Rock Island Argus., 1913-01-08
BOUNDARY MARKS
Limits a Fiery Orator Once Gave
the United States.

hes have been involved in the struggle
for boundaries. The fgment that the
Rhine was the. natural frontier of
France ended in the downfall OF the
Bonapartes and the exaltation of the
Hohenzollerns, thus rearing the neo-
German empire upon the ruins Of the
upstart French empire.
In our own country the cry Of 'Fif-
ty-four-forty or tghtr' held a threat
of the mighty conflict that eventually
proved irrepresslble. And in our own
day the dispute over the Venezuelan
boundary nearly precipitated a war
between the two greatest nations of
the earth
Ii was a startling figure of speech.
that Of the western orator who. mount
ing higher and higher to a climax of
buncombe. described the United States
as bounded on the east by the Atlantic
ocean. on the north by the aurora bo-
realis. on the west by the setting sun
and on the south by the gates Of hell
Still. II was only a figure of speech.
Canada lies between us and the boreal
to the south hardly deserve the infer
nal comparison. As to the oceans to
the east and the west of us. they may
be left to themselves. Not mine the
task of determining what the wild
waves are saying.
The Canadian boundary presents its
tdiosyncrasies and eccentricities. The
eastern part of 1t follows naturally
and spontaneously the regular water
line formed by the great lakes and
their outlets. Thence from the Lake
of the Woods on the north of Mime
sofa a more direct course, man made
and mechanical. is taken through the
wilderness and over the mountains of
the west to the Pacific coast Nor has
this course been suffered to remain a
mere imaginary line. Man, having
made 1T, mas marked 1t we'll Between
the Lake of the Woods and the Red
river cast iron pillars have been
placed one mile apart alternately by
the English aud the American govern
ments. These are hollow castings In
pyramidal form eight feet high. with
base eight inches square, an octa-
gon hange one inch thick and a top
four inches square surmounted by a
solid cap.
Into these hollow posts are fitted
well seasoned cedar joists. with spikes
driven through holes made in the cast
/ ing. The pillars are firmly imbedded
/ in the ground. inscriptions in raised
letters face north aud south. The
north side reads. Convention of Lon
| don;" fhe other, October 20. 1878"
Beyond the Red river the boundary
| line is generally denoted by earth
mounds and stone cairns by 8 feet,
though these are OCCASIONALLY diversi-
fed by wooden posts OF the same
height as the iron pillars and painted
red above ground. Through forests
clearings have been made a rod wide.
Where bodies of water are crossed
monuments of stone rise several feet
above high tide. over the mountains
shafts of granite supersede the pillars,
mounds and cairns.
There are eccentricities In state
lines as well as in those which limit
the confines of the United States.
Thus the line that separates Delaware
AlOb iNuuid 'ANN"SdStiG uhu
Chester counties respectively sudden
ly curves upward ana forms a semi.
circle just above the ancient town of
| Newcastle.
The explanation may be found in
history. At the time Delaware was
get out there were few points of lati-
Jude and longitude definitely estab-
Iished In the colonies. so that bound
aries were generally expressed not by
latitude and longitude. but by refer
ence to some known location. In the
deed by which Delaware was trans
ferred there was ceded ali the land for
twelve miles round Newcastle, togeth-
er with certain other areas. In esta b
fishing the boundaries of the present
, state Of Delaware this description was
taken literally. and part of circle
with the center at Newcastle. was sur
: veyed upon d twelve mile radius.
] No other state has an arc in iti
boundary line. but many OF the coun
1 ties of Kentucky and Tennessee do
Warren county. Tenn. is almost com
plete circle In many instances coun
4 ties formerly circular have been ex
pauded into Irregular polygons.-Wtl
4 liam S. Walsh IN New Yora Tribune