El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-23

| wv Inc central punt III the many
disputes regarding the use of
the International boundary waters be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain, is the Lake of the Woods, a
seemingly unimportant body of water
about evenly divided between Mime
sofa and Ontario The lake covers
more than 1,400 miles of water and its
! surface is dotted with at least a thou
sand Islands, besides a peninsula which
| IS almost an island and has a land sur.
| lace equal to nearly a third of the ex-
/ panSe of water. Lake of the Woods is
| the outlet of the Rainy river, which
forms the northern boundary between
| the state of Minnesota and Ontario It
| IS also the beginning of the Winnipeg
| river, which connects it with Lake
| winnipeg upon the northwest. The re-
! Slon surrounding Lake OF the Woods
! Is romantic and wonderfully attract
We Its resources are seemingly limit
! less. They include primeval forest
land, rich farm lands, hunting and fish
ing, and practically unlimited water
| power which may be developed for in
J dustrial purposes.
In Dispute for Is Years.
1t is only within the present genera
/ ton that the value of this northwest
! ern lake region has begun to be IN
! derstood Surrounding Lake of the
/ Woods are countless other bodies of
/ water, some too small to be called
more than ponds and others have areas
! of many miles, such as Lake Winnipeg
L
1 of the W Gods basin has been in dis
! pute for about Is years. In 1892 the
Canadians began to develop water
| power from its outlet. They received
permission from the Canadian govern
ment to construct dam at what was
then called Rat portage This began
the town of kenora, which is now a
1lourlshlng western city Its flour
mills and other industries, as well as
its lighting and street railways, are
! operated by power supplied from the
dam. By the time these industries
were in operation the water level of the
Lake of the Woods had been raised
by the dam so that it overlooked its
boundaries. Thousands of acres of
farmlands located along the northern
boundary of Minnesota were thus sub
merged and formed the first basis of
complaint against the use of these
boundary waters for industrial pur-
poses. This complaint has never been
satisfactorily adjusted, although a set
tlement is now under consideration.
Two Big Towns Spring Up.
A few years after the establishment
of the Kenora dam, the United States
gave corporation permission to de-
Velop waterpower at Koochiching falls
upon the Rainy river. This river is the
principal tributary of the Lake of the
woods The utilization of its power
upon the American side created dis
satisfaction among the Canadians who /
felt that their interests were not be-
ing considered. The Canadian govern
ment then granted the corporation the |
PA4h4AG6G u DullQlng a dam across the I
Rainy river at that point, with the I'M 1
Outstanding that as large q plant be /
erected upon the Canadian as upon the Z
american side. This dam is now /
known as International falls. Upon ]
the American si- 6-toWn of that name 4
now has a population of over $4,000 1
me biggest wood pulp paper factory /
in the world is in operation there on j
the Canadian side, the town is known /
as St Francis. A paper mill of the
same gigantic size is under construc- |
l Ion ana already the town has a popU- /
lation of 10000.
The increased water power for these
enormous plants naturally lowered the I
water below the dam Consequently
complaints have come to both govern !
ments from lumbermen who do not Y
nave enough water at times to float 4
their logs; from navigation companies
VINO complain that the operation of /
their steamboats, has been interfered /
with, and from fishermen of the re-
glon, who have for years secured valu-
able food fish all along the shores of (
the Lake of the Woods. The fishermen
claim that the changing of the level of 4
the water in the lake has DESTROYED
the natural spawning grounds for the
with their industry
Power Problem Difficult.
The adjustment of the waterpower
conflict in order that each industry |
may be able to develop its own plant
without interfering with the growth
OF others is much more difficult |
problem than that of the submerged |
lands 1t can only be secured by scien- |
tlfic measurement of the waterpower
used at each point and a proper pre-
caution taken to avoid waste. Due
regard must also be given to the sani- |
tary effect upon the adjoining land. |
as Such utilization must not interfere
with the necessary drainage of that !
land The value of natural water
power has only lately begun to be real
lied upon the western continent. With
IN IN the past 10 years the United States
mas developed nearly 100000 horse
power II is estimated that the I'M !
developed power of the water system |
governed largely by the Lake of the |
w GODS and its surrounding waters
been stated by competent engineers |
that million horsepower might he |
developed at single point along the
and Ontario.
The various differences which have
arisen regarding the rights of each
hatlon IN the water system controlled
Dy the Lake of the Woods might have |
been confined to the Jurisdiction of one
government If the United States had
persevered in establishing its north
ern boundary at the line running At
"a degrees, 40 minutes, north Iafifn6a
as was at one time thought possibIe |
In the early history of this country
little Importance was attached to the !
territory OF the northwest There |
were so few white persons in the ter
rltory west of Pittsburg and north of
the ONO river that no population il /
recorded there in the first census
taken in 1870. The peace Commission
ers concluding the treaty after fbe |
Revolutionary war were privately in
structed that so long as thew secured /
q recognition of the Independence of |
the United States and a satisfacfory !
settlement of the fishing rights tbey | ;
need not stipulate for even the
territory south of the St Lawrence
and extending as far west as the Mis-
SlSslppf river. Benjamin Franklin / ;
however, foresaw future DEVELOPMENT |
and insisted upon this boundary being
fixed {
"Fifty-fOur, Forty or FTehtD
Within the next half-centurv Ameri
IAN explorers had penetrated what was
then known as the Oregon country /
American missionaries TO the indians ,
mad gone along the Pacific coast, and
their work, with that of the explorers
brought the beginning OF American
settlement in this region. Upon the
strength of these explorations MANY
americans were of the opinion that
he United States possessions along
he western coast should extend to ;
meet the Russian territory of Alaska
which reached to 81 degrees an min ! :
ties north latitude The v-Or5r ,5TN;e