Show NATION LACKS TITLE OF VAST AREAS OF LAND IN MIDWEST washington dusty files in the general land office disclose the strange fact that five states contain whole areas which as far as the count rys title goes are arc not a part of the united states only one ot of the states colorado has taken the trouble to do anything about the situation hoisting a flag several years ago and claiming the area in the name of the federal government ament the land office relates the story of the paradox which has existed for years when napoleon peddled that large subdivision known as the louisiana purchase to america he could have used a better surveyor to say the least Pro broadly adly the territory included the western drainage basin of the mississippi sis sippi river the negotiators made mistakes though they believed certain sections drained into the mississippi when actually they drained into the great lakes so under terms of the treaty parts of what became minnesota north and south dakota are not properly parts of the louisiana purchase the same thing happened in louisiana A portion of this state thought to drain into the mississippi later turned out to drain into the sabine river A part of colorado was a little more involved A small part near estes park was discovered not to drain into the mississippi sis sippi and hence was not a part of the louisiana purchase on the other hand it was east of the continental tin divide and not a part of what mexico ceded to the united states in 1848 |