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on this meridian to its intersection with the thirty-seventh parallel; and eastward along the thirty-seventh parallel to the point of beginning.

NEVADA.

Nevada, as originally constituted on March 2, 1861, was formed from territory taken from Utah. Its western boundary was made to conform to the eastern boundary of California (ride California, p. 139); its northern boundary, was, as now, the forty-second parallel; the eastern was the meridian of 39°, and the southern the parallel of 37°. By the enabling act the eastern limit was extended to the thirtyeighth meridian. It was admitted as a State October 31, 1864, with above limits as modified by the enabling act, and in 1866 its eastern limits were still further extended to longitude 37°, and its southern line established as at present, the latter addition having been made from Arizona.

In the act organizing the Territory the boundaries are defined as follows:

Beginning at the point of intersection of the forty-second degree of north latitude with the thirty-ninth degree of longitude west from Washington; thence running south on the line of said thirty-ninth degree of west longitude until it intersects the northern boundary line of the Territory of New Mexico; thence due west to the dividing ridge separating the waters of Carson Valley from those that flow into the Pacific; thence on said dividing ridge northwardly to the forty-first degree of north latitude; thence due north to the southern boundary of the State of Oregon; thence due east to the place of beginning. (Thirty-sixth Congress, second session.)

The following is the text of that portion of the enabling act relating to boundaries:

SEC. 2. That the said State of Nevada shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to wit: Commencing at a point formed by the intersection of the thirty-eighth degree of longitude west from Washington with the thirty-seventh degree of north latitude; thence due west along said thirty-seventh degree of north latitude to the eastern boundary line of the State of California; thence in a northwesterly direction along the said eastern boundary line of the State of California to the forty-third degree of longitude west from Washington; thence north along said forty-third degree of west longitude and said eastern boundary line of the State of California to the forty-second degree of north latitude; thence due east along the said forty-second degree of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the aforesaid thirty-eighth degree of longitude west from Washington; thence due south down said thirty-eighth degree of west longitude to the place of beginning. (Thirty-eighth Congress, first session.)

The following act makes the addition to its area from Arizona referred to above:

AN ACT concerning the boundaries of the State of Nevada.

That, as provided for and consented to in the constitution of the State of Nevada, all that territory and tract of land adjoining the present eastern boundary of the State of Nevada, and lying between the thirty-seventh and the forty-second degrees of north latitude and west of the thirty-seventh degree of longitude west of Washington, is hereby added to and made a part of the State of Nevada.

SEC. 2. That there is hereby added to and made a part of the State of Nevada all that extent of territory lying within the following boundaries, to wit: Commencing on the thirty-seventh degree of north latitude at the thirty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington, and running thence south on said degree of longitude to the middle of the river Colorado of the West; thence down the middle of said river to the eastern boundary of the State of California; thence northwesterly along said boundary of California to the thirty-seventh degree of north latitude; and thence east along said degree of latitude to the point of beginning. (Thirty-ninth Congress, first session.)

The present limits of Nevada are as follows:

The east boundary is the thirty-seventh meridian of longitude, extending from the forty-second parallel of latitude southward to its intersection with the middle of the Colorado River; thence following the mid-channel of the Colorado River down to the point where it intersects the thirty-fifth parallel of latitude; the southwest boundary is the arc of a great circle running from the last-mentioned point and the point of intersection of the one hundred and twentieth degree of longitude west of Greenwich with the thirty-ninth parallel of latitude; the west boundary is the one hundred and twentieth degree of longitude west of Greenwich; the north boundary is the forty-second parallel of latitude.

The north boundary was surveyed and marked in 1873, and the west boundary, from latitude 42° south to Lake Tahoe and thence southeast to Colorado River, in latitude 35°, in 1872, under the General Land Office. Between 1890 and 1899 the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, under an appropriation by Congress, ran a new line from Lake Tahoe to Colorado River, differing widely in some places from the former line.

IDAHO.

The Territory of Idaho was formed March 3, 1863, from parts of Washington, Dakota, and Nebraska. Its original limits, which included, besides the present territory, all of Montana and Wyoming, were given as follows in the act organizing the Territory:

That all that part of the territory of the United States included within the following limits, to wit: Beginning at a point in the middle channel of the Snake River where the northern boundary of Oregon intersects the same; then follow down said channel of Snake River to a point opposite the mouth of the Kooskooskia, or Clearwater River; thence due north to the forty-ninth parallel of latitude; thence east along said parallel to the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west of Washington; thence south along said degree of longitude to the northern boundary of Colorado Territory; thence west along said boundary to the thirty-third degree of longitude west of Washington; thence north along said degree to the forty-second parallel of latitude; thence west along said parallel to the eastern boundary of the State of Oregon; thence north along said boundary to the place of beginning. (Thirtyseventh Congress, third session.)

From this were formed Montana in 1864 (vide Montana, p. 131) and Wyoming (vide Wyoming, p. 132) in 1868, thereby reducing this

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territory, with the small addition made in 1873 (vide Montana, p. 131), to its present limits.

The present boundary line of Idaho is as follows: Beginning at the intersection of the thirty-ninth meridian with the boundary line between the United States and the British Possessions, it follows said meridian south until it reaches the summit of the Bitter Root Mountains; thence southeastward along the crest of the Bitter Root range and the continental divide until it intersects the meridian of thirtyfour degrees of longitude; thence southward on this meridian to the forty-second parallel of latitude; thence west on this parallel of latitude to its intersection with a meridian drawn through the mouth of the Owyhee River; north on this meridian to the mouth of the Owyhee River; thence down the mid-channel of the Snake River to the mouth of the Clearwater; and thence north on the meridian which passes through the mouth of the Clearwater to the boundary line between the United States and the British Possessions; and east on said boundary line to the place of beginning.

On July 3, 1890, Idaho was admitted as a State with the above limits.

The west boundary of Idaho, from the mouth of Clearwater River to the forty-ninth parallel, was surveyed and marked in 1873-74. The longitude of this line has been determined by the United States Geological Survey to be 117° 02' 34". The west boundary, from the mouth of Owyhee River south to the Nevada boundary, was surveyed and marked in 1867. Its longitude has been determined as 117° 01' 56" by the United States Geological Survey. Both these lines were run under the General Land Office.

OREGON.

Oregon Territory was organized August 14, 1848. The grounds of our title to its area are obscure. In treating with Great Britain for the establishment of our northern boundary west of the Rocky Mountains this region was claimed on three grounds-that of discovery and occupation, the Louisiana purchase, and cession from Spain. On which of these grounds we succeeded in having the boundary established on the forty-ninth parallel will never be ascertained, and is of little moment. The Territory as originally established extended from the fortysecond to the forty-ninth parallel, and from the Pacific Ocean to the crest of the Rocky Mountains, with boundaries defined in the organizing act as follows:

All that part of the territory of the United States which lies west of the summit of the Rocky Mountains, north of the forty-second degree of north latitude, known as the Territory of Oregon, shall be organized into and constitute a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Oregon. (Thirtieth Congress, first session.)

In 1853 the Territory was reduced by the formation of Washington Territory (vide Washington, p. 138), and on February 14, 1859, it was

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