The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-01
| VAR CAUSED
By h HOG
Romatic History Of the Dis
pute in Puget Sound.
BETTER THAN A NOVEL
Elopement of Opposite Forces
Narrowly Ayerted.
BETTER THAN A NOVEL

of more than 400 islands lying at the en-
trance of Puget Sound, was at that time
claimed by the British Government
through the powerful Hudson Bay Com
pany, which was utilizing them for a
sheep pasture. Our own government.
with but vague idea of the Importance
OF its great Northwestern domain, seem
ed obliyious to the danger from British
encroachments. Something must happen
to rouse her interest in and fix her at
tention upon the remote territory And
right here. if you please, something did
/ happen, through the iawiess peregrina-
tons of the swine aforesaid-and this is
how II came about
An American had made a clearing
/ among the forests of San Juan Island. the
/ largest in the group. From the timber
on his claim he had built a horne and
fenced his field. In that delightful cii-
mate and fertile soil his corn and Do
{ tato patch had thriven nightly, and
he was looking serenely forward TO a
bountful harvest Imagine, then, il YOU
please, what must have been his sensa-
! tons on going out early one fine MORN
/ ing to find his hopes crushed as fat as
were the corn and potato stalks which the
/ vicious brute was. even now, roofing up
and trampling upon. AS he surveyed mis-
devastated crops, anger and amazement
/ held him dumb for a single moment; then
| his tongue was loosened and ne gave free
! vent 10 his pent-up feelings
The intruder. Interrupted in his work
of ruin. vanished abruptly through a
breach that he had made in the rail
fence But he was marked for vengeance,
and the next morning his lifeless car
cass was found just outside the Ameri-
cans enclosure, whittier he had returned
| on another of his predatory excursions.
The shot that ended his career pre-
cipitated crisis The Hudson Bay Com
pany. whose property it was. rose up In
its might. as one man, TO crush this
audacious Yankee who had had the te-
merity. not only to defend his property.
but To actually kill one OF thier stock
animals for encroaching on his premises.
He was arrested and summoned to appear
at Victoria, on Vancouver island. for
trial
Then all his smoltiering passion hurst
forth. The spirit of Bunker Hill and 10
blazed in his eyes and leaped from his
tongue. He snapped his fingers in their
astonished faces and defed them TO lay
their hands upon him. affirming that he
was upon American soil, and they, not
he. were interlopers.
He was carried to Victoria. but having
appealed for protection to the Governor Of
Washington Territory. that official laid
the matter before Gen. Harvey. at that
time commander of the Military Depart
ment of the Columbia. Gen. Harvey at
once dispatched a company OF infantry
and one of artillery TO the scene OF the
dispute. The British Government retail
ated by sending two war vessels TO pro-
tect their assumed interests. The off,
Ger in Command of the American troops
was Capt. George Pickett. The British
commander took up a position broadside
TO the American camp. Soon a boat
was lowered, and an officer glittering in
a uniform of scarlet and gold was roved
ashore. He bore a peremptory demand
from the British commander that the
forces OF the United States be withdrawn
forwith from the territory of her era
cious Majesty Queen Victoria. Capt. Pick
EFT answered that he had not been or
dered to surrender the islands, but TO
defend them: and that he was prepared
10 carry out his instructions to the let
te~
The war cloud grew darker when Gen
Harvey himself arrived with reinforce
Tncnts and Briton and Yankee confront
cd one another in hostile array. When
.-g.- -,--,z-
washington. President Buchanan sent
General Winfield Scott to take command
of the Department Of the Pacific, with
Instructions TO avoid hostilities II il were
possible without a sacrifice OF the ma
tional honor Scott went from San Fran
cisco to Victoria where he met the British |
Admiral who fortunately. who was a |
man OF good sense as well as ability. |
4 compromise on the basis OF joint oc- |
cupation of the islands until the bOun- 1
dairy question should be definitely settled /
was agreed upon Just AT this time. the /
strained political situation between the |
North and the South. TO be followed all /
too soon by civil war, gave our Gov |
eminent enough business TO attend TO at l
home without counting hostilitiss abroad. /
( -uhappily. il also arrayed IN deadly strifS 1
q gainst her many OF this brave little /
band OF soldiers VINO were then guarding /
her farthest outpost. and who would will /
irely have laid down Their lives to de- 4
fend her honor and her soil from foreign 4
foe. Conspicuous among these was Pick I
EFT. who later irmortsiized himself as 1
one OF the heroes OF the lost cause.
During the civil war. and for several I
wears afterwards. the burning issue or the /
boundary was held in allowance. and the
two hostile forces isolated from all the 4
rest Of the world. fratsruize5 in the most /
cordial fashion English camp. as the
spot where the British garrison stood IS
called to this day. was festive place
pleasant with Z gracious hospitality. and
bright with TIE presence OF lovely vo-
men who carried the refinement OF their
English homes into the rough frontier
5ost Many friendly bout at tennis or
,roouet was PLAYED OF Tire wide lawn.
st-stchiuE away in front Of the officers /
-,Grtsrx. Though RI blo0f was shed in 1
N, = spirited engagements. they were
nor without their s0oils Of victory and d.
-as; where wounds tina. left tho scars
seep in the lives OF the eonbatspis were
oven and received Among u sc. local
-aditioa sefiI holds the memory q fair
young English girl who lost her hear.
Y