Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-02-18

the important boundary line fixed by
commission of our own. 1t is probable
that, with all the worldready to wrangle
with Great Britain, that country will
be inclined to surrender any unlawful
demands upon territory belonging to
this country. Great Britain has an itch
ing palm, and her people are continual
ly grasping territory in which gold
fields are located. She must not and
cannot encroach upon rich territory
belonging to this country. 1t is prob
able that she has distinct understand
ing of that fact already.
The most important pending problem
is concerning the exact location of the
141st meridian. The entertainment
of given meridian at any given point
is work depending upon the precision
of the scientific instruments employed
and the accuracy of the astronomical
md geodetic observations, SO that 1t
needs much time and care to reduce the
remaining amount of error to SO small a
degree that it will be practically i'm
material and of no consequence. Such
observations and surveys were under
taken by the United States coast and
geodetic survey in 1890 and 1891, and
the points where the Hist meridian
crossed the Yukon river, also where it
intersects Forty Mile creek, and again
where it passes by the summit of
Mount st. Elias, have been marked
with some degree of accuracy. Similar
surveys in some quarters under British
auspices are believed to give nearly CO.
incident results. There is a difference
of perhaps not more than $50 feet be-
tween the location of the respective
governments on the Yukon river where
that is intersected by the 141st merid-
ian, and there is but slight difference
at the intersection of the meridian
with what is known as Forty Mile
creek, where active mining operations
are conducted. 1t seems to be practi-
cable to reach an agreement along this
line, inasmuch as the difference is so
slight. These surveys by the re-
spective governments have been indie
pendently conducted, and no interna-
tional agreement has yet been made
to mark those or any other parts of
the 141st meridian by permanent monu-
ments.
1t is important that this boundary
line shall be marked and taken out of
the world of controversy. The boun-
Diary claimed by Great Britain, if al
lowed, would prove to be great hard
ship upon the people of our country
who are seeking aud developing mining
properties in Alaska. If the British
boundary line is accepted, the miners
of our country must traverse the coast
and the Yukon river for distance of
about 1000 miles, in order to get into
the gold fields, without crossing and
recrossing British boundary lines, and
paying customs duties upon freight
and supplies. If our boundary line
shall be established beyond question,
our people would only have to travel
about 100 miles from the highest point
of navigation to the gold fields; and
they would not have TO pay any Gus
toms duties. In other words, the Brit
ish boundary line is sought to be es-
tablished solely for the purpose Of
driving our miners aud mine owners
away from property and territory
which of right belongs to this country.
The Venezuelan question palcs into
insigniiicance when compared with
this matter. 1t is all right for senti-