Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-08-02


boundary line has been in general /
terms parallel to the winding Of the
coast, and 35 miles from it. In 1884,
however, one of the Canadian maps
showed a marked defietcion of this
line at its south end. Instead of pas
ing up Portland channel, the Cana
dian map showed the boundary as
passing up the Benin canal, an arm of
the sea 60 or 10 miles west of
Portland channel, this change having
been made on the bare assertion that
the words Portland canal as inserted
were erroneous By this change an
area of American territory about
equal in size to the state of Connecti-
cut was transferred to British terri
tory.
"There are three facts which go to
show that this map was incorrect. In
the first place, the British admiralty,
when surveying the northern limit of
the British Columbian possessions in
1868, surveyed Portland canal and not
Benin canal, and thus by implication
admitted this canal to the boundary
line.
"Second, the region now claimed by
British Columbia was at that time
occupied as a military post of the
United States without objection or
protest on the part Of British Colum-
bia.
"Third, Anette island, in this re-
gion, was, by act of congress four
years ago, set apart as a reservation
for the use of the Metlakahtla Indi-
ans, who sought an asylum under the
American flag to escape annoyances
experienced under the British flag.
"Another change was made at Lynn
canal, the northernmost extension of
the Alexander archipelago, which
runs north of Juneau. and is the land
outlet of the Yukon trade. If the
official Canadian map Of 1884 carried
the boundary line around this canal.
another Canadian map, three years
later, carried the line across the head
of the canal in such a manner as TO
throw its headwaters into this rich
territory. Still later Canadian maps
carried the line, not across the head
of the canal, but cross near its mouth,
some 10 miles south Of the former line,
In such way as practically to take
in Juneau, or at least all overland
Immediately back of it, and the last
Canadian map, while it runs no line
at all southeast of Alaska, prints
the legend British Columbia over por-
tions of Lynn canal, now administered
by the United States.
ga recent report of the United
States surveyors as to the boundary
line in this connection said: In SUBJ
staace these determinations |
throw the diggings at the mouth
of Forty-Mile creek within the ter
ritory of the United States. The
whole valley of this rich creek is also
in the United States. Most Of the
gold is to the west Of the crossing of
the 141st miridian at Forty-Mile
creek. If we produce the 14lst me-
ridian on chart the mouth of Mil
ler's creek, tributary of Sixty-Mile
creek, and a valuable gold region, is
five miles in a direct line, or seven
miles according to the winding of the
stream, all within the territory of the
United States. In substance, the only
places in the Yukon region where
gold in quantities has been found are
all to the west of the boundary line
between Canada and the United
States.
at can readily be seen that the
claim of the United States is directly
opposed to that OF the Canadians. It.
is true that the arbitration of the
141st meridian was favored by the
United States surveyors, but some Of
them were amazed at the claims of
the English with regard to Lynn
creek, not canal, and the whole south
eastern boundary and expressed the
belief that the United States would
refuse to arbitIate the claims of this