The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-05-01
STATE LAND DISPUTE
MICHIGAN CLAIMS THOUSANDS
or AcREs NOW IN WISCONSIN.
Error Made by Surveyors In Establish.
ing eoundary Line Years Ago.
Early Danger Of War Between
Wolverines and Ohio Recalled.

Marquette, Mich.--Because Of an
alleged error in the original boundary
line 60 years or more ago Michigan is
laying claim to some thousands Of
acres of land now included in Wiscon-
| sin. According to Peter White of this
city, who has made exhaustive inves.
| tigation of the matter, there is no
doubt that the triangular strip Of land
in dispute is of right Michigan terri.
| tory.
It appears that the early day survey
ors did not take the correct stream
as the western boundary of upper
Michigan, and instead Of the Montreal
what is known as the west branch Of
that river is the actual dividing line
of the two states. Should the error
ever be rectifed the city of Hurley
and a large portion OF the county Of
Iron would become part Of Mich
igan.
While the Michigan legislature has
authorized the appointment of a com
mission to negotiate with a similar
body of Wisconsin men, IL is expect
ed that eventually the controversy will
be taken TO the United States Su.
preme court for adjudication.
1t is of interest in this connection
to note that In the early days Of the
territory of Michigan the people Of
Ohio, already state, were despoiled
--or at least they so believed--of the
richest portion of their lands. The
state of Ohio claimed a portion OF
the land accredited to the territory o!
Michigan, and Ohio being a state,
with senators and representatives OF
influence at Washington, won out.
There was much talk Of war and
revenge by the bellicose inhabitants
of Michigan, but the talk came to
nothing, and the disputed area. which
is now the county of Lucas, Ohio, in.
cluding within it's borders the city
Of Toledo. was detached from the ter.
ritory of Michigan and affixed to the
state Of Ohio
To appease the indignant residents
OF the territory, which already had as
prations toward statehood. the admin
istration at Washington offered to
throw in what is now the upper PENN.
suls, detaching the district from the
territory of Wisconsin, which was too
young and too busily occupied with
watching hostile Indians to care for the
loss OF trife like 10000 or 1900
square miles.
Michigan refused the offer. but II
was thrust upon the commonwealth
when the state was erected from a.
territory. This vast domain thus ac.
duired is washed by the waters OF
three OF the great lakes and
Is greater In area than number OF
the eastern states. II Is $40 miles In
length and its greatest width is 165
miles. The coast line is over 1000
miles long. ..
It's area Of 1860 square miles is 20
per cent greater than that of the
state of Maryland, greater than that
of New Hampshire and New Jersey
combined. greater than that of Rhode
Island, Delaware. Connecticut and
Massachusetts combined. Il is almost
three times as great as Saxony, one.
third greater than tho Netherlands
and so per cent. greater than Bel.
yium.
Yet when this area was detached
from Wisconsin and given 10 Michi.
gan the territory so gained was re.
gsrded as of little value by the white
population OF the state. There was no
comprehension OF the enormous wealth
IN minerals and timber that have since
yielded many hundreds Of millions OF
dollars
Previous stories az mineral wealth
on tho southern shores of Lake Su
perior had been too vague to interest
capitalists sufficiently to cause them
to venture their money in attempts at
mining in a country that was then
much farther from centers of wealth
and population than Is Cape Nome
to-day and It was not until the survey.
ors had made their initial reports that
this apathy was dispelled.
Prior to the beginning of the linear
survey In 1s43 title had been quieted
by securing the cession from the Chip.
pewa Indians Of nearly 10000 square
miles OF land on the southern shore of
Lake Superior. The domain so secured
In 1912 stretched from Sault Ste.
Marie, at the outlet OF Lake Superior,
10 the st. Louis river, at the head of
the lake. including the sites of the
present cities of Duluth and Superior.
The lands so ceded--and which have
never, II is asserted, been fully paid
for--are worth more than a billion
dollars to-day. The first mining per-
nits were issued by the government
in 1874 and in the same year iron ore
was discovered at what Is now Ne
saunee, IL miles inland from Mar
quette. the first iron ore found In the
Lake Superior region.