The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-08-09
In the Boundary as Defined
by the Treaty Of
Client.
A Portion Impossible of Correct
Survey, Owing to Imperfec-
tion of Maps.

New YORK, Aug. 9.-Among tn,
matters to be considered by the joint
commission appointed by the United
States and Great Britain, which is K
meet in Quebec IN Aug. 20, says the
Washington correspondent of Thu
Tribune, are arrangements for thu
more complete definition and marking
any part of the boundary between the
United States and Canada by land o,
water where the same is now so insult.
fciently marked as to be a subject Of
dispute. Es-ErsEZ.-.--
.. A Considerable part Of the boundary
from the eastern end Of Lake Ontario
to the western end of Rainy lake on
the northern frontier of Minnesota has
never been accurately defined OF
marked, and frequent controversies
have been the result, especially in re.
cent years since the country adjacent
to the boundary has begun to be set.
tied and developed. For example, citi.
zens of the United States holding pat.
ents therefrom for timber lands in
Northern Minnesota have been warned
against and prevented from cutting
the timber by Canadian authorities,
who contsnded thst said lands be.
lenged to the dominion government.
American miners and prospectors on
shores and islands of the Rainy lake
region have had their operations inter.
rupted and prevented on like grounds,
and American 1shefmen in Lake Erie
have been arrested and their vessels
seized when, as they supposed and con.
tended. they were in American waters.
In the Fifty.fourth congress, the com.
mittee on foreign affairs Of the house Of
representatives investigated these MAJ.
tiers and reported with a favorable
recommendation, a join. resolution for
the appointment Of a commission o. the
part Of the United States 20 &C. .-.-i.!
with a similar commission u 80 -a-i
Of Great Britain, = dana az -
the boundary as conv=---! -:lr.
mined by the treaty o. Cat ~ -.
Webster. Ashburton c-=a.! :: $500 y:
action was had On r1= ,--. -==-----
Imposs.bie Of Accurate sz-r.y.
1t is stated that the bc1-64- -
fined by the treaty o. Chant l. ,--c.-
sible Of accurate survey becau== 9: .as
imperfection of the maps up3n which
the boundary line was based. Fo, e1.
ample, in that part opposite Long
Point referred to in the commissions
letter of Jan. II, as a probable field for
dispute. the distance from the north.
westerly point of Pressure Isle, near
Erie. Pa, to the southern extremity of
Long Point is found by the scale drawn
upon the map itself to be about BIZ
geographical miles, while upon the &C.
curate modern maps, reduced from sur.
veys made by the army corps of en-.
gineers and published by the hydro.
graphic Office, the same distance is in
fact a trite less than % miles. This
circumstance makes determination BY
measurement from either shore to the
defined boundary Of the Client N ap
impossible for the distance 80 measu red
would overlap some IA miles in the
middle Of the lake.
The commissioners of the treaty of
Ghent did not try to define a portion
Of the boundary between st. Marys
river and Lake Of the Woods, and a
part of it was never charted at all. It
will be part OF the task Of the present
commission to accurately define this
boundary.