The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-05
BOUNDARY LINE SURVEY.
Engineer Returns From Marking
the Border Between British CO.
Ium hin Northwest Territory.

Special Dispatch TO the Post-Intelligencer
VICTORIA, Dec. 4.-George White Fra
ser, of Toronto. who for the last Two
ye<rs has been engaged in determining
the boundary line between British Column
ba and the Northwest territories. IS IN
the city. Little has been heard or MS
work in the north for the reason that Mr..
Fraser has been most of the time IN
country practically unknown ana uneN.
pl3red where he was forced to depend
upon the supplies carried by his pack ami
mails for subsistence. His labors are now,
however, practically completed and an
accurate boundary line, as a result, is now
marked from TesIin lake westward to the
Dalton trail. East of Teslin lake IL sun
remains unmarked. but as that land Is
practically terra incognito. no necessity
exists at present for prolonging the line in
that direction.
The work which Mr.. Fraser has carried
out has been divided into two parts. Inc
first years work lay between Attn City,
or Bennett lake, and Teslin lake: The
country was for the most part densely
wooded, with an underground, ana was
marked by sloughs and swamps, in which,
in following the inexorable air line of the
boundary, the surveying party often be-
came vexatiously entangled. This work
began at Atlin City, where Mr.. Brownlee
had previously marked out a boundary es-
tablishing Atlin City as being within the
province. His survey was pracucally con-
frmed by Mr. Fraser, the two ofhcials dii-
fering little in the determination OF the
line of division.
The past summers work has been much
more arduous. 1t lay westward from
Bennett lake to the Alsek river, west of
the Dalton trail, where the surveyors
labors for the year terminated rather
abruptly on the 9Th of October. Frost and
snow had already given warning that the
labors of the party must soon terminate
unless grave risks were to be run, and on
the date mentioned they started out for
Porcupine. The day following the cross
ing of the summit heavy SNOWFALL came,
and although three WEEKS were consumed
in reaching the outside Mr.. Fraser
counted himself as very lucky indeed
His work this year lay almost entirely
above the timber line, the steep aseents
and descents involving the most arduous
toll and often considerable danger. In
some instances glaciers had to be crossed.
and although no accidents resulted II is
probably due rather to the great caution
exercised by the gentleman in charge than
to any other cause. Two men accompanied
him. and of the nine animals which car
ried the six months supplies with which
they started only one persisted
To British Columbians this trip was in
teresting. not because 1t established the
boundary line between this province and
the territories but because of the obser-
vations made by Mr.. Fraser along the
route Although only the. most hurried
and perfunctory examination could be
made Of the country, in geological sense.
sufficient was seen to demonstrate that IL
has mineral wealth quite equal to that of
any portion of the north. On the Takhini
river plenty of coal of good quality was
found. and more was noticed in the neigh
borhood of the Dalton trail He Is con-
WINGED, too. that there is gold bearing
quartz and placers all the way from the
Yukon waterway to the Dalton trail.
Along the Takhin river. also, excellent
timber was found but for the rest of the
trip scrub growth was necessarily met
with, owing to the altitude at which the
party worked