Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-12-19
THAT COLORADO SLICE.
Some Fine Lands In Centennial State
Belong to New Mexico.
RECENT DISCOVERIES.

The startling discovery has been
made that the revised statutes of the
United States take off an entire degree
of Colorado's territory and attach the
area to New Mexico.
In other words, the northern bound
airy of New Mexico and the southern
boundary of Colorado, according to
the Official description in the new stat
utes, overlap an entire degree Of lati-
tude. .ut
The boundary between the common
wealths has always been given as the
9th degree, and has never been dis
puted. Now New Mexico's northern
line is described as running along the
3Stb parallel
According to the latest status on the
subject a strip of Colorado sixty miles
from north to south and 400 miles from
east to west, belongs to New Mexico.
The counties lying wholly south of
the 3Sth degree are La Plata, Dolores,
n Juan, Montezuma, Mineral, Arch
ulet, Conejos, Costilla, Huerfano, Las
Animas and Baca, while the counties
which the line divides are San Miguel,
Ouray, Hinsdale, Saguache, Custer,
Pueblo, Otero, Bent aud Prowers, If
the matter gets to a point where the
discrepancy between the statutes and
the old surveys is taken into the courts
all Of this immense area of what was
supposed to be a part of Colorado. will
be q veritable No Mans land until the
dispute is settled.
The 3Sth parallel Of north latitude
passes through the state in a line a
few miles north of La Junta and Tel.
hurdle and a few miles south of Lake
City and Ouray. II the revised stat.
utes are to be believed a dozen impor-
tant counties, in which are included a
portion of the fertile Arkansas valley,
almost the entire San Luis valley, the
rich mining region of the San Juan,
and other districts of equal importance
are all in New Mexico.
State Engineer McCune received the
news in an unofficial way this morning,
but he has no doubt that the federal
statutes give the boundary line as
stated. Mr.. McCune believes it is
either an error of great magnitude on
the part of the men who revised the
statutes or is a scheme concocted by
the opponents of New Mexican state
hood to start a boundary war, and thus
cause such q confusion among the
friends of statehood that the PROPOSE
ton will be badly defeated.
u The discovery of the contrariety was
made several days g by the commits
sion in charge Of the codifcation of the
federal laws in Washington. The new
statutes gave the 38th degree as the
boundary between Colorado and New
Mexico, and the commission looked uI
the maps and surveys and saw that the
line given there was the 37th degree.
Y. 1t appears that an attempt was made
to keep the matter a secret until al
investigation could be held, but tn,
senate committee on statehood secured
possession of the information and will
spring 1t at the proper time as one O
the arguments against statehood.
Several OF the New York papers pub
lished stories about the boundary VAR
ance last week and held that the stat
utes would have to be amended or
large slice of C~olorado's territor,
would be added to New Mexico. TIL
cities and towns that would be affecte,
by any such drastic ruling are Tel
1uride, Silverton, Durango, Mont
Vista, Pagosa Springs, Alamosa, Cone
jos, Antonito, Trinidad, Walsenbure
La Junta. Springfield and numerou
Others of lesser Importance.
The changing by the statutes of tn
boundary line between Colorado an
New Mexico must be an error but | ca,
not e how any such mistake coul
have been made" said the state Ell
gineer this morning. 1T will certainl
be productive of great confusion befor
it is settled. The discrepancy ma
have been purposely arranged in orde
TO befuddle the members of congress
On New Mexican statehood."-Denve
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