The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-04-22

Before many more months there win
be a brand new boundary line between
the United States and Canada all
along the sinuous route from ocean
to ocean. 1t has been creeping on its
uanscontinental way for seven years.
More than that there win be an
sble-b0died barbed-wire fence erected
on the boundary line. once the monu-
ments are ali firmly in place, and it
win undoubtedly be the longest stretch
Of oarbed wire In the world
There are stil a few hundred miles
Of the work remaining. but when the
snow gets off the ground in New Eng
land two or three weeks after sappIng
time, the designation Of the line viii
be resumed and carried Up over the
hump Of the state Of Maine and on
across the top Of New Hampshire.
Il viii be a new boundary only in
respect to boundary posts. To many
localities it may demonstrate that
ground supposed TO be under the Stars
and Stripes Is under the Union Jack
and vice versa The monuments have
become wobbly or been lost in numer-
Gus places or obliterated, and the
boundary line, while easily ascertain
able by surveying methods, using the
treaties az a basis for operations, has
been more or less indefinite.
Not a long time ago some northern
Vermont town became tremendously
excited for awhile over a report that
the Canadians were trying to usurp a
strip Of American territory. It turned
out that the report originated over
some such accident as the uninten-
tional moving Of an iron boundary
post that had been uprooted by rail
road construction work
The line across Vermont was com
pleted quite awhile ago Like all the
line running between the two coun.
tries. it is done jointly by the United
States and Canada J. B. Baylor Of
the coast and geodetic survey has had
charge Of the parry Of surveyors and
laborers employed by the United
States. and G. G. Rainboth has had
charge Of a similar party for the Cana
dlans.
Mr. Baylor IS now IN Ottawa, com
pairing papers and consulting docu
lnents pertaining to the work that has
been done, and also to work yet to
be done
There is a vast deal Of formaiity II
connection with the undertaking. lhe
state department IS exercising super
Fsion for this side. The cost Of re
surveying and Recommending the lint
across Vermont alone has been abou
$4,000, Of which the federal govern
ment pays one-haf Superintendent
,. H. Tittman OF the coast and geodetil
survey and Charles D. Walcott, secre
tary Of the Smithsonian Institution
formerly head Of the geological sur
vey, have had general charge Of th
work. acting IN conjunction with DI
w. f. King. the Canadian commits
sloner.
The northwest boundary, the l0ca
ton Of which was once the subject 0
a great international controversy, gii
ing rise to the political slogan O
fFifty-four forty OF fight" has ais
been lately remarked. II was, pc
haps. the most difficult portion Of th
work. covering the distance from tn
summit Of the Rocky mountains ives
ward to the Pacific Certain gaps !
that boundary had never been 81
veyed before, so rough and rugged
the country.
Much Of the line is a very long di
lance from habitations The way ha
to be blazed through virgin forest
and there was great difficulty in tran
porting materials for the big cemei
or granite markers. Now, with Il
completion OF the surveys and d
field work Of both governments, Il
examination for acceptance IS no
under way. It is expected that Il
state departments report for public
tion will be ready in about year
Pending that the geological surv'
will not make public the details. II
survey is along the forty-ninth parall
OF latitude, known as the northwe
boundary, and was originally locat
during the period from 1858 to 1St
The entire boundary IS now defn
By cement or granite monuments fro
TWO to three miles apart. The effC
has been to erect these monuments
that they will be intervisible and {
during. They are large and OF +
most substantial construction. T
original boundary was marked by ir
POSTS. In some cases these have be
replaced. but set IN cement foune
uon-