The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-04-13
A Land Claim

| A few weeks since Washington special an
nounced that the House had passed bill to
compensate the owners of lands formerly in
Maine but ceded 10 New Brunswick by the
treaty signed at Washington August 9 1912.
The sum of $4,000 was appropriated to pay
for the land which the claimants set forth
amounted 10 10000 acres.
This claim is made under article 4 of the
treaty of 1912 which reads as follows:
ART. A. All grants of lands heretofore made Inv
either party within the limits of the territory which
by this treaty fall within the domnions of the other
party, shall be held Valid ratified and Confirmed to
the persons in possession under such grants to the
same extent as If such territory had by this treaty
fallen within the dominion of the party bv whom
such grants were made and all equitable possessory
CLAIMS, arising from possession and improvement
OF any lot or parcel of land by the person actually in
possession, or by those under whom such person
cams for more than six years before the date of this
treaty. SHALL in like manner be deemed valid and he
confirmed and queted by release to the person en-
titled thereto, OF the title of such lot or parcel of land
SO described as best to include the improvements
made thereon; and in all respects the two contract
ing parties agree to deal upon the most liberal nri
eiples OF equity with the settlers actually dwelling
Dpon the territory falling to them, respectively
which has heretofore been in dispute between them
The above article was inserted in the
treaty, as will be seen, to protect the rights
of individuals who had settled along the bor-
der, the line of which had long been in dis
pute. There was, however, little difference
ofopinion respecting the boundry from the
head-waters of the st. Croix to Mars Hill.
The British authorities claimed the Mars
Hill and the rather shadowy line of hills ex-
tending therefrom was the highlands rather
indefinitely set forth in the first treaty, as the
dividing line between the United States and
the British territory. The treaty of 1912,
however, fixed boundary which should be
the st. Croix river from its mouth to its
source and from that point due north until
that line struck the St. Johns river which
was then to be the line to its source. This
line, it was claimed by the states of Massach-
usetts and Maine, deprived them of 117,275
acres of land and for this claim was pending
for years, but was finally allowed at the rate
OF S1.25 per acre by the For:ieth Congress.
Neither of the States got dollar of this
money; for before the claims were allowed
the Legislatures of both states had trans
ferred their rights in the matter to the Euro.
pean and North American Railway Compa-
ny and it was this grant which led to the
completion of that line.
This claim is for land alleged to have been
set off to Victoria's domain by the establish
ing of the later line. The old line and the
new, as we are informed by surveyor and
resident of the locality corresponded for
several miles but in the town OF Hodgdon, eight
or ten miles, from the post at the head. wa
ters OF the st. Croix, the new line which was
run by engineers from the United States and
British armies, diverged from the old line
and run on territory which had been claimed
and sold or given away by Massachusetts, or
Maine. The strip increases in width, as the
line continues northward. 1t is for a part of
this wedge shaped strip that this claim has
been made and is allowed by the House.
We are informed that part of this claim was
allowed in 1862, but we can find no record
of it.
The present claim was first brought to pub
lie notice in 1867 or 1868. Mr.. James Drew,
for many years an active politician and spec.
ulator in Houlton, made his appearance in
Augusta as the representative of the claim
ants. For some reason the prospect was
not encouraging and he went to Washington.
Since that time he has labored to impress
members of Congress with the validity of
his claims but unsuccessfully until the present
time. He may yet lose his labor, for the
claim has yet to run the gauntlet of the Sem
ate. Perseverance and trained skill NAV vet
overcome and Mr.. Drew has all that can be
desired in this now prominent Washington
profession.
Ofthe validity of this claim, we have moth
ing beyond individual opinions. 1t, however,
may be safely asserted that the settlers would
never have made any claims of their own
accord. We cannot learn that any of them
were deprived of the portions of their
farms which fell on Victoria's side of the
boundary line, and so long as ''Bluenosedom'
has been practically untaxed, the few Yam
KEGS who found few acres of their land ON
that side of the line had doubtless found a
panacea in the fact that it was beyond the
reach of the Maine assessors. How much
detriment the propretors of these portions of
the townships which were shut off on that side
Of the line, have sustained, it is difficult to
ascertain. 1t is stated that the owners of the
township from which the largest amount
came and that for which part of the present
clame is made, exchanged it with the state
many years ago and made a magnificent trade
by so doing. A prominent resident of Aroos-
took who has been there forty years and
should know all about the matter, character
ICES the claim in very unequivocal and un-
complimentary terms. The claims are said
to be owned by Mr.. James Drew to whom
reference has been made not now resident
of this state and two wealthy gentlemen of
the Democratic faith in Aroostook county.
The whole history of the matter from first
to, last would doubtless be very interesting
and might possibly throw some light upon
the subject of ''caims" in general.