The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-28
ALASkA'S BOUNDARY LINE.
NECESSITY FOR AN IMMEDIATE SET
ELEMENT RECOGNISED.
SAortly-Deserti0n Charge Against
Chas. Peterson Uncanceled-vari-
Gus Postal and Pension Matters.


tive Lewis has been urging upon the Sec
Rotary OF state the necessity for the I'M
mediate settlement of the international
boundary line between Alaska and Brit
ish Columbia. Americans have been CALI
ed upon by Canadian customs officials in
side or the ten-marine-league limit TO pay
duties on their goods and Mr.. Lewis has
presented number of papers and letters
TO the secretary TO show that there is h
great danger Of an outbreak between citi-
zens OF the two countries. Ordinarily, 1t
might make but little difference where GUS
toms officials collect duties upon goods
which are certain to be taken into Brit
ish territory, bat many hotheaded Ameri-
cans will feel Inclined to dispute this claim
OF the British to set up their customs sta
TONS inside OF what has been all along
considered to be the boundary line.
AS nearly all miners carry guns and re-
volvers. the department realizes tina,
there Is serious danger of bloodshed on
the occasion Of any decided conflict be-
tween the indignant prospectors and tho
Canadian customs officials. Every possi-
bic haste is therefore being made by the
state department officials to have tbs
matter settled with Canada. Commission
ers are now negotiating about the matter,
and although the recently published re-
ports from Ottawa to the effec: that the
matter had all been settled are premature
y
probably be reached In a short time.
The fact that the treaty under which
Alaska was acquired positively says that
the boundary line shall be along the sum-
NIT or the Coast range when 1t Is not
more than ten marine leagues from the
coast gives considerable weight to the
British claim to the right Of controlling
the passes as far up as the summit, al
though these SUBMITS should be far within
the ten marine league limit That limit
in the treaty was only intended 20 con-
stitute the boundary line when no range
OF mountains was visible or when the
range is farther back from the coast line.
The statement that has been made In
some papers that the United States is
surrendering anything OF It's claim with
regard to the coast line. which would per-
NIT Canada TO obtain a harbor at eny
point along the Alaskan coast, is wholly
without foundation. The inside shore will
be stoutly maintained. and the present
administration will hold more rigidly than
ever to the American view Of the inter-
national boundary location.
Following L. an extract from one OF the
letters filed by Representative Lewis:
"A former resident OF Seattle. Willis
Thorpe. who took some cattle into Alasssa.
has been forbidden by the Canadian col
lector OF customs named Godson. from
s to the Canadian essieiais the sum Of $50
Thorpe refuses TO do this. He claims he
Is upon American soil and has 10. taken
any meat into Canadian territory: lie
is headstrong. impulsive man. and there
IL danger tina; he might stand upon what
he considers his rights TO the last extrem-
ity. He has been advised by letter to
do nothing rash. but there IL constant dan
ger OF rupture between Americans citi-
zens and Canadian officials while the 10
cation OF the line remains unsettled"
The records OF the navy department do
not bear out the statement OF Charles
Peterson. OF Mount Vernon. WASH. who
AYERS that he Is wrongfully charged with
deserton. At the request OF Representa-
tive Lewis. Assistant Secretary Roosevelt
ordered the records TO be carefully search
ed regarding the dozen or more Charles
Petersons who enlisted In the navy during
the civil war. One only Of these Is marked
as having deserted at Washington during
the year 1865. He enlisted at New York
Angus; "a. 1854. for three years. He served
an board Of the North Carolina. the Paw
tuxet and the Phlox until August Is. ISIS.
when he is marked as deserter at WASH
ington. u. g.
These were the vessels in which the
Charles Peterson, who Is now a resident
of Mount Vernon. served. He claims that
he was sent 10 the hospital in this city.
from whence he was ordered 10 New
York and assigned TO duty in war YES
sci that sailed TO China and Japan. The
records of the bureau OF medicine and
surgery, however. do not show that any
Charles Peterson was discharged from the
hospital at Washington from 1862 TO ISIS,
nor is the name Of Charles Peterson borne
upon the muster rolls of the vessels at
tached TO the As!atic station during the
years 1906 1851 or 1865.
Unless this record can be explained
away there IS little chance OF the Mount
Vernon Charles Peterson getting PEN
sion. The strongest fact against II is that
MS name does not appear on the rolls or
any OF the vessels attached to the Asiatic
station.
Conp,roller Dawes has declined 10 fur
nish a copy OF the bond OF Joseph Il. Daw-
SON receiver OF the Columbia National
bank OF New Whatcom, Wash. TO some
attorney o. that city. who evidently de-
sired the same TO make trouble for Daw-
SON The comptroller states that IL Is
contrary TO the usage OF his office to fur
njsh n certified copy OF tho official bond OF
a receiver of an insoivent national bank
for other use than the enforcement OF the
liability OF the sureties. The bond runs
to the comptroller and the liability OF the
suresies thereon can only be enforced by
him or under his authority, upon salts
factory evidence that its conditions have
net been fully complied with.
The application Of A. II. Dahl. OF Seat
tie for a position as an agent 10 pur
chase reindeer in Siberia for the interior
department. has been forwarded TO DR..
Sheldon Jackson. Of the bureau OF educa-
ton, who has charge Of the reindeer In
PRODUCTION into the Northwest territory
DR.. Jackson. who is now in Seattle VIII
consider the application OF Mr.. Dahl In
person.
The pension claim OF q. g Bailey az So
attic. has been placed on the list for early
adjudication. Isaac n. Scott. OF Blaine
has been ordered for examination at New
Whatcom. and Nelse Olsen OF Hoqu.am.
for examination at Mon:esano The claims
Of Philip Swick, OF Orting. and Of Sher-
wood c. Nicholson. Of Kent. have been
rejected on the ground that they are not
disabled for manual labor in q pensionable
degree.
The pension claims OF William D. Peter
son. OF Everett. and William Fl. Dorland
Of Toledo Wash. have been rejected on
the ground that the rate OF pension. Is
month, which each enc Is receiving fs
fully commensurate with the degree OF in