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Show Eiitfluiiil'it Itenl Kslule Lihs. A mistake which cost the British government govern-ment about as much territory as there is in the stale of Rhode Island has come to light. The error consists of the fact that the iron monuments at Blaine, and for many miles east of there, are 8tW yards north of the forty-ninth parallel, which should lie the next boundary line. F.nsigu Edward Moale, Jr.. of the United States navy, and cuanected with the United States coast snrve; . tells the story. Three years ago Knsign Moale was on the United ; States surveying schooner which was operating op-erating iu the vicinity of Bhuaa. The authorities au-thorities nt Washington sent out cluuls ; cnutaiiiiug the latitude aud longitude, which are filled in with the result of the survey. Attached to the schooner wua Assistant S. S, Gilbert, who had charge of the parly working on shore. He sent iu a platted result re-sult of his work, which was Jillod into I maps received frrmi headquarters at Wasu-j Wasu-j inirlon. When Gilbert's charLs were platted plat-ted in these maps it was found that the boundary niouu inputs at liJaiue, and for a distance east thereof, were 300 yards to the north nf the forty-ninth parallel. "At Li rt we thought we were mistaken," said Ensign Moale, "and carefully went over tint work lime aud again, only to verify the fact that the boundary monuments monu-ments were further north than they should j be." "How did the mistake occur?" i "Isuptio.se when the boundary Hue survey sur-vey win made in lri-3 under the direction of the joint American and English commission com-mission that a slight error was made by the surveyors in northern Montana or the Hockj' iiuiuutaius. This was trifling at the nturt, but kept widening out until it covers iMO ""yards wide at the Strails ot Geoi-giu." I "Can the British demand the territory j backr" ! "No, they cannot, because the boundary line between the United States aud Canada Can-ada is fixed by these monuments, which are of iron and are placed every mile from ! the ake of the Woods to the straits ui ; Georgia. From the Lake of the Woods to ! the Atlantic the iKiundary line is fixed by ; the lakes and rivers. This fact, has nevei 1 beeen officially reported to Washington." Cor. Chicago Tribune. |