The herald., 1893-01-30
MISTAKE IN THE FRONTIER LINE
Editor Bagg of Tombstone
Talks About the Boundary.
He Shows That Port Ysabel Should
Belong to This Country,
A Curve in the Line Between This Coun-
try and Mexico Which Indicates
Jobbery-How the Work Is
Being Conducted,

Mr.. S. @. Bagg, editor of the Tomb
stone, Arizona Prospector who is now in
this city, stated in an interview some
important facts relative to the workings
of the international boundary commits
sion which is under the direction of
Chief Barlow. Mr.. Bagg said:
The monuments for the boundary
line are being made at El Paso, Texas,
they will be cast iron, about eight feet
in height, each weighing about two
tons. The present monuments are
merely piles of rocks with a wooden
post stuck up in the middle. The posts
have long since rotted and the rocks are
mostly scattered. Some of these So
called stone boundary monuments re-
semble mining claim stakes. The pre-
sent survey is to determine exactly
where we are.
Had substantial monuments been put
up in the first place, the present work
would have been obviated, or had the
government taken proper care of the
monuments about one years labor
would have been saved, also great ex-
pense.
The original survey was made in the
early ffties, not long after the Gads-
den purchase. The surveying party is
now camped at Yuma, and will at once
begin working toward the other end OF
the line, below San Diego, thus taking
advantage Of the winter weather to
work through the Colorado desert.
They will reach the end of the line about
the 18th of May, after which they will
return to Nogales and work to Yuma,
thus completing the line. The entire
survey will occupy about one year.
While on the subject, 20 u may as
well allude to one other point, which
has recently been referred to, but which
will, no doubt, assume an international
phase. In searching for the landmarks of
our boundary line, the commission dis
covered that it made curve, or crook,
leaving out some important coast line
and cutting off Port Ysabel, on the Gull
of California. There being no apparent
reason for this circuitous survey, espec-
tally when straight line would have
been easier, the commission reasoned
that something was wrong, that there
must be hidden motive for it.
As has been stated, the original draft
OF the survey ran to point 80 miles be-
low the mouth of the Colorado river,
which you will see by the map is on a
straight line and includes Port Ysabel.
After the documents were made ont we
found that the line ran to point 80
miles below the mouth OF the Gila river,
leaving out that port and some valuable
coast lands. This fraud can no doubt
be proved. Our original drafts should
be in existence at Washington, and !
have good reasons for believing that the
Mexicans also have a copy of the ori.
! ainal draft on file at Hermosilla, the
capital of Sonora. The reason that this
is becoming especially important now ia
| that q Mexican. English syndicate il
putting upon the market an immense
Mexican grant near our boundary line,
and which includes very large portion
of that land which really belongs to oui
government. So you see there is likely
to be trouble over that slip of land and
of the designing pens of the shrewd
Mexicane.