The Portland daily press., 1896-05-12
THEALAsKAN BOUNDARY. y
Canada Claims All the Territory's Most
Picturesque Features.

(Eliza r. Scidmore in the Century,
The change of boundary indicated by
the Cameron line would not only take
from Alaska several rich mineral sections
but our most unique scenic possessions.
Portland channel Itself is ford Of sur
ass!ng beauty: Benin canal is justly
extolled as the finest landscape reach on
tho ooast; Revillagigedo is the scenic
island; and John Muir is author of the
saying that tho Stikine river is "a
Yosemite 100 miles long" The Cameron
line would annex all these to Canada,
crossing the Stikine at It's muddy mouth,
sand taking away over TO miles Of that
places have bsen accepted as the temper
ary boundary in the past Three times
the Hudson Bay company post and the
British custom house were removed and
rebuilt, until ct last, during the Cassiar
mining boom, the British custom house
Alaskan SOIL at the foot of the Great
glacier, for the temporary convenience of
the British authorities and the United
States military officers at Fort Wrangell,
near the p,outh of the Stikine river.
Later town site was surveyed around
this very oustonhouse and entered at
Victoria, B. G.
The most beautiful tide water glacier
on the coast would be lost to US by Gen.
Cameron's pencilbd annexation of Taku
inlet. The boundary liue, which had al
ways been drawn at the crest of the
mountain range at the head of Lynn
canal, was moved down 10 tide water on
the Canadian map Of 1884; and in 1887
Gen. Cameron moved the line 60 miles
farther south to the very entrance of
that magnificent ford. gathering in all
the Bsrner's bay mines, the canneries at
the head of Lynn canal, the great David
son glacier, and the scores of lesser ice
streams that constitute the glory of that
greater lyngenfiord of the new world.
Least pleasant to contemplate in this
proposed partition or gerry of
scenic Alaska is the taking away of
Glacier bay, which was discovered by
John Muir in 1879, visited and named by
Admiral Beardslee in 1880, has been the
goal of regular excursion steamers for 13
seasons past Alaska tourists learn with
dismay that the Cameron line, QUITTING
across Glacier bay Its very entrance
would transfer the great glaciers to the
British flag, and prevent United States
steamers from landing passengers at
Muir glacier, just as the Canadian ex-
cursion steamer has been debarred from
landing visitors in Muir inlet for want
of a United States custom house.
So far the so-oalled Canadian "aggres-
sions" are all on paper. The Cameron
line has been drawn, but has only imag-
mary existence. For quarter of oen-
tury there has been complete Indifference
TO the unsettled Alaska boundary line on
the part Of the United States. followed
recently by excited and incorporate
uttersnoes in the newspapers. based on
half information, miners yarns and
imagination, as deplorable in effect as
the former Indifference. Public opinion
is being misled and prejudiced to de-
gree that renders psaceable considerations
of the question difficult. Wild editorials
have given such hints. points and sug-
gestIons for Canadian "aggressions,1
were such intended, that one might be-
lisve the jingo journalists hypnotized
from across the border, so much better
do they serve the Dominion's ends than
those of our neglected estate" of Alaska.