River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-11-12
THE oHIo-IN0IANA LINE.


DIR. MendenhaII, of the Coast suryes.
Talks on the boundary DIspute-The
HoosIer state May suffer from the Re-
survey, but Can't Recoup at the Ex-
pense of Illinois.
WASHINGTON, Nov. Ito ease the
minds of Illinoisans who tremble at
the possibility of being called Hoosiers
it may be said that the boundary lines
between Indiana and Illinois were not
run when Indiana was split off from
Ohio. Nor would the mere fact
that the Ohio line was zigzag
instead of straight Justify the same
conclusion in regard To the Illinois
boundary The supposed ruling by
which Indiana would be entitled to a
slice on the west in case
it lost on the east would soon
come to an absurdity when Hi
nois sought to compensate itself by
spreading a little further west The
Mississippi river would be the bar. and
as that river was the limit of north
west territory no claim could be made
against Iowa for strip of its fertile
river land.
The dispatches published here an
nounced briefly that the boundary line
as at present recognized, instead of be-
ing directly north and south, ran at
an angle giving to Indiana n strip 200
miles long and IL miles wide at its
northern end This makes an average
width of miles, or $4,000 square miles,
within which is situated the cities of
Fort Wayne, Richmond and Union
City. For several weeks past a gov
ernment survey party has been look.
ing into the matter under the direction
of DR. Mendenhall, superintendent OF
the coast survey, who talks very
interestingly about the matter He
says:
The dispute over the boundary was first
brought to my attention by visit here last
winter OF the attorney general Of Ohio. who
laid the facts before me and asked that they be
investigated. went out TO Ohio and saw Gov.
Campbell, well as Gov HOvey of In
diana. l thought that the latter might b.
willing u enter into an agreement
with the state Of Ohio in reference To settling
the dispute, so that the coast survey force
might work without any danger of interstate
collision Naturally enough, Gov Hovey was
not anxious ~ ass st in any project that might
result in cutting off a slice of Indiana, and so
that state has had nothing to do with the in
NNaAikdAltus nave ibt dS Nfb itNtifth thc it-
ports OF Mr.. Sinclair and his assistants. al
though have talked with those gentlemen. I
do not believe from what l now understand
that the boundary line is IL miles out of the
way, as has been stated. but am frank 10 con-
fess that do not yet know just how far the
line is wrong, il at all.
1t has always been n tradition along the
line that the recognized boundary was incor-
rect, but really believe that the investigation
was asked because the people OF Union City
living on the Indiana side wanted to belong 10
OHIO l account for the error, IL one exists,
by the fact that the line must have been run
by compass, the deviation OF which was not
very well known
If the line is wrong what can be done about
it," asked
Certainly no change can now be made
without causing a great deal Of disturbance
and unless the difference between the present
line and the correct one Is very great do not
belleve that there will be any change. OF
course IL Ohio has been defrauded of a large
amount OF land it is entitled 10 its rights II is
10 be remembered that the line was not run by
the states ana then accepted by them. 1t was
surveyed by the United States and forced, so
TO speak, upon the then territories"
at is sad that if Ohios claim is correct In
diana may ask for and receive a slice Of land
- miles wide OF the eastern portion Of Hi
nos. including the present site az the worlds
fair"
''Ihat Is very interesting, out IL does not fol-
low il the one line is wrong the other is equally
out Of plumb AS a matter Of fact, doubt
very much whether il is have not looked in
10 the Indiana Illinois phase OF the matter. but
] should think that line was run Quite indie
pendently Of the line between OhiS and In
diana"
In connection with this boundary
question it is worth while to recall that
Michigan people think Toledo ought to
be in their state There are Wiscon-
sin historians who seriously maintain
the claim that Chicago ought
to be Badger city 1t is an
old controversy in both cases. growing
out of the looseness With which the
general government divided up the
northwest territory. The Ohio people,
even in the early days, were fighters.
They moved into the disputed territory
along the Maumee, which Michigan
claimed, and kept it. There was a COM
mission TO settle the question, but the
decision was never acquiesced in by
Michigan. Illinois has been gamer
of territory in another way. The Mis-
sissippi has washed a good deal of
Missouri soil over to the Illinois side.
There have been many lawsuits grow
ing out of the growth and disappear
unce of islands in the Mississippi. but
somehow the accretion always went to
IU;pofc