Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-08-07
GREAT BRITAIN'S CLAIM
CALLED PREPOSTER0US
EngIand's Desire to Possess All Of
the Richness of Alaska May
Lead to Complications.
BOUNDARY FORMERLY AGREED ON
This Country Stands Upon the
Rights Passed by Russia at
the Time the Sale OF the
Territory Was Made.

Great Britain to n big share of Alas
ka promises to occupy n large
amount OF public attention for some
time, coming, if indeed it does not be-
come a vital question, and give rise 10
diplomatic complications between the
United States and England. The claim
is regarded by the government officials
here as prepostcrous. The senate, be-
fore which the boundary question was
brought as the outcome of the treaty
negotiated by Olney and Pauncefot",
did not place itself on record in the
matter, however. Before the vote was
taken congress adjourned, so that the
location of the divisional line which
has been in dispute since 1884, is no
nearer settlement than it has been at
any period in the last thirteen years.
General Duflield, superintendent of the
coast and geodetic survey, was a mem
her Of the boundary commission. The
survey authorized by il has, until re-
Gently, been deemed official and correct
by both countries.
General Duiiield said today: up to
1854 both countries were practically
united as to the boundary line from
si = Nv lslliN w AilN HoAlNllttlNNs .ACNolh-
ing 10 the terms of the treaty between
Russia and Great Britain, the United
States, i'm purchasing Alaska, acquired
all of Russia's. rights. In describing
the southeastern boundary the
Russian treaty reads the line of de-
narration between the possessions of
the high contracting parties upon the
coast continent and islands of America
! IA 1hp nnpt hNNact shall la lrnNN Il, fhn
following manner Commencing
from the southeast point of land called
Prince of Wales island, which point
lies in the parallel - degrees, 40 min
utes north latitude. aud between 131st
degree and 133d degree west longitude.
The same line shall ascend to the
north along the channel of the so
called Portland channel, and as Ear as
the point of the continent where il
strikes the Seth degree of north lati-
tude. From this last mentioned point
the line of demarkation shall follow
the summit of the mountains situated
parallel to the coast as far as the point
of intersection of the ilst degree west
longitude of the same meridian and
finally from said point of Intersection
the said meridian line ,f the 1i1st de.
XIV w lNp pl'l'iik''h'h 10 " AH Nv
frozen ocean shall a limit between
the continent of America to the north
west.
wherever the summit OF the noun
tains which extend in the direction of
the parallel To the coast from the j6th
degree of north latitude 10 n point OF
intersection of the Hist degree Of
west longitude shall prove To he n dis
lance of more than ten marine leagues
from the ocean the limit between the
British possessions and the line of
coast which is to belong To Russia, as
above mentioned, shall he formed by
u line parallel to the winding of the
coast, and which shall never exceed II
distance of ten marine leagues there.
from. On all maps from 1920 down to
1854 the boundary line has been shown
MS, in general terms, parallel to the
winding of the coast and thirty-five
miles from it,. In 1884, however, the
official Canadian maps showed Il
marked detection in this line at its
south end. by this change an area
of American territory about equal in
size To the state of Connecticut was
transferred to British territory. An
other change was made at Lynn canal,
the northernmost extension of Alex
ander archipelago. which runs north
of Juneau, and is the land outlet of the
Yukon trade. In the official Canadian
map of 1884 carried the boundary line
TO the head of this canal, another Ca
madam map three years later carried
the line across the mead of the canal in
such a as to throw it's head.
waters into the British territory. Still
later Canadian maps carry the line,
not across the head Of the canal, but
across near it's mouth, some sixty oil
seventy miles south of the former
line, and in such Il way as practically
to take in juneau, or at least all the
overland Immediately back of it. And
in the very latest Canadian maps pub
liShed at Ottawa within a few days
while il run no line at all southeast
of Alaska, prints the legend of "Britist
Columbia over the portion of Lynn
Canal which is now administered by
the United States"
a recent report of the United States
surveyor as to the boundary line in
this connection, said: ain substance
these determinations throw the dig.
gings at the mouth of Forty Mil,
creek within the territory of the Unit
ed States. The whole valley of Bircf
creek, another of the most valuable
gold producing parts of country is al
SO in the United States. The most O
the gold is to the west of the crossing
of the 141st meridian at Forty Mile
creek. If we produced the 141st meri
dian on the chart the mouth of Miller's
creek, tributary to Sixty Mile creek
and a valuable gold region, is fiv,
miles west in u direct line, or sever
miles across to the winding of tn,
stream, all within the territory of tn,
United States. In substance, the onl,
places in the Yukon region where gol,
in quantities has been found, ar,
therefore all to the west of the boun
dairy line between Canada and tn,
United States"
1t can readily be seen that the claim
of the United States is directly op
posed to that of the Canadians. 1t i
true that the arbitration of the 141s
meridian was favored by the Unite'
States surveyors, but while some o
them agreed with the English
with regard to Lynn creel
and the whole southern boun
dry, they expressed the belle
that the United States wouli
refuse to arbitrate the claims to thi
portion of the boundary.