure and mark the lines. James Veech, Esq., in his history of Mason and Dixon's line, says:

"Three years were diligently devoted to finding the bearing of the western line of Delaware, so as to make it a tangent to the circle, at the end of a twelve mile radius. The instruments and appliances employed seem to have been those commonly used by surveyors. The proprietors residing in or near London, grew weary of this slow progress, which perhaps they set down to the incompetency of the artists. To this groundless suspicion we owe their supersedure and the introduction of the men Mason and Dixon, who have immortalized their memory in the name of the principal line which had yet to be run."

In August, 1763, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, of London, England, were selected by Lord Baltimore and the Penns, to complete their lines, as per agreement, made on the fourth of July, 1760, and arrived at Philadelphia in November, for that purpose, furnished, says Mr. Veech, with instructions and the most approved instru ments, among them a four foot zenith sector. They go to work at once, erect an observatory on Cedar Street, Philadelphia, to facilitate the ascertainment of its latitude, which building they use by January, 1764, and it has been pronounced the first building erected in America for astronomical observations. They then go to New Castle, adopt the radius as measured by their predecessors, and after numerous tracings of the tangent line, adopt also their tangent point, from which they say they could not make the tangent line pass one inch to the eastward or westward. They therefore cause that

line and point to be marked, and adjourn to Philadelphia to find its southern limit on Cedar or South Street. This they make to be 39° 56' 29", while the latitude of the State has been marked as 39° 56' 29". They then proceed to extend that latitude sufficiently far to the west to be due north of the tangent point. Thence they measure down south fifteen miles to the latitude of the great due west line, and run its parallel for a short distance. Then they go to the tangent point and run due north to that latitude, and at the point of intersection, in a deep ravine, near a spring, they cause to be planted the corner-stone, at which begins the celebrated "Mason and Dixon's line."

We shall continue the graphic description of our learned friend James Veech, Esq. Having ascertained the latitude of this line to be 39° 43' 32" (although more accurate observations make it 390 43′ 26′′.8, consequently it is a little over nineteen miles south of 40° as now located) they, under instructions, run its parallel to the Susquehanna, twenty-three miles; and having verified the latitude there, they return to the tangent point, from which they run the due north line to the fifteen mile corner and that part of the circle which it cuts off to the west, and which by agreement was to go to New Castle County. (This little bow or arc is about a mile and a half long and its middle width one hundred and sixteen feet. From its upper end where the three States join, to the fifteen mile point where the great Mason and Dixon's line begins, is a little over three and a half miles, and from the fifteen mile corner due east to the circle is a little over three-quarters of a mile. This was the only part of the circle which Mason and Dixon run, Lord Baltimore having no concern in the residue; Penn, however, had it run and marked with "four good notches" by Isaac Taylor and Thomas Pierson in 1700–1.) Where it cuts the circle is the corner of three dominions, an important point, and therefore they cause it to be well ascertained and well marked. This brings them to the end of 1764.

They resume their labors in June, 1765. If to extend this parallel did not require so great skill as did the nice adjustments of the other lines and intersections, it summoned its performers to greater endurance. A tented army penetrates the forest, but their purposes are peaceful and they move merrily. Besides the surveyors and their assistants, there were chain bearers, rod men, axe men, commissioners, cooks, and baggage carriers, with numerous servants and laborers. By the 27th of October, they come to the North (Cove or Kittatinny) Mountain, ninety-five miles from the Susquehanna, and where the temporary line of 1739 terminated. After taking Captain Shelby with them to its summit to show them the course of the Potomac, and point out the Allegheny Mountain, the surveyors and their attendants return to the settlements to pass the winter and to get their appointment renewed.

Early in 1766 they are again at their posts, and by the 4th of June they are on the top of the little Allegheny Mountain; the first