The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-02-20
THE MELISH MAP.

NtulN VI ulNlblA anu ktukihphN hlt
there In Oklahoma who are aware Of
the part played by map In forming
our geographical outlines We refer
To the Melish map Of the United States
published at Philadelphia, and i'm
proved from time to time, the last i'm
provement bringing It up to January
. /, 1918 This map figured In a suit
between the United States aud the
state of Texas In defining the boun-
Diary line Of the Lone Star domain
aud was also used In the treaty be-
tween the United States and Spain I'm
defining the southwestern boundary
Of the Louisiana purchase The mat.
ter came before the United States sew
eral years ago in connection with a
controversy over Greer county That
county as II formerly existed was ait
u0ted between the north and south
I forks Of the Red river
| In 1870 the attorney general Of the
| United states was directed by congress
TO bring suit In the supreme court to
determine whether Greer county be
| lOnged 10 Texas or WAS pnrt Of the
public domain. The Case was not de
/ cided until March, 1896, when the
supreme court held that Greer comfy
was public domain and not part Of
the state Of Texas In May. 1896.
Greer county was made part Of Ok
lahOma by congressional net During
the trial In the supreme court the
cnSe hinged largely ON the treaty be
I tween the United States and Spain I'm
1919 when Florida was ccded Texas
finally based her claim 10 Greer cOun-
| ~ on the stipulations Of the treaty Of
| 1910 claiming that the north fork Of
the Red river was the river mentioned
/ In the treaty Of 1919 as the boundary
Of The Louisiana purchase while the
| United States claimed that the south
fork was the boundary line II the
north fork was the boundary line,
Greer county was not a part Of the
Louisiana purchase and belonged 10
Texas If the south fork was the
line, Greer county was part Of the
purchase and belonged to the public
domain. The supreme court reports
embracing that trial show that the
treaty Of 1919 was used very cXtcn.
sively In determining the case The
boundary line agreed upon In the
treaty Of 1919 commenced at the Gulf
of Mexico at the mouth Of the Sabine
river, continuing north along the west
bank Of that stream to the thirty.
second degree Of north latitude
thence north to the Rio RoNO or Red
river thence west along Red river Ia
the >one hundredth degree Of longi.
tudc west from london, thence north
"a the Arkansas river and mp the
southern bank Of that river to lts
source or the 42nd degree Of north latl.
tude and then west TO the south sea
(PaCific)." The treaty referred to the
Mellsh map AZ follows;
The whole being laid down In the
Melsh map Of the United States pub
lishcd at Philadelphia improved up t.
january /, 1918"
The state " Texas claimed that The
Melsh map was the basis Of the
treaty and that the United States
was bound by the treaty 10 recOgniz,
the one hundredth meridian as indl
cnled on that map as the boundary Of
The Louisiana purchase and could moi
dcyiate from Il The Mclish map 10
Gated the one hundrcdth meridian en-
irely east Of the confluence Of th,
two forks Of the Red river therefore
Texas claimed that none " the Hud'
...g .I Il
forks OF the Red river were Included
Ia the purchase, consequently did moi
belong to the public domain The
, United States admitted that the Mel
, lsh map was n part NJ the treaty hui
pointed out the rarl That the map was
incorrect aud located the one hun
drrdth meridian at least one hundred
0 miles east Of the true. or ustronomi
, eat meridian.
Again the United States claimed
that the Melish mnp was only n par
%; the treaty subject TO all the changes
D and notifications TO which the treaty
, as u whole was subject Article 1 q
, the treaty ut 1919 made provision foi
q further adjustment NJ the matter b,
uuthori2ug % future commission by
both nations The following was TN
, language
"A commissioner and surveyor {,
fix the line with more precision ant
To place landmarks which shall desig
nate exactly the limits Of both nations
, shall make out plans aud keel
journal of their proceedings and tn
result agreed upon by them shall b
considered part OF this treaty AM
shall have the same force rs II II wer
inserted therein"
The United States claimed that IN
Mellsh map, being only part OF IN
/ treaty and subject to all the modifica
tions authorized by article OF tn
treaty II 1919 was not the basis O
said treaty and had no binding effec
, II was also pointed out by the Unite
States that inAsmuch ~ the meridin
OF the Melish map was incorrectly i
Gated, the commission authorized b
article 4 OF the treaty had the rlgh
: TO aud did adhere 10 the true or a,
, Economical meridian. which WAS abou
one hundred miles west Of the falls
meridian OF the Melish map In thi
the supreme court concurrcd. Whe
! the state Of Texas saw that the cOur
p ignored the meridian Of the Mells
map, she then made her fight ON IN
proposition that the north and not tn
D south fork Of Red river was IN
stream contemplated In the treaty q
1919.
+ To back up her contention, Texa
3 sought to show the court that N