Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-02-27
From the .Nsar York Courier.
TIE DISPUTED OREGON TERRITORY.
AN INTERESTING SKETCH.

l. The Dispute and the Disputed Territory
BY the Florida treaty Of 1919 between the q.
States and Spain. a line drawn along the AID
parallel OF latitude. from the Rocky Mountains
10 the Pacific, was fixed as the northern limit
OF the Spanish territory and the southern limit
Of the Territory of the United States in West
ern America; and when Mexico took the place
OF Spain, the same boundary line was presery-
ed by new treaty.
BY the convention of 1924. between the e.
5. and Russia, the Russians agreed to make
no settlements south of the latitude Of "a deg,
4U min., and the U. States agreed to make nc
settlement north of that line.
BY the convention of 1925, between Russia
and Great Britain, it was agreed that the Bri-
fish should occupy no place north of 55 deg. 4O
min and that the Russians should make NO
settlement south Of that line; and further, that
line from that parallel northward, within &c
Jniss of the sea, to its intersection with the
l4lst meridian Of west longitude, and thence
along that meridian to the Arctic Sea, should
be the limit between the Russian and British
possessions. A glance at any good map will
show that this line passes through Mt. ST.
Elias.
Here, then, are two lines OF boundary ,-one
north from the line of 54 deg. 40 min. latitude
to the Arctic Sea, between Great Britain and
Russia the other following the AID parallel,
marking the limit between the U. States and
Mexico The Intermediate region is the dis
puted Territory IF ORrGoN. The Americans
claim north Of the AID line, the British south
Of the line of "a deg. 40 min., each to an I'M
defined extent, but each so far as 10 embrace
the country drained by the Columbia River
These claims were compromised by an arrange
Inent made in 1918, continued indefinitely in
1897, and still in force, by which any territory
in that section claimed by either, shall be free
and open to the citizens or subjects of both,-
the government of each being at liberty to alb
rogate the arrangement, after giving due notice
oftwelve months to that of the other. This,
then, is the dispute,-the Ownership Of this
territory.
Oregon, the disputed territory. thus extends
from the AID parallel to the line CT "a d. 40 m.
It's natural boundaries are, on the East, the
Rscky Mountains; on the South, the Snowy
Mountains on the West, the Pacific, from
Cape Mendocino to Cape Flattery and on the
North, the Strait of Fuco, about 100 miles
eastward, thence line running northeast
along the highlands separating the waters Of
the Columbia from those of Frazier's river, to
the Rookie Mountains. This is the territory
drained by the Columbia, and the extent of its
surface is about 10000 square miles, This
country is divided by its natural confguration,
into three great regions, which differ from
each other materially in soil, climate and pro-
ductive powers
l. The first region, or l0w country, lies be-
tween the Pacific Coast and chain of noun
tains running near the sea. This chain has
received q variety of names, the Californian,
the klamet, the Cascade. and the President
Range, and its seven high st peaks have been
named after the seven Presidents from Wash
ington to Jackson in succession. These noun
tains are Of considerable elevation, and those
who have travelled over them speak in raptu-
rOus terms Of the wide and magnificent view
which they present. The distance from the
coast to the foot of these beautiful mountains
is in some places 100 miles, in others less
The intervening country is crossed by low rid
ges, between which are valleys drained by
rivers flowing into the Pacific and the Colum-
bia. Ofthe two which empty into the Colum-
bia river, the Cowilitz has been but partially
traced; the Southern, the Moultnomah or
Wallamet, has been traced 200 miles, through
valley said to be the most delightful and fer
tile part of Northwest America. The climate
of-this region is more favorable to agriculture
than that Of the other parts Of Oregon. The
summer is warm and dry. Snow is rarely
seen in the valleys, and the ground is very
seldom frozen, SO that ploughing may be car
ried on during the whole winter. Wheat,
barley, rye, peas, apples, potatoes, &c., are
raised; horses and cattle succeed tolerably
well, but agriculture must always suffer in the
summer The growth of timber On the up
lands is encrmous-far surprising in thickness
and size, any forests known in the U. States
There are extensive prairies extremely fertile
and above inundation. Travellers describe fir
and pine trees growing here of gigantic size
Ross Cox mentions fir near Astoria 46 feet
in circumference, l53 feet high before reaching
branch, and 800 feet in its whole height
Another stands on the banks of the Umqua,
81 feet in circumference, and ZIG feet high,
below its branches. Sound pines from 200 to
$50 feet high, and from 20 to 40 feet in cir
conference, are by no means uncommon.
2. The middle region of Oregon lies between
the Precedent Range and the Blue Mountains,
chain extending through the whole territory
north and south, considerably broken, and
made up Of steep and rocky mountains, gener-
ally volcanic, and some Of them covered with
eternal snow. 1t is more elevated and less
fertile than the low country. The soil is a
sandy clay covered with grass, small shrubs
and prickly pear Timber is scarce, the trees
are small and of useless wood The climate
is agreeable and saluhrious There is little
snow, especially in the southern vallies Few
attempts have been made at cultivation, and
thesa are represented by travellers as not very
successful. The agriculture, it is said, must
always be limited to the wants of pastoral PEG
pie. The region. though poorly adapted to
tilling, is one Of the best for grazing in the
world It is in this section thai all the horses
for the supply of Indians and traders in the
interior are raised. and often single Indian
owns hundreds of them. Mr. Wyeth, Judi
cious traveller through this section, deems it
for producing hides, tallow and beef, superior
to any part Of North America Sheep might
be raised to any extent, and is one of the heal
thiest countries in the world.
8. The third division is the high mt,y,ly
ing between the Blue Mountains on the west
and the Rocky Mountains on the east. The
southern part is a desert, Of steep rocky noun
tains, deep ranow valleys and wide sandy
plains. The distinguished features Of this
region are its extreme dryness, and the great