The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-06-29
CUT down THE
BRITISH FLAG
American Lawyer at Skag-
way Creates Excitement.
BOUNDARY DISPUTE
GROWING SERIOUS
Union Jack Was Flying Over
Canadian Customs House.

Vancouver, 3. c., June 28-The
steamer Islander from Skagway today
brings news OF an exciting flag cpl
sode at Skagway. Z. S. Busby. cana
dian customs agent there, acting on
instructions from Ottawa. hoisted the
British flag on q pole above his Office
Several ineendiary remarks followed
the hosting of the ensign. and on the
Following morning, a tan. athletic look
lng man glanced up at the flag and
stopping at the foot of the staff. took
out his pocket knife ana. cutting the
halyards. pulled down the flag and ran
Ihe halyards through the block, rolled
up the cOIors and tossed them into a
recess of the building
II did not take Customs Agent Busby
long to come to the defense of the flag
Of his country When he reached the
rag turler the latter calmly pulled a
card from his pocket and, after hand
J ing ii TO the astOnished Canadian off,
/ clal, turned on his heel and walked
away On the card was:
George Miller.
Attorney at Law
1890 q.
Miller is a brother of. Joaquin Miller.
/ the California poet, and is visiting
/ friends in SkagWay Miller said
i cut down the British fas on ms
own authority, by virtue of RIGHTS rest
I ing IN every American citizen.
I "A SkagWay paper says: This incf-
dent. which has caused no end ef COM
: ment, has been brewing for several
days ny hen the flag POLE was put on
/ the depot building. the matter was
] called to the attention OF O. L. An
4 drewS, United States deputy coliect0r
I of customs AIr- Andrews iuTesti 81 ted
( the matter and found nothing in his
authority which he Thought would JUS
/ tify the Canadian supervising officer in
/ raising the flag of his country. unless
( the stars and stripes waved aboVe IT,
Entitled to Fly a Flag.
He accordingly called upou Mr.. BUS
/ by and had a talk with him regarding
/ the proposed innovation. mr. Busby
( showed him letter from the CHIEF Gus
1 toms official of Canada, which stated
+ officers. operating on Canadian soh. in
J conditions corresponding to his Alr
/ Busby's. Office were permitted 70 ny
! the flag Of the country, he was entItled
to the same right and TO go aread
/ with the nag RAISING
on the hypothesis that the Cana
dian official would not so on record
i with such a statement II lt were not q
/ fact Mr. Andrews concluded that Mr.
7 Busby was within his rights and ac-
cordingly took no action ia the matter
While it is generally regretted that
/ any friction should occur between the
I citizens OF one country and the 011-
ciaIs of the ether. the people are ecllal-
+ ~ as willing to state that there is no
/ occasion whatever for the trouble. on
this strip of land which the nited
States has occupied undispuled since
/ the days Of the transfer i'm 1864. The
I Canadian officials have gradually en-
+ cTOached. unreSITained by the Amer
/ lean government BY leaps and bounds
the Canadian customs house has adj
vanced toward the tide Fater FROM
! Tagish to Bennett. then 20 Log CABIN
and lastly to the summit and Wnen
4 Their the customs ensign. of Canada. was
hosting at SkagWay, lit is small Won
der that some John Brown would NOT
wait for tardy action from ny asnl-s-
ten, but cut down the has
Flag Had to Come Down
The hauling down of the flag oc-
Z CURED. ON saturday. June p All day
Sunday there was much discussion POI
SlkagWray over me lnclueI'l' gu
Monday morning Canadian customs
Agent Busby again haa Jne nag Up
FUsby states that he was informed o5
( a committee that the British nag was
: not 10 be hOisted unless the OnlIel
states flag was raised above IT, nc
this Busby refused to consent
T17an according TO BusDE stare
nent Judge Selbrede, Captain JeIks
United states Marshal shook and othei
American citizens informed BUS bg
that unless he took down the nag. a
I least until they had some advice IRON
Washington in the matter, they Wout
not hold themselves responsible l0F am
action of SkagWay people Rusby tnel
407Ix down the flag pending further in
structi0ns from his department az VI
, ( .