The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-09

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Etc Etc ~, al
.r.rlN. March 9-l5pec at Correspond
.ncs.i-Amoug the letters received this
,aorniuc is one inquifing AS 10 the status
ntGreer county, what is the snhject-mater
=, 5,spu,e about it, and what mas the iegis-
,..r,s done in the premises. Ii the nqSirer
Iii nroeure the exhaustive ana admirable
report aud investigation OF the title made
last wear by Colonel Johh NJ; owisher OF
1,.tn he can POSSES himself OF the iull
Jat.;ls But for his and the general in.cr
,atinu I will outline u lew of the paTtlcu-
- about this singular ,uld now famous
,,o,,er as well rs | can recolect them
NH snme Greer county is claimed by the
otats of Texas under q treaty made in 1873
Ss, ceeu the United States ami spain, under
ths administration OF John Quincy Adams.
III situated between the forks OF the north
branch OF Red river and Prane Dogtown
liver being bounded on the west by the
l00th MERIDIAN. Inc IabSuaSe VI 'ue treaty.
reads as follows:
"The boundary line between the two
Countries west of the Mississippi shall be-
Gin on the Gulf of Mexico ut the mouth OF
tba river Sabine, in the sea, continuing
north along the western bank of that river,
m the thirty-sCcond degree Of latitude;
thence by line due north to the the lati-
tude where II strikes the Rio RoXo Of
NatchitoChes, or Red river, then following
the course Of the Rio ROXo westward
tothe degree of longitude one hundred
west from London and twenty three from
Washington; then crossing the said Red
River and running thencs by line due
north TO the river Arkansas; thence follow
inc the course of the southern bank Of the
Arkansas TO its source in latitude lorty-two
north, and thence by that parallel of lati-
tude 10 the South Sea, The whole being,
ms laid down in Melish's map OF the United
states. published at Philadelphia, improved
10 LIST Of January, lSlo.'
Now. when Texas was admitted into the
Union, she came in with her eastern and
northern boundaries rs defined by this
treaty. At that period little was known
of the upper Red River country but
some thirty years ago il was explored by
order Of the Federal government, the now
llustrlous General Geo sc b. MCC!elland,
then captain, being one of the engineer
lng corps. Their la0Ors gave to the country
the frsL definite knowledge about that To-
calltv, and their locations were considered
conclusive IS 20 the boundary lines between
The United States and Texas. lmmedi-
ately after this large mum DER of citizens OF
this state proceeded 10 and settled There,
locatiug lust west of the lOOth meridian, re-
turning The field notes OF their surg
into the general land office at this city.
Subsequently 1t was commended by some
United States surveyors iii the Indian ter
ritory tnat Captain MCClelland nd made
RI error of about one degree III establishing
the lO0h meridian that much too far to the
east, and they SO reported to their govern
ment. AS result of this contest, the
United States ard the state of Texas both
passed acts constituting joint commission
TO run anew the boundary line. In 1860,
Secretary OF the Interior Thompson sug-
gested 10 Governor Houston that the
Texas commissioners should CO.
operate With the United States surveyors.
Accordingly Governor Houston promptly
appointed q Mr.. Russell as our commits
sioner, with instructions to insist on the
north fork as being the main Red river aud
true boundary line i'll the treaty OF 1913
Mr. Russell made and reported his survey
the United States commissioner having re-
piled to his note of solicitation for co-opera
ton that in the year preceding United
States surveyors had run the Tooth merid
ian on the part of their government from
the main branch of Red river 10 point
about half way between the Canadian
river and the North fork, and tha
according 10 his instructions, he wOulC
take up the line at that point, and mari
the boundary then unfinished. Now, i
will be noted that that survey WAS never
made by the joint commission az ALL but i
had been made simply by the Indian terri
tory surveying party, who were interested
i'll extending the field OF their labOrs ant
their consequent increase OF pay. Te&a
was no party to that survey AND IS, ant
never was, bound by it. The United State
commissioner in Is ommenced bis worl
at the point where he stated the lOOti
meridian crosses the Canadian river
ignoring wholly the Texas commissions
adopting as correct the line that had beef
run, ex pgrie, By the Indian territory sur
veyors, and these completely set aside ant
at defiance, the clear words of the treat,
1.-THE whole rs being laid down on Melish'
map Now, this map OF Melish's repre-
sents Red river as running from the nortl
and northwest, precisely rs all the recen
maps represent the North fork as running
and it Is clear that the treaty expressly con
fines the boundary line to Red river, an,
Melish's Red river and this North fork j
one and the same stream, AM
spoken of and meant in the treaty
Last year, however, the United States JUDI
ciarv committee, in report to the house c
representatives. said:
''By this it will be seen that the wester
boundary of that portion OF the Unite
States lying on and north of the Red rive
was said Tooth meridian, and tbs
its southwestern corner was where sal
meridian crosses the river. At the date
that treaty this region had never bee
accurately explored, and the fact was u,
known that the Red river divided into tw
branches before it reached said meridian
in fact, the very map referred to in II
treaty, makes the river continuous streal
and does not lay down tho North FORK I
ALL"
Therefore the argument, in q nutshell,
this. II the North fork of Red river Is IL
Red river named IN the treaties, and fro
which the line is to run duo north st IL
Tooth meridian of longitude west from l4o
don, then all of Greer county is righltuil
included within the boundaries OF Texa
But if the Prairie Dogtown fork is the riv
named in the treaties, than that county b
longs to the United States. Now, the e'
dence to an unparalleled mind is positi'
that Melish never meant anything else Thu
than this North fork, laid down as strea
without tributaries until it passes the l0l
meridian; 1t is the only one laid down
his map or any other one, or ever knov
to surveyor or traveller, until Marcy,
1852, discovered the Prairie Dogtown for
and designated it as the North fork up
his map, since thirty.three years after I
conclusion OF the treaty when the strea
was not known OF. Hence the EXIST
confusion and conflict. NJ
tt
So say We All OF Us,
There is wonderful uuanimity among
physicians land their name is lcgion) W
I 4 Ill I.. i ..a.t