The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-06-07
Our northern Fr0ntior.

Not one in thousand, perhaps. Of the
States knows how their country is bounded
on the line between tho United States and
the British territory. 1t will be interest
ing, therefore, to know how the northern
boundary has been traced and marked.
The work is now completed, except as to
the Territory Of Alaska, ccdcd by Russia
to us under the treaty Of 1867. Ever since
the treaty of Client we have been establish
ing our northern boundary with Britain
until year or two ago, when the work
was finally completed by a Joint comWis-
sion, consisting of Maj. Donald r. Cam
eron, Royal Artillery; Capt. s. Anderson,
Royal Engineers, and Capt. A. G. Ward,
Royal Engineers, for Great Britain, and
Archibald Campbell and Capt. w. }. Twin
ing, United States Army, for our Govern
ment. The commission experienced con-
siderable difficulty in discharglng their
duties from the errors committed by former
commissioners. In April, 1870, while
engaged in locating military reservation
| for post near Pembina, our engineers
| discovered that tho commonly received
boundary line between the British posses
sions and the United States at that place
was 4,IuU feet south o. tho f",tJ -n,uth
| parallel, and il run on west from such an
initial point, would throw the fort of the
Hudson Bay Company at Pcmbina into
the United States. lIorc was indeed a
difficulty, and the officers at encc commu
Gated the facts to the Government. The
President, Gen. Grant, sent the information
TO The British Government. and Great
Britain asked tho consent OF the United
States to occupy the fort OF the hudson
| ttr
determined. OF course such u reasonable
request was at once granted. The Prcs.
dent then sent message to Congress
recommending The establishment of a joint
commission to fix the true boundary-linc
between the two countries, and Congress
assentcd, approprialng 800, 900 by joi'
resolution to carry on the work. The i,
preparation was not available until Is u
when % work was begun, as above sta yttt
by ljint commission Of the Two G." "Wer
ments.
The northern boundary is maio :kcd
stone cairns, iron pillars, woodcr'1 pilla
earth mounds and timber posts. A sto
cairn il 2! feet by feet highll. 8 incl,
square at inc bottom and 4 ip ,Ichcs at {
top, timber posts feet high, % and 8 ZACH
square. There arc 1928 of these mar
, between the Lake of the yNVoods and u
Rocky Mountains. That 3portion of II
) boundary that lies cast Xand west Of t.
' Red River Valley, is n.Ytked by cast-i,
8 pillars at even mile intcYyals The Br{e
1 placed one every two Ylcs and the Unhc
States one between eaoh British rost. fon
pillars or markers wyrc made at D Elsh
: Mich. They arc, hollow iron a/Etea
t three cighlhs Of arTinch III lhickncsa Our
: form of a truncay1d pyramid, 8 rchroIt,
8 inches square II the bottom and stmgs,
c ut the TOP as before statct. Thaf, IN the
the top a soli,i pyramidal cap, ct h'gh'
bottom an ocrsyonal tlange md inches
Is ness. Up1., the opposite fuccysy nave at
!. letters i2chcs high, tho and at the
. .sConyentSn of London, "and |h in thick
d 1878" Ihc Inscriptions begj' are cast i'll
a. & inches bovc the base anfnscrlpCions,
rhe inf! !.iors Of the hollow October 20,
" with VII seasoned cedar Ill ABOUT feet
70 A. an( securely spiked thr.l reno upward.
cf cast the pillars for tho posts are filled
V avc,ge weight of each posts, sawed to
m ri, "a is IS pounds. J1ooHh spike holes
,r- se four feet in the purpose. The
1ption faces TO the H. Pii'ar when COM
ie earth is we'll sett)o he pillars arc oil
Ell lhcm.- For the oo'sround, with the in
lc cd logs. arc selected torth and south, and
"a The ground painted "a and stamped about
! ing and shrinking. acll posts, well season.
well, but the Ind, and the portion above
fuel, ana nothinc7 red, to prevent swell
long. Where Til lhcsc posts do very
mcnts of stone ans cut them down for |
being in some put IRON Will last very
under water 81 line crosses lakes, monn- |
feet above tho jlavc ben built, the bases |
mark. In fc2 places being cg gctcen feet
| fcllinu tbo I}nd the tops protecting o;,,h,
away the nv lakes surfacc at high wai.r
linq thron rcsts The line Is marked nv
very preat imber rod wide and clcarinr
the 6om, hdcrbrush. The work of c,u'
commiss,gh the timbcrcd swamps was
MichiIa but IL has been well done and
toary distinctly marked by the
| !oncrs the whole distance from
n to Alaska.