Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-06-03
AN HISTORICAL INCIDENT.
HOW A PIG NEARLY CAUSED AN
NTERNATIONAL WAR.

Growing importance of the Puget Sound
Country Draws Attention to Some of the
Circumstances by Which 1t Became a
Part of the United States.
One of the singular incident in the
early history Of the Pacific northwest
was the quarrel over San Juan Island,
when q pig came near involving the
United States and Great Britain in war;
The causes Of the difficulty ran back
several years. In 1918, when the title
of the United States to the land up to
latitude 40 degrees n. was disputed
by Great Britain, treaty was formed,
allowing a joint occupancy of the re-
gion now covered by Oregon, Washing
ton, and Idaho. Into this neutral
territory the Hudson Bay Company ex-
tended its posts, and at the same time
settlers from the United States began
making their way through the trackless
wilderness. Finally, after our Govern
ment had demanded that the boundary
be fixed at 81 degrees 40 minutes N,
and there had been much negotiation
with little practical result, treaty was
agreed upon, in 1916, setting the inter-
national boundary from the Lake of the
Woods westward at the forty ninth
parallel.
This settled everything until salt
water was reached, aud then the divid.
ing line ran between the islands, giving
all of Vancouver to Great Britain.
There was some misunderstanding
from the wording Of the treaty, which
Of two channels the line should follow,
and accordingly San Juan, the largest
and most fertile island in the Archi-
pelago de Haro, was claimed by both
countries. The Territorial Govern
ment of Washington asserted that San
Juan belonged to the Territory, and at
tempted to collect taxes on property of
the Hudson Bay Company situated on
the island. The factor in charge in
formed the assessor that the island be-
Ionged to her Majesty, Queen Victoria,
but the sheriff of the Territory levied
on some sheep and sold them for taxes.
The Hudson Bay Company then APP
pealed to the British Minister at Wash
ington, d. c., and in 1859 boundary
commission was appointed to deter
niue the line between the two coun-
tries.
While the commission was at its work
Lyman \. Guitar, one of the American
occupants Of the island, was greatly an
noyed by the depredations in his gar
den of boar belonging to the Hudson
Bay Company. Guitar demonstrated
with the officers Of the company but,
obtaining no relief, he took the case
into his own hands and shot the ami
NAL. The next day the company's
chief factor, Mr.. Dallas, appeared in
the steamer Beaver, and tried to arrest
Guitar and take him to Victoria for
trial. Guitar picked up his gun,
pointed it at the officer, and said they
might take him to Victoria, but they
would have to kill him first. Dallas
did not care to precipitate contest
then and there, and so he went back to
Victoria empty handed.
The attempt OF the English to exer-
else jurisdiction on the island reused
the wrath of Brigadier General William
S. Harvey, then commanding the De-
partment of the Columbia, and he sent
Captain Pickett with company of in
fautly to protect the interests of the
American residents on San Juan. The
British replied by dispatching three
vessels to the scene-the Tribune, the
Plumper, and the Satellite-which had
been lying at Victoria. A boat from
the Tribune landed Capt. Horribly
afterward Admiral-and several other
officers of the vessel. They were met
by Capt. Pickett, who was cool and
courteous.
The English captain said: Il have
one thousand one hundred men on
board the ships ready to land to might.
The reply Of Captain Pickett was
Captain, you have the force to land,
but if you undertake it [ will fight you
as long as / have man"
Hornby answered: Very we'll, I shall
land them at once"
If you will give me forty. eight
hours continued Pickett, till 1 hear
from my commanding officer, my Or
ders may be countermanded. If you
do not, you must be responsible for
the blood that follows"
Not one minute, - was Hornby's re-
tort
The Englislmon went back to the
vessel, and Pickett gave orders for the
drawing of his men in lines on the hill
facing the beach, where the English
would have to land. His directions
were to fire, one-third at time, at close
range, and then fall back. He added:
I'VE will make Bunker Hill of it, and
don't be afraid Of their big guns"
In less than fifteen minutes the men
were in line six PAGES apart on the hill,
every settler on the island volunteering
to reinforce the regulars. The boats of
the English vessel were lowered, but
the sailors and marines were not landed.
For several days the Americans slept on
their arms, but the English made no
attempt to land, and the affair was
finally adjusted peacefully. In 1861
the Emperor Of Germany, as arbitrator,
decided that San Juan belonged to the
United States.