The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-08-23
WASHIN GTON AND OREGON
BOUNDARY LINE is AGAIN A
MATTER OF DISPUTE.
Sale of Desdemona Sands to Houston
of Tacoma Contested by Columbia
River Packers.

| OLYMPIA, Wash, Aug. pa hear
| ing in which is directly involved the
location of the boundary line between
the states of Washington and Oregon
| has been set for September l by the
Washington board of state land COM
missioners.
The question at issue is the jurisdic-
| ton of this state over Desdemona
Sands, heretofore reported, but if this
state through it's land department,
| concludes to assume jurisdiction over
Desdemona Sands it will follow that it
will also assume jurisdiction over six
teen other sand islands claimed by Or
| egon and also over Sand island" near
the mouth of the Columbia river. which
| is claimed by the government, as
military reserve.
| The question comes before the board
in the shape of a protest by the Column
| bia River Peckers association against
|
| ton, of Tacoma, Desdemona Sands. the
| packers association claiming title to
the sands by deed from the state of
| Oregon, and also cOntendng that the
island lies south of the boundary line.
Contention Of Mr.. Houston.
Mr. Houston will attempt to show
that the boundary line instead of fol-
lowing closely the Washington shore
as contended by Oregon should be
traced from a point four miles from
| Point Adams on a line between Point
Adams light and the lighthouse on Cape
Disappointment, thence following the
| south channel close to the Oregon
shore near Astoria, thence up Woody
island channel to Cordell channel and
up Cordell channel to Woody island
channel again, up the latter channeI to
the main river south of Puget island
This contention throws into Wash
ington the following islands:
sarge Sands, Ryan Sands, Muller
Sands Walker Sands. Millers Sands.
Johnsons Sands, Helgerson's Sands,
Henrys Sands. Cowell Sands, Bou-
mans Sands, Taylors Sands, Reeds
Sands, Kaboth Sands. These islands
are worth perhaps $4,000 and have i'm
provements on them valued at about
an equal amount. They also repre-
sent about 80 per cent of the fishing
grounds in the Columbia river. and
therefore there is involved the question
as to which Of the two states is entitled
licenses issued on the Columbia.
Government Has a Claim.
The question involving Sand island,
while bound up in the other contro-
versy. has in addition the claim of the
| government against it. President Lin
coin in 1864 by proclamation reserved
Sand island in the state of Oregon"
for military purposes. 1t is now con-
tended that the Sand island then re-
served has been washed away by the
| current of the river and new island,
| which has been locally named Sand
! island. has formed several miles away
1t is the new island that is in con-
| troversy.
The question as to Sand island is
raised also by Mr.. Houston, but if the
state of Washington decides to attempt
| jurisdiction over the island the Heus-
| ton claim of a prior right to purchase
the tidelands will be contested by P. ].
MCGOWAN, who several months before
Houston applied sent in an application
for the tidelands, but the state land
| office refused to file it, it's attention not
| having been called to the alleged flaw
| in the governments claim. MCGOWAN
! has again applied for the tidelands, and
| this time his application has been filed.
| The reports sent out from Ilwaco
that the state land office mad already
allowed the MCGOWAN claim are not
correct. The office has simply filed the
applications of Houston, MCGOWAN and
others, and will determine their dispo-
siton later.
| S-04