7VMERICAM BOOK 
 COMPAMY 
 
 WEW YORK 
 
 C1KCJRKATI 
 CHICAGO 
 
LIBRARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Class 
 
PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS 
 
 OF THE UNITED STATES 
 
 BASED UPON PUBLIC STATUTES AND DOCUMENTS 
 
 AND ON THE REPORT SUBMITTED TO 
 
 CONGRESS IN THE YEAR 1784 
 
 BY THOMAS JEFFERSON 
 
 NEW YORK : CINCINNATI : CHICAGO 
 AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 
 

 COPTBIQHT, 1894, BY 
 
 AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 
 w. P. 7 
 
PKEFACE, 
 
 This book is not designed to teach surveying, nor the 
 more intricate parts of the United States System of Land 
 Surveys. 
 
 It has been thought that there was a demand in various 
 parts of the country for such a teaching of the Government 
 Land Surveys as would enable all children to understand 
 the base of the system, and its divisions and subdivisions, 
 so far as these were important and necessary in the ordi- 
 nary vocations of life. Some states require this much to 
 be taught in the public schools, and the importance of this 
 knowledge is everywhere conceded. 
 
 It has been deemed prudent to confine the scope of this 
 small book to the simpler parts of the system. 
 
 Enough is written to enable any ordinary pupil to grasp 
 the fundamental ideas, to understand the method, and to 
 know the practical results. The township and section, with 
 their divisions, subdivisions, and methods of description, 
 
4 PREFACE. 
 
 are emphasized throughout the work. It is believed that 
 nothing of real importance has been omitted, and that all 
 that is written may be grasped by all pupils between the 
 ages of twelve and fourteen years. 
 
 Every boy should know how to read the descriptions in 
 a deed and to locate the property called for by the instru- 
 ment. Care has been taken to make all legal instruments 
 conveying an interest in property as simple as possible, 
 and to lead every pupil to a knowledge of their value and 
 arrangement. 
 
 The publishers desire to acknowledge their indebtedness 
 to numerous teachers and others for suggestions and assist- 
 ance in the preparation of this book. 
 
 With a sincere hope that the book may help the youth of 
 our country to a greater love of our institutions, and to a 
 better knowledge of our system of land surveys, the book 
 
 is respectfully submitted. 
 
 A. B. C. 
 
 NEW YORK, January 20, 1894. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 CHAPTER I., .* 7 
 
 National Domain, 7 
 
 Government Surveys, 7 
 
 General Land Office, 8 
 
 Origin of the System, 8 
 
 Congressional Township, ......... ... 9 
 
 Meridians and Base Lines, 11 
 
 CHAPTER II., 13 
 
 Principal Bases and Meridians, 13 
 
 CHAPTER III., 21 
 
 How to Number and Read the Townships, 21 
 
 CHAPTER IV., 24 
 
 Standard Lines and Guide Meridians, 24 
 
 CHAPTER V., . . 28 
 
 The Section and its Divisions, 28 
 
 CHAPTER VI., 31 
 
 Area of the Section and its Subdivisions, 31 
 
 Legal Quantity of Land in a Section and its Subdivisions, . . 32 
 
 How Section Lines are Run, 33 
 
 CHAPTER VII., 38 
 
 Other Subdivisions of the Section, ... 38 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 CHAPTER VIII., 41 
 
 Ownership of Lands, 41 
 
 General and District Land Offices, .42 
 
 Registers and Receivers, 42 
 
 How to Secure Title, 43 
 
 Homesteads, 43 
 
 Mineral Lands, 44 
 
 Land Warrants, 44 
 
 Agricultural College Script, 44 
 
 Preemption, 44 
 
 Timber Culture Law, 45 
 
 CHAPTER IX., 46 
 
 State Taxation 46 
 
 Assessments, 46 
 
 Correct Descriptions for Assessments, 48 
 
 Tax Receipts, 51 
 
 CHAPTER X., 52 
 
 Deeds, 52 
 
 General Warranty Deed with Relinquishment of Dower, ... 56 
 
 Acknowledgment of Deed, 57 
 
 Certificate of Record, 57 
 
 Description of a Town or City Lot, 59 
 
 Mortgages, 59 
 
 Abstract of Title, 60 
 
 Bond for a Deed, 61 
 
 Table of Area of Public Lands Surveyed, 62 
 
JEFFERSON'S SYSTEM OF 
 
 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 CHAPTEE L 
 
 1. The National Domain. This is the total area, land and 
 water, within the present boundaries of the United States, 
 and amounts to about 4,000,000 square miles ; the land 
 surface is estimated at about 3,586,000 square miles, or 
 2,295,040,000 acres ; the water area being about 414,000 
 square miles, or 264,960,000 acres. This area includes 
 Alaska and its islands. Eoughly speaking, the national 
 domain, without Alaska, extends through fifty-eight degrees 
 of longitude, from ocean to ocean, and through twenty-four 
 degrees of latitude, from the great Northern Lakes to the 
 Gulf of Mexico. 
 
 2. Government Surveys. This immense territorial area has 
 been organized by Congress from time to time into States 
 
8 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 and Territories, and has been surveyed. The public lands, 
 that is, such as have not been granted by the Government to 
 individuals or corporations, are under the control of Con- 
 gress. Their management belongs to the Department of 
 the Interior. This Department consists of (1) The Depart- 
 ment of the Interior proper, (2) The General Land Office, (3) 
 The Pension Office, (4) The Patent Office, (5) The Bureau of 
 Education, (6) The Office of the Commissioner of Railroads, 
 (7) The Office of the Geological Survey, (8) The Census Of- 
 fice, (9) The Office of Indian Affairs. All surveys are made 
 under the immediate direction of the General Land Office. 
 
 3. General Land Office. This office is under the control 
 of the Commissioner of the General Land Office and his 
 assistants, called clerks, recorders, copyists, transcribers of 
 records and plats, examiners, draughtsmen, inspectors, sur- 
 veyors-general, special agents for timber and swamp lands, 
 custodians of abandoned military reservations, trustees, reg- 
 isters, and receivers. Every district to be surveyed is 
 placed under the control of a Surveyor-general, who reports 
 to the Commissioner of the General Land Office. 
 
 4. Origin of the System. The lands of the United States 
 are surveyed under what is called " the rectangular system ". 
 This system was reported to Congress on May 7, 1784, by 
 a committee, of which Thomas Jefferson was chairman. 
 
ORIGIN OF THE SYSTEM. 
 
 This report required all public lands to be divided into 
 squares or "hundreds ". Each of these was to be ten miles 
 square and should contain one hundred square miles. This 
 report was discussed, and on May 3, 1785, amended so that 
 the size of the township should be six miles square instead 
 of ten. The system therefore may rightfully be called 
 Jefferson's System of Public Land Surveys. 
 
 A Congressional township is a division of the public lands 
 six miles square, and contains thirty-six sections or square 
 miles, as will be seen by examining the following figure : 
 
 6 Miles 
 
 6 
 
 5 
 
 4 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 18 
 
 17 
 
 16 
 
 15 
 
 14 
 
 13 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22 . 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 30 
 
 29 
 
 28 
 
 27 
 
 26 
 
 25 
 
 31 
 
 32 
 
 33 
 
 34 
 
 35 
 
 36 
 
 FIG. 1. 
 
 The numbering of these sections is also shown in the fig- 
 ure. We invariably begin at the northeast corner of the 
 township and count from east to west and from west to east 
 
10 
 
 PUBLIC LAND SUKVEYS 
 
 alternately. All the lands of the United States which have 
 been surveyed under the authority of the General Land 
 Office since 1785 have been divided into townships and 
 sections and numbered as in Figure 1, except the " United 
 States Military Tract," " The Seven Banges," " The Ohio 
 Company's Purchase," " Symmes's Purchase/' and " The 
 Miami Valley Tract," all located in Ohio. These tracts are 
 divided as in Figure 1, but numbered as in Figure 2, begin- 
 ning at the southeast corner of the township and counting 
 regularly from south to north. 
 
 6 Miles 
 
 36 
 
 30 
 
 24 
 
 18 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 35 
 
 29 
 
 23 
 
 17 
 
 11 
 
 5 
 
 34 
 
 28 
 
 22 
 
 16 
 
 10 
 
 4 
 
 33 
 
 27 
 
 21 
 
 15 
 
 9 
 
 3 
 
 32 
 
 26 
 
 20 
 
 14 
 
 8 
 
 2 
 
 31 
 
 25 
 
 19 
 
 13 
 
 7 
 
 1 
 
 FIG. 2. 
 
 The system of counting as adopted at present in the pub- 
 lic land system (that shown in Figure 1) is simple, and 
 should be well fixed in the mind. 
 
MERIDIANS AND BASE LINES. 11 
 
 a. Every whole township has thirty-six sections. 
 
 b. To number them, begin at the northeast corner section 
 and number it 1. 
 
 c. Proceed west to number 6 at the northwest corner. 
 
 d. Dropping south one section, proceed east and west 
 alternately to number 36 in the southeast corner of the 
 township. 
 
 e. In fractional townships, the sections must take the 
 same numbers that they would bear were the township full. 
 
 5. Meridians and Base Lines, We have seen that the basis 
 of the public land survey is the congressional township, six 
 miles square, containing thirty-six sections or square miles. 
 The political township must not be confounded with the 
 congressional township. The former is created by the State 
 Government for the convenience of its citizens ; the latter 
 is a fixed part of the United States Land Surveys. It is 
 necessary now to ascertain how the townships are surveyed 
 and numbered. The following methods and plans should 
 be learned and remembered : 
 
 a. The public lands are surveyed into rectangular tracts, 
 bounded by lines running north and south, and east and 
 west. 
 
 b. The lands are first laid off into tracts twenty-four miles 
 square, each supposed to contain sixteen townships. 
 
12 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 c. This is done by extending lines, called standard lines, 
 from the principal meridian every twenty-four miles, and 
 by the extension from the base and standard lines of aux- 
 iliary meridians every twenty-four miles. 
 
 d. After this, these bodies of land are surveyed into town- 
 ships of six miles square, containing 23,040 acres each as 
 near as may be. 
 
 e. Each township is then divided into 36 sections, each 
 containing 640 acres as near as may be. 
 
 f. A range of townships is a number of contiguous town- 
 ships situated north and south of each other. 
 
 It will be seen that a beginning point is absolutely neces- 
 sary. This point is always the intersection of the princi- 
 pal base with the surveying meridian. Since 1785, thirty 
 initial points have been used by the Government. It is now 
 necessary to know the location of these principal bases and 
 meridians. 
 
CHAPTER H. 
 
 6. The Principal Bases and Meridians. The following are 
 the lines which have been set up by the Government to se- 
 cure certainty and brevity of description in the transfer of 
 land. 
 
 a. The first principal meridian divides the states of Ohio 
 and Indiana, and has for its base the Ohio River. This me- 
 ridian governs all surveys of public lands in Ohio. The 
 initial point for numbering townships and ranges in Ohio 
 would begin at the intersection of this meridian with the 
 base. 
 
 b. The second principal meridian coincides with 86 28' of 
 longitude west from Greenwich, starts from the confluence 
 of the Little Blue River with the Ohio, runs north to the 
 northern boundary of Indiana, and governs the surveys in 
 Indiana and a portion of those in Illinois. 
 
 c. The third principal meridian starts from the mouth of 
 the Ohio River and extends to the northern boundary of 
 the state of Illinois, and governs the surveys in said state 
 east of the meridian, with the exception of those projected 
 
14 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 from the second meridian, and the surveys on the west to 
 the Illinois Eiver. This meridian coincides with 89 10' 30" 
 of longitude west. 
 
 d. The fourth principal meridian begins in the middle of 
 the channel of the mouth of the Illinois Eiver, in latitude 
 38 58' 12" north and longitude 90 29' 56" west from 
 Greenwich, and governs the surveys in Illinois west of the 
 third principal meridian lying north of the river. It ex- 
 tends due north through Wisconsin and northeastern Min- 
 nesota, governing all the surveys in the former and those 
 in the latter lying east of the Mississippi Eiver and east of 
 the third guide meridian north of the Mississippi Eiver. 
 
 e. The fifth principal meridian starts from the mouth of 
 the Arkansas Eiver, and with a common base line running 
 due west from the mouth of the St. Francis Eiver, in Ar- 
 kansas, governs the surveys in Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, 
 Minnesota west of the Mississippi and west of the third 
 guide meridian north of the Mississippi Eiver, and in the 
 Dakotas east of the Missouri Eiver. The meridian is coin- 
 cident with 90 58' longitude west from Greenwich.* 
 
 * This is the usual statement, and it is based upon the " Public Do- 
 main ", a book issued by authority of the Government. It is incorrect, 
 however, and the true course is as follows : 
 
 Starting from the mouth of the Arkansas River at about 91 4' 
 longitude west from Greenwich, which point is found by actual 
 
THE PRINCIPAL BASES AND MERIDIANS. 15 
 
 /. The sixth principal meridian coincides with longitude 
 97 22' west from Greenwich, and with the principal base- 
 line intersecting it on the 40th degree of north latitude, 
 extends north to the intersection of the Missouri Eiver and 
 south to the 37th degree of north latitude, controlling the 
 surveys in Kansas, Nebraska, that part of the Dakotas lying 
 south and wjest of the Missouri Eiver, Wyoming, and Colo- 
 rado, excepting the valley of the Eio Grande del Norte in 
 southwestern Colorado, where surveys are projected from 
 the New Mexico meridian. In addition to the foregoing six 
 principal meridians and bases there have been established 
 the following meridians and bases : 
 
 g. The Michigan meridian, in longitude 84 19 ' 09 " west 
 from Greenwich, with a base line on a parallel seven miles 
 north of Detroit, governing the surveys in Michigan. 
 
 The Tallahassee meridian, in longitude 84 18' west from 
 
 measurement from the west boundary of the state, it runs in a north- 
 easterly direction and crosses the north boundary of the state at a 
 point 199 miles and 42 chains east of the southwest corner of Mis- 
 souri, or at about 91 2' west longitude, whence it continues in a 
 northeasterly direction, crossing the 91 west longitude at about 38 
 10' north latitude, and terminates at the Mississippi River at about 
 90 58' 40". This is the way in which the fifth principal meridian is 
 represented on Government maps, and it is not coincident with a true 
 meridian. The same difference between the theoretic meridian and 
 the one actually surveyed will doubtless characterize many others. 
 
16 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 Greenwich, runs due north and south from the point of in- 
 tersection with the base line at Tallahassee, and governs the 
 surveys of Florida. 
 
 The Saint Stephen's meridian, longitude 88 02 ' west from 
 Greenwich, starts from Mobile, passes through Saint Ste- 
 phen's, intersects the base line on the 31st degree of north 
 latitude, and controls the surveys of the southern district in 
 Alabama and of the Pearl River district lying east of the 
 river and south of township 10 north in the state of Missis- 
 sippi. 
 
 The Huntsville meridian, longitude 86 31' west from 
 Greenwich, extends from the northern boundary of Ala- 
 bama as a base, passes through the town of Huntsville, 
 and governs the surveys of the northern district in Ala- 
 bama. 
 
 The Choctaw meridian, longitude 89 10' 30" west from 
 Greenwich, passes two miles west of the town of Jackson, 
 in Mississippi, starting from the base line twenty-nine 
 miles south of Jackson, and terminating on the south bound- 
 ary of the Chickasaw cession, controlling the surveys east 
 and west of the meridian, and north of the base. 
 
 The Washington meridian, longitude 91 05' west of 
 Greenwich, seven miles east of the town of Washington, in 
 Mississippi, with the base line corresponding with the 31st 
 
THE PRINCIPAL BASES AND MERIDIANS. 17 
 
 degree of north latitude, governs the surveys in the south- 
 western angle of the state. 
 
 The Saint Helena meridian, 91 05' west from Greenwich, 
 extends from the 31st degree of north latitude, as a base, 
 due south, and passing one mile east of Baton Kouge, con- 
 trols the surveys in the Greensborough and the southeastern 
 district of Louisiana, both lying east of the Mississippi. 
 
 The Louisiana meridian, 92 20' west from Greenwich, 
 intersects the 31st degree north latitude at a distance of 
 forty-eight miles west of the eastern bank of the Mississippi 
 River, and with the base line coincident with the said par- 
 allel of north latitude, governs the surveys in Louisiana 
 west of the Mississippi. 
 
 The New Mexico meridian, longitude 106 52' 09" west 
 from Greenwich, intersects the principal base line on the 
 Rio Grande del Norte about ten miles below the mouth of 
 the Puerco River, on the parallel of 34 19' north latitude, 
 and governs the surveys in New Mexico and the valley of 
 the Rio Grande del Norte in Colorado. 
 
 The Great Salt Lake meridian, longitude 111 53' 47" 
 west from Greenwich, intersects the base line at the corner 
 of Temple Block in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the parallel of 
 40 46' 04" north latitude, and governs the surveys in Utah. 
 
 The Boise meridian, longitude 116 20' west from Green- 
 p. L. s. 2 
 
18 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 wich, intersects the principal base between the Snake and 
 Boise Eivers, in latitude 43 26' north. The initial monu- 
 ment, at the intersection of the base and meridian, is nine- 
 teen miles distant from Boise City, on a course south 29 
 30' west. This meridian governs the surveys in Idaho. 
 
 The San Bernardino meridian, California, longitude 116 
 56' west from Greenwich, intersects the base line at Mount 
 San Bernardino, latitude 34 06' north, and governs the 
 surveys in southern California lying east of the meridian, 
 and that part of the surveys situated west of it which are 
 south of the eighth standard parallel south of the Mount 
 Diablo base line. 
 
 The Mount Diablo meridian, California, coincides with 
 longitude 121 54' west from Greenwich, intersects the base 
 line on the summit of the mountain from which it takes its 
 name, in latitude 37 53' north, and governs the surveys of 
 all central and northeastern California and the entire state 
 of Nevada. 
 
 The Humboldt meridian, longitude 124 11' west from 
 Greenwich, intersects the principal base line on the summit 
 of Mount Pierce, in latitude 40 25' 30" north, and controls 
 the surveys in the northwestern corner of California lying 
 west of the coast range of mountains and north of township 
 5, south of the Humboldt base. 
 
 
THE PRINCIPAL BASES AND MERIDIANS. 19 
 
 The Willamette meridian is coincident with longitude 
 122 44' west from Greenwich, its intersection with the base 
 line is on the parallel of 45 30' north latitude, and it con- 
 trols the public surveys in Oregon and Washington. 
 
 The Montana meridian extends north and south from the 
 initial monument, established on the summit of a limestone 
 hill eight hundred feet high, longitude 111 40' 54" west 
 from Greenwich. The base line runs east and west from 
 the monument on the parallel of 45 46' 27" north latitude. 
 The surveys for Montana are governed by this meridian. 
 
 The Grila and Salt River meridian intersects the base line 
 on the south side of the Gila Eiver, opposite the mouth of 
 Salt Eiver, in longitude 112 15' 46" west from Greenwich, 
 and latitude 32 22' 57" north, and governs the public sur- 
 veys in Arizona. 
 
 The Indian meridian intersects the base line at Fort Ar- 
 buckle, Indian Territory, in longitude 97 15' 56" west from 
 Greenwich, latitude 34 31/ north, and governs the surveys 
 in that territory. 
 
 The Wind River meridian governs the subdivisional sur- 
 veys within the Shoshone Indian Eeservation in Wyoming. 
 
 The Uinta special base and meridian govern the surveys 
 of the Uinta Indian Eeservation in Utah. 
 
 The Navajo special base and meridian control the surveys 
 
20 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 of the Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico and 
 Arizona. 
 
 The Black Hills meridian is coincident with the western 
 boundary of South Dakota, on the 27th degree of longi- 
 tude west from Washington, and intersects the base line in 
 the parallel of 44 north latitude ; it governs the surveys in 
 the southwestern corner of South Dakota. 
 
 The Grand River meridian and base line govern the sub- 
 divisional surveys for allotment to the Ute Indians, in 
 western Colorado. 
 
 The Cimarron meridian^ coincident with the eastern 
 boundary of New Mexico, or 103 meridian of longitude 
 west from Greenwich, intersects the base line on the paral- 
 lel 36 30' north latitude (the north boundary of Texas), 
 and governs the surveys in the narrow strip of Oklahoma 
 lying between Kansas and Colorado on the north, Texas 
 on the south, and New Mexico on the west. 
 
CHAPTEE III. 
 
 7. How to Number and Read the Townships. First ascer- 
 tain the meridian and base lines controlling the survey in 
 the territory sought to be located. Any township in the first 
 tier of townships north of the base line is read " townsnip 
 number one, north ", which, in written descriptions, is con- 
 tracted into "T. 1 N." On the south side of the base line 
 any township in the first tier is read "township number 
 one, south " ; contracted to " T. 1 S." Each successive tier 
 north or south increases by numerical order, and is read 
 in the same way. The number of the township of any tier 
 will always be found on the side of the principal, or some 
 guide meridian. Any township in the first range of town- 
 ships west of the principal meridian is read " range one 
 west " ; this is shortened into " E. 1 "W." On the other side 
 of the meridian it is read " range one east " ; and the con- 
 traction is " E. 1 E." The ranges increase in numerical 
 order east and west of the principal meridian, and are num- 
 bered on the base line beginning at the meridian. 
 
 To illustrate this, the map of one of the states, as sur- 
 veyed by the Government, is given (p. 23). The locations 
 of townships in any state, whether north or south of the 
 
22 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 principal base, or east or west of the surveying meridian, 
 may be learned by mastering their arrangement on this map. 
 
 What surveys are governed by the fifth principal me- 
 ridian ? * 
 
 How many tiers of townships north of the base line in 
 the state of Arkansas ? 
 
 How many tiers south ? 
 
 How many ranges east? 
 
 How many ranges west ? 
 
 Do you live north or south of the base line in your state ? 
 
 Do you live east or west of the principal meridian ? 
 
 Hot Springs is in township two south, nineteen ranges 
 west of the principal meridian. This is told in this way : 
 " Hot Springs is situated in township No. 2 south, range 
 19 west". This is contracted into, "Hot Springs is in T. 
 2 S., E. 19 W." 
 
 The number of the township north or south always pre- 
 cedes the number of the range east or west. When the 
 number and direction of the township from the base, and 
 the number and direction of the range east or west are 
 
 * The fifth principal meridian is taken as the standard in this work, 
 for the reason that a greater area is surveyed from this meridian and 
 its base line than from any other in the United States. This area 
 includes three great states and a large part of three other states 
 in all, nearly 350,000 square miles. 
 
HOW TO NUMBER AND READ THE TOWNSHIPS. 23 
 
 FIG. 3. 
 
 given, it is easy to locate the township. Batesville is in 
 township 13 north, range 6 west. This is written, " T. 13 
 N., E. 6 W." 
 
CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 8. Standard Lines and Guide Meridians. Standard parallel 
 lines, or correction lines, are run east and west from the 
 principal meridian and become new or special base lines for 
 townships lying north of them. These correction lines are 
 supposed to be run and marked at every four townships, or 
 every 24 miles north of the base, and at every five town- 
 ships or 30 miles south of the same. In practice, however, 
 they, in common with the auxiliary meridians, are run at 
 very irregular distances from the base and from each other. 
 
 Auxiliary or guide meridians are supposed to be run 
 every eight ranges of townships, or every 48 miles east or 
 west of the principal meridian. The student will see that 
 the first rectangle, if west of the first meridian surveyed, 
 will have for its eastern boundary the principal meridian, 
 and for its southern boundary the base line ; the north- 
 ern boundary will be a standard parallel and the western 
 boundary a guide meridian. This rectangle, under the in- 
 structions of the Land Office, is to contain 16 townships 
 and will be twenty-four miles square. 
 
STANDARD LINES AND GUIDE MERIDIANS. 25 
 
 The guide meridians and standards are placed thus near 
 to the first meridian and the base, in order to confine the er- 
 rors growing out of the convergence of the meridians to a 
 narrow limit. It is easier to distribute the error in a tract of 
 this size, and to make the townships in the contiguous tracts 
 north and west of it number, than it would be in a larger 
 tract. The error consists in this : The law requires the east 
 and west boundary line of every measured tract to be true 
 meridians. It also requires each tract to be a square. The 
 east and west lines being true meridians must converge, and 
 the requirement of the law becomes impossible. Every 
 figure having parallels for its bases, and meridians for its 
 sides will be a trapezoid as m n o p in Figure 4 (p. 26). To 
 make the figure a square the line m p must take the direc- 
 tion m q, and form the figure m n o q, which is a square. 
 
 Now the difference between the real figure m n o p and 
 the required legal figure m n o q, being m p q, is error, 
 and if confined to the area m n o p will evidently be less 
 than if computed in the figure m n s r. And the error, 
 whether of excess or of deficiency, is thrown upon the ex- 
 treme tier of townships along the north and west sides of 
 the rectangle. To insure this the ranges are run from 
 south to north for all tracts north of the base line, and the 
 first range is completed before the second is begun ; the 
 
PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 second range is then run off from south to north. In this 
 way the error is crowded into the extreme western and 
 northern townships of the tract. (When we come to the 
 
 FIG. 4. 
 
 division of a township into sections and quarters, the stu- 
 dent will see that this error is again crowded into the ex- 
 treme tier of western or northern quarter sections.) 
 
 This process of crowding the error to the sides of the 
 tract opposite the true meridian and base line is called clos- 
 ing the township. The standard lines so laid off become new 
 base lines upon which townships are laid off six miles in 
 width. Take, for example, the fifth principal meridian. Were 
 the meridian lines from the base line to be extended to Brit- 
 
8TANDAKD LINES AND GUIDE MERIDIANS. 27 
 
 ish America, and no new base adopted as a standard for 
 measurement, the townships which were six miles wide on 
 the base would diminish to a width on the British- Ameri- 
 can line (about 1,000 miles from the base) of four miles and 
 seventy-eight hundredths of a mile. 
 
 To keep a proper width in the townships 33 standard 
 parallels or correction lines were used by the original sur- 
 veyors between the base line of the fifth principal merid- 
 ian and British America. The townships on the north 
 of every standard are six miles wide, while those on the 
 south of the standard may be of a less width, owing to the 
 convergence of the meridians. For this reason the town- 
 ship lines on the north side of the standard do not always 
 coincide with those on the south. This accounts for the 
 offsets in the range lines on the maps, and for the offsets 
 so often found in north and south roads which profess to 
 run on range lines. Wherever possible the error is closed 
 out into a river rather than into the west and north sides of 
 the square. In such cases the standard is drawn on both 
 sides of the river and the range lines run toward the river, 
 so as to lose the error in the stream. In the states border- 
 ing on the Mississippi Biver, the various tributary streams 
 were used for this purpose by the surveyors, and this accounts 
 in part for the few standard lines to be found in those states. 
 
CHAPTEE V. 
 
 NORTH 
 
 N.W. J4 
 N.W.fc 
 
 8.W.J4 
 
 N.W.& 
 
 N.W.J4 
 
 Jfc 
 
 N.B.J4 
 NJS.J4 
 
 -E-rM- 
 
 S.E. 
 
 N.W.J4 
 
 N.W.J4J N.E.& 
 
 j 
 
 S.W.J4J 
 
 -t 
 
 [ i N.W. i 
 
 N-B-Ja 
 
 ST^T^ 
 
 9. The Section and its Divisions. The law requires the 
 divisions and subdivisions of all the public lands to take 
 
 the form of a square. The 
 legal division of the square 
 is into halves, quarters, half 
 quarters, and quarter quar- 
 ters. (See Figure 5.) Each 
 of these subdivisions should 
 be carefully studied until it 
 is understood. 
 
 The designations of the 
 divisions of the square or 
 section, together with their 
 abbreviations, are as follows : 
 
 For halves. 
 
 North half, N. . East half, E. . 
 
 South half, S. J. West half, W. f 
 
 For quarters. 
 
 Northeast quarter, N.E. J. Southwest quarter, S.W. J. 
 
 Northwest quarter, N.W. J. Southeast quarter, S.E. J. 
 
 SIW.J4 
 S.W.J4 
 
 S.W.J4 
 
 S.E.J4 
 
 SOUTH 
 
 FIG. 5. 
 
THE SECTION AND ITS DIVISIONS. 29 
 
 For quarter quarters. 
 
 Northeast quarter of the northeast quarter, N.E. J N.E. J. 
 Southeast quarter of the northeast quarter, S.E. \ N.E. \. 
 Southwest quarter of the northeast quarter, S.W. J N.E, \. 
 Northwest quarter of the northeast quarter, N.W. \ N.E. J. 
 
 In the same manner, read and designate the divisions of 
 the N.W. i ; the S.E. J ; the S.W. J. (See Figure 5.) 
 
 Example 1. Draw a square and divide it into quarters. 
 Subdivide each quarter into quarters. Then place the num- 
 ber preceding each of the following abbreviations in the 
 square described by its abbreviations, and the sum of the 
 numbers up and down, side wise, or diagonally from the 
 corners, will be 34. 
 
 1. S.W. i S.W. J. 9. S.E. i N.E. i. 
 
 2. N.W. i- S. E. i. 10. N.E. J N.W. *. 
 
 3. N.W. * N.E. J. 11. N.E. i S. W. J. 
 
 4. S.W. JN.W.i. 12. S.E. J S.E. i. 
 
 5. S.E. iN.W.i. 13. S.W. i S.E. J. 
 
 6. N.E. i N.E. i. 14. N.W. i S.W. i. 
 
 7. N.E. iS.E. i. 15. N.W.iN.W.i. 
 
 8. S.E. iS.W.i. 16. S.W. iN.E. i. 
 Example %. In a section divided as before, place, in their 
 
 proper squares, the numbers given on page 30. If correctly 
 placed, the additions taken up and down, sidewise, or diag- 
 onally from the corners, will each make 34 as before. 
 
30 PUBLIC LAND SUEVEYS. 
 
 1. N.W. i N.W. i. 9. S.E. i N.E. . 
 
 2. S.W. J S.E. *. 10. N.E. i S.W. J. 
 
 3. S.E. iS.W. i. 11. N.W. i S.E. i. 
 
 4. N.E. N.E. i. 12. S.W. i N.W. i. 
 
 5. N.E. iS.B. J. 13. S.W. iS.W. . 
 
 6. S.E. i N.W.i. 14. N.W. i N.E. i. 
 
 7. S.W. N.E. J. 15. N.E. i N.W. i. 
 
 8. N.W. iS.W.i. 16. S.E. iS.E. i. 
 
 Bead each of the above abbreviations. 
 
 Example 3. Another magic square may be formed with 
 the numbers of Ex. 2 by placing 1 in the S.W. J N.E. J. 
 Try to fill it up as before. 
 
 The divisions of the square, or section, given above are 
 the legal subdivisions of the United States Land Surveys, 
 and are called sections, half sections, quarter sections, half 
 quarter sections, quarter quarter sections, and fractional 
 sections, or lots. The Government has always sold lands 
 by these divisions except in the early sales of Ohio, where 
 half and quarter townships were conveyed. 
 
CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 10. Area of the Section and its Subdivisions. The law re- 
 quired the township to contain 23,040, and the section 640 
 acres. These areas were based on the assumption that all the 
 tracts would be squares. We have seen that the east and 
 west boundary lines of the larger tracts (24 miles square) 
 are true meridians, and that the tracts are not squares. The 
 area of the township by subsequent enactment (May 18, 
 1796) was fixed at 23,040 acres as near as may be ; and the 
 area of the section, 640 acres as near as may be. The law 
 of May 10, 1800, provided as follows : " In all cases where 
 the exterior lines of the townships shall exceed, or shall not 
 extend 6 miles, the excess or deficiency shall be specially 
 noted, and added to or deducted from the western or north- 
 ern ranges of sections or half sections in such township, 
 according as the error may be in running the lines from 
 east to west, or from south to north ; the sections and half 
 sections bounded on the northern and western lines of such 
 townships shall be sold as containing only the quantity ex- 
 
32 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 pressed in the returns and plats respectively, and all others 
 as containing the legal quantity." 
 11. The Legal Quantity. 
 
 640 acres = the legal section. 
 320 acres = the legal half section. 
 160 acres = the legal quarter section. 
 80 acres = the legal half quarter section. 
 40 acres the legal quarter quarter section. 
 How much land does a man own who has title for a 
 half section ? For a quarter section ? For a full section ? 
 For a quarter quarter section ? For the N. W. i ? 
 For the S. i N. W. i ? For the E. 4 S.E. J ? 
 The S. * and the E. 4 N. W. i ? 
 TheN.W.Jand the S.W.J? 
 The N. W. 4 N.W. J ? The S.E. J S.W. i ? 
 The N.W. i and the N.W. i S.E. i ? 
 The N.W.i, and the S. i S.W. i? 
 
 What part of the section does a man own who owns a half 
 section, a quarter section, and three quarter quarter sections ? 
 Plat all the above examples. 
 
 NOTE. The number of acres in any tract may always be fonnd by 
 multiplying the denominators of the fractions of each subdivision to- 
 gether, and dividing 640, the number of acres in a section, by the 
 product. Explain this. 
 
HOW SECTION LINES ARE RUN. 33 
 
 Kemember that lands sold by the legal subdivisions con- 
 tain the legal quantity of land. 
 
 Figure 8 (p. 39) shows the subdivisions of a quarter section 
 and their legal quantity. The designations should be care- 
 fully studied and applied until they are well understood. 
 
 12. How Section Lines are Run. Eeferring to the law of 
 1800 (Sec. 10, p. 31) you will see that the error is referred to 
 as originating in the section lines. These should be six 
 miles long in each township, but they may be more or less. 
 The excess or the deficiency must fall in the western or 
 northern half sections. Hence the section lines (see Figure 
 6, p. 34) ab,cd, ef, gh,ik and I m and p y are run from south 
 toward the north, so that the deficiency may fall in the 
 northern range of half sections. That is to say, the area of 
 this northern range of half sections may be more or less 
 than the legal quantity. 
 
 Such irregular areas are not fractional sections but are de- 
 nominated on Government plats as " lots ", and are numbered 
 in order, and should be so referred to and designated. Thus 
 the northern half of section 1 should not be platted as 
 " N. -J of Section 1 " but as " Lot 41 " containing the number 
 of acres marked upon the Government plat. The description, 
 " N. of Section 1 " always calls for a definite number of 
 
 acres, viz., 320 ; while " Lot 41 " means that the area of the 
 p. L. S.-3 
 
34 
 
 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 n I 
 
 ; f 
 
 j 
 
 f c 
 
 J 1 
 
 > 
 
 11 
 
 i 
 
 Lot 45 
 
 Lot 44 
 325 A. 
 
 Lot 43 
 
 Lot42 
 324 A. 
 
 Lot 41 
 
 y 
 
 
 5 
 
 4 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 w 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 - !_L 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 OS 
 
 18 
 
 17 
 
 16 
 
 15 
 
 11 
 
 10 
 
 
 o 2 
 
 -} CO 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 40 -1 Q 
 
 OA 
 
 
 OO 
 
 OQ 
 
 
 
 o iy 
 
 H 
 
 ZU 
 
 1 1 
 
 2flS 
 
 SBO 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 n 
 
 to 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 y 
 
 o 30 
 
 H 
 
 29 
 
 28 
 
 27 
 
 26 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^w^ jS s i^ 
 
 
 g 31 
 
 32 
 
 33 
 
 34' 
 
 35 
 
 .36 
 
 
 ? 
 
 ; i 
 
 jr < 
 
 > < 
 
 ? c 
 
 i 
 
 P 
 
 FIG. 6. 
 
 figure must be determined by reference to the plats. That is 
 to say, a fractional part of a section explains itself (see Sec. 
 11, p. 32) ; but a lot requires an actual measurement. 
 
 In Figure 6, the south half of sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 may 
 
HOW SECTION LINES ARE RUN. 35 
 
 be described regularly as " S. of 2 ", " S. i of 3 ", etc., and their 
 area would be known ; or they may be lots, in which case 
 their area would be found on the plat. But the northern 
 half would be described as " Lot 41 ", " Lot 42 ", etc., and 
 would require measurement to determine their area. The 
 Government measured them at the time of the survey, and 
 marked their area on the plats returned to the Land Office. 
 
 It is only necessary, then, to know the number of the lot, 
 the township and range, and the surveying meridian to as- 
 certain the area of any of these lots. But they should be de- 
 scribed as lots and not as fractional parts of sections. 
 
 In the same manner, the section lines pl,no,qr,st,uv,w 
 x, and y m are run from east to west, in order to throw the 
 excess or deficiency in the western range of half sections. 
 These half sections, if deficient or excessive, would be denom- 
 inated " lots ". In Figure 6, the western half sections would 
 oe described as "Lot 47", "Lot 48", etc. The eastern 
 range of half sections would be described regularly. 
 
 In some cases, the quarter section is designated by the 
 Government as " Lot 1 S. W. J ", or " Lot 2 S. W. \ ", as the case 
 may be. When thus designated, the lots numbered " 1 " will 
 always be nearest the base and meridian lines. (See Fig. 9, 
 p. 47.) In all such cases they should be read as lots 1 and 2 of 
 the particular quarter, rather than by the regular subdivisions. 
 
36 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 How do you ascertain the area of Lot 51 ? Sections 8, 
 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 
 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 of Figure 6 are regular sections, 
 and every division and subdivision thereof is regular and 
 contains the legal quantity of land. Each of them may be 
 divided, and is ordinarily divided into halves, quarters, and 
 quarter quarters. 
 
 Let each pupil divide these regular sections in all ways 
 in which division is permissible, and describe each subdivi- 
 sion. 
 
 Section 25 in Figure 6 (p. 34) is subdivided into 7 tracts, 
 as follows : 
 
 The N.E. i Section 25, containing 160 acres. 
 The N.W. i Section 25, containing 160 acres. 
 The S. 4 S.E. i Section 25, containing 80 acres. 
 The N.E. i S.E. i Section 25, containing 40 acres. 
 The N.W. i S.E. J Section 25, containing 40 acres. 
 The N. 4 S.W. i Section 25, containing 80 acres. 
 The S. 4 S.W. i Section 25, containing 80 acres. 
 
 Total area of section 640 acres. 
 
 In the same manner, write out a description of the sub- 
 divisions of Sec. 10, as shown in Figure 6. 
 Of Section 14. 
 Of Section 21. 
 
HOW SECTION LINES ARE KUN. 
 
 37 
 
 Scale, 125 Chains to an Inch 
 
 FlG. 7. Map of township number 6 north, range number 34 east of the 
 principal meridian, Montana, showing the sections and their subdivisions into 
 quarter sections and lots, with the quantities of land. 
 
CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 13. Other Subdivisions of the Section. Although the Govern- 
 ment recognizes no subdivision less than 40 acres,* or a 
 quarter quarter section, the states and private individuals, 
 who have become owners of the lands, find it necessary and 
 convenient to continue this process of division beyond this 
 point. Thus there may be tracts of 20, 10, and 5 acres, 
 each of which will be a regular subdivision of the quarter 
 quarter section, and will be described as the other divisions 
 of the section. The following diagram (p. 39) illustrates 
 the method of division, the legal descriptions, and the 
 appropriate abbreviations. It is a little more difficult 
 than the legal subdivisions of the section, but by a little 
 patience and practice it may easily be mastered. 
 
 Examples. The 5-acre tract in the N.E. corner of the 
 diagram is described as follows : 
 
 N. i N.E. i N.E. J N.E. J Sec. 18, 5 A. 
 
 * By the original act no less than 640 acres or a section could be 
 sold ; in 1820 a quarter section was permitted to be sold ; in 1832 
 settlers were permitted to take up a quarter quarter, and in 1846 a 
 quarter quarter was authorized to be sold. 
 
OTHER SUBDIVISIONS OF THE SECTION. 
 
 39 
 
 5 A. 
 
 5 A. 
 
 ** 
 
 ^^ 
 
 N.E. J4 N.E. 14 
 
 
 
 ^ *4 
 
 ^ 1 
 
 5 A., 
 
 
 
 l? 
 
 ^'^0 
 
 S. ^ N.E. 14 
 
 10 
 
 A. 
 
 ^ S 
 
 H 3 
 
 N.E. Y N.E. H 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 A. 
 
 
 
 
 
 N.E. J4 N.E. M 
 
 ^ ^! 
 
 
 
 
 
 5A. 
 
 . H ^ c4 
 
 H ra 
 
 5 A. 
 
 5 A. 
 
 5 A. 
 
 5 A. 
 
 
 
 m ^4 S *H 
 p^ ^ W ' 
 
 s. ^ s.w. H 
 
 
 
 
 
 N.E. J4 N.E. 14 
 
 ^ ^5 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 A. 
 
 
 H.E.M 
 
 
 
 
 20 A 
 
 
 
 
 
 20 A. 
 
 20 A. 
 
 20 A. 
 
 FIG. 8. Diagram showing the subdivisions of a quarter section into 5-, 
 10-, and 20-aere tracts. In the examples given, this diagram is supposed to 
 represent the northeast quarter of Section 18. 
 
 It is read as follows : " The north half of the northeast 
 quarter of the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter 
 
40 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 of Section 18, containing 5 acres." In the same manner 
 read all the other subdivisions of the northeast quarter of 
 the northeast quarter of Section 18. Write the legal de- 
 scriptions of each tract in the N.W. i of the N.E. J of 
 Sec. 18. Write the abbreviations. Write in full the de- 
 scriptions of the two twenties in the S.E. J of the N.E. J 
 Sec. 18. Write the abbreviations. Divide the W. S.E. J 
 N.E. J N.E. J Sec. 18 into two parts, and write the descrip- 
 tions for each, the abbreviations, and calculate the cost of 
 one of them at $1.25 per acre. Take a piece of paper and 
 cut it nicely into parts corresponding to the divisions of the 
 diagram. Select any 5-acre tract and tell what it is with 
 reference to the whole section. In this way you will soon 
 come to know the exact meaning of each phrase used in the 
 description. 
 
 Draw a section and divide it into quarters ; divide any 
 quarter into quarters; then divide any one of these last 
 quarters into quarters ; then divide any one of these last 
 quarters into halves, and you will have a 5-acre tract. 
 
OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 CF 
 
 CHAPTEE VIII. 
 
 14. Ownership of Lands. All lands comprehended within 
 the Government surveys belonged at one time to the United 
 States. The Government divests itself of ownership in three 
 ways : 
 
 1. By gift or grant to the several states ; 
 
 2. By gift to individuals or corporations ; 
 
 3. By sale to individuals or corporations. 
 
 The United States have always been generous to the sev- 
 eral states. Millions of acres have been given to them, to 
 aid them in building statehouses, in establishing schools 
 and seminaries, and for other purposes. 
 
 The General Government has also given millions of acres 
 to her soldiers, to actual settlers upon homesteads, to cor- 
 porations, to aid in developing the country and promoting 
 the general welfare, and in supporting education in many 
 ways. 
 
 Two hundred millions of acres have been given to assist in 
 building railroads through the unsettled regions of the coun- 
 
42 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 try. Much more than this has been given to the states in 
 aid of their public schools, both in large general grants and 
 by reserved sections, as the sixteenth section of the old and 
 the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections of the new town- 
 ships. 
 
 Besides these enormous gifts, the Government disposes of 
 immense tracts of land by actual sale. After they have been 
 surveyed and platted, or mapped, into townships and sec- 
 tions, they are placed on the market and offered for sale in 
 such quantities as are wanted by the purchaser not less, 
 however, than one sixteenth of a section, or forty acres. 
 
 15. General and District Land Offices. The general work of 
 surveying, mapping, and regulating the public domain is 
 vested in the General Land Office at Washington. 
 
 The work of selling these lands is delegated to District 
 Land Offices in the states and territories, to suit the con- 
 venience of purchasers. At these places are deposited maps 
 of all the lands lying in the district, and the purchaser may 
 easily make selection both as to location and price. 
 
 16. Registers and Receivers. Each of these offices has 
 two officers : 
 
 1. A Register of the Land Office. 
 
 2. A Receiver of Public Money for Lands. 
 
 They are ordinarily called the Register and Receiver, and 
 
HOW TO SECURE TITLE. 43 
 
 are appointed by the President and the Senate. They re- 
 port their proceedings to the General Land Office. 
 
 The Register receives every application for land and 
 registers it in a book provided for that purpose. The 
 Receiver takes the money which is paid for the land, and 
 transmits it at stated periods to the United States Treasury. 
 
 Name the. District Land Offices in your state. Give the 
 name of the Register and of the Receiver in charge of each 
 of them. 
 
 17. How to Secure Title. There are two classes of public 
 lands subject to entry : 
 
 1. The minimum class at $1.25 per acre. 
 
 2. The double minimum at $2.50 per acre. The alternate 
 sections along the lines of railroads comprise the latter. 
 
 The title may be secured in three ways: 1. At public 
 sale. 2. By private entry. 3. By homesteading. 
 
 18. Homesteads. In 1862 Congress passed an act called 
 " The Homestead Law ". By this law every person who is 
 the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age of 
 twenty-one years, and is a citizen of the United States, or 
 who has filed his declaration of intention to become such, 
 is entitled to enter upon and claim one quarter section, or a 
 less quantity, of unappropriated public lands. The only lim- 
 it to this right is a very small fee and an oath that the land is 
 
44 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS, 
 
 desired for actual settlement and cultivation by the claimant. 
 To protect the Government from fraudulent claimants, no 
 patent or deed can be issued under this act until the ap- 
 plicant has actually settled upon and cultivated the land for 
 five years. 
 
 19. Mineral Lands. All public lands supposed to contain 
 gold, silver, copper, lead, or other minerals are sold under a 
 different rule. Not more than forty acres may be purchased 
 by a single person and at not less than five dollars per acre. 
 
 20. Land Warrants. These papers, given to soldiers and* 
 sailors, entitle their holders to locate any minimum class 
 lands, and are classed as private entries. Double minimum 
 lands may be located with these warrants upon payment of 
 the difference in cash. 
 
 21. Agricultural College Scrip To aid certain colleges, the 
 Government issued a scrip which authorized its holder to 
 locate certain of the public lands. This scrip may be used 
 to purchase minimum lands, but no greater quantity than a 
 quarter section, and not more than three sections in a town- 
 ship. It may also be used in preemptions. 
 
 22. Preemption. This law provided that any person who 
 was the head of a family, or a widow, or a single man over 
 twenty-one years of age and a citizen of the United States, 
 or any person who had filed his declaration to become such, 
 
TIMBER CULTURE LAW. 45 
 
 by settling upon and improving any offered, unoffered, or 
 unsurveyed lands of the United States, could, obtain a pre- 
 emption right to one hundred and sixty acres of land so 
 occupied, at the regular Government price. This law pro- 
 tected the actual settler upon such lands. It differed from 
 the homestead law in that it required a purchase at regular 
 rates and required no definite length of occupancy to per- 
 fect the title. 
 
 23. Timber Culture Law. In 1873 Congress passed an 
 act to encourage the growth of timber on western prairies. 
 This law provided that any person who was the head of a 
 family, or who had arrived at the age of twenty-one years, 
 and was a citizen of the United States, or who had filed his 
 declaration of intention to become such, could secure a title, 
 at the end of ten years, to not more than a quarter section 
 of land, by planting and keeping in healthy growing condi- 
 tion forty acres of trees, or a corresponding less amount if 
 less than one hundred and sixty acres were entered. Not 
 less than forty acres could be entered. Later this law was 
 amended so as to allow the settler to prove his claim at the 
 end of eight years, and required the planting of but ten acres 
 of trees on each quarter section. Only one quarter in each 
 section could be entered for timber culture. This law was 
 repealed in 1891, 
 
CHAPTEE IX. 
 
 24. State Taxation, The people of every state receive 
 protection and education from the state governments. To 
 protect the citizen in life and limb and to educate him costs 
 a great amount of money, which in turn is taken from the 
 citizen as an equivalent ior the benefits received by him. 
 The state collects this money by fixed rules or laws, which 
 bear upon all citizens alike, and calls the process, taxation. 
 The general rule underlying all taxation is that taxes shall 
 be just and equal. 
 
 In most of the states the taxing power is vested in (1) the 
 legislature ; (2) the county courts ; (3) the town councils ; 
 (4) the vote of the people. The tax may be a head tax, a 
 privilege tax, or a property tax. 
 
 25. Assessment. In order that taxes levied upon property 
 may be equal, it is necessary to fix upon a value for all 
 property. This ascertainment of the value of any property 
 so that it may bear its just and equal share of the taxes is 
 called an assessment. It is usually made by an officer, 
 
ASSESSMENTS. 
 
 47 
 
 r 
 
 Township Line 
 
 79 
 Phineas Jones 
 
 r- 
 
 80 
 John Brown 
 
 (2) 
 
 81 
 
 81 
 
 37 ' 21 ! 
 
 Eliza Smith j 20 
 
 L__j* 
 
 77 |40 
 
 (2) 1 (1) ! 
 
 80 
 
 (1) 
 
 160 
 
 Thomas M 
 
 80 
 Ezra Thomas 
 
 I S 
 
 40 
 
 (1) 
 
 160 
 
 Sarah Smith 
 80 
 
 ore/iead 
 
 ~" 
 
 Eliza Thomas 
 
 80 
 
 77 
 
 
 80 
 
 M.Jack 
 
 80 
 
 160 
 
 Thomas] Jeffries 
 
 (2) I (1) 
 i 
 
 1 tl _- 
 
 39 
 
 160 
 
 .Thomas Edwards 
 80 
 
 
 John James 
 
 f 40 
 
 39 40 
 
 Jerome \ Jackson 
 
 <2> f (1) 
 
 4i20 
 
 140 
 
 Vacant 
 
 130 
 
 FIG. 9. 
 
 Section Lines _ 
 
 ~Eange and Township Lines 
 
 Lines subdividing Sections and Lots 
 
 Connecting ownership of Lands 
 
 Number of Lots 
 
 H 
 
 -(1) (2) 
 
48 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 called an Assessor, who is elected or appointed to that 
 service. 
 
 For determining the amount of assessment, the township 
 is divided into sections, and the sections subdivided into 
 quarters and lots of quarters, showing the ownership of 
 each lot or quarter or section, as the case may be. 
 
 The following explanation will enable the student to see 
 the difference between correct and incorrect descriptions of 
 the subdivisions of a section. 
 
 26. Correct Descriptions for Assessment of Sections 1, 2, 11, 
 and 12, as diagrammed in Figure 9 : 
 
 No. OF ACRES. SECTION 1. OWNER. 
 
 81 Lot 2 N. E. i. John Wright. 
 
 40 E. * Lot 1 N. E. J. John Wright. 
 
 40 W. i Lot 1 N. E. i. Thomas Smith. 
 
 81 Lot 2 N. W. i. Thomas Smith. 
 
 80 Lot IN. W.J. Ezra Thomas. 
 
 160 , . . S. W. i. Thomas Morehead. 
 
 80 N. | S. E. i. Sarah Smith. 
 
 80 S. | S. E. i. Eliza Thomas. 
 
 SECTION 2. 
 
 80 Lot 1 N. E. i. Thomas Morehead. 
 
 80 Lot 2 N. E. . John Brown. 
 
 20 E. i E. \ Lot 1 N. W. \. Thomas Smith. 
 
 20 W. \ E. i Lot 1 N. W. i. Eliza Smith. 
 
CORRECT DESCRIPTIONS FOR ASSESSMENTS. 
 
 49 
 
 No. OF ACRES. SECTION 2. 
 
 37 .......... Balance of Lot 1 N. W. . 
 
 79 .......... Lot 2 N. W. i. 
 
 40 .......... E. | Lot 1 S. W. i> 
 
 40 .......... W. i Lot 1 S. W. i. 
 
 77 .......... Lot 2 S. W. i. 
 
 160 .......... S. E. i. 
 
 SECTION 11. 
 
 160 .......... N. E. J. 
 
 80 .......... Lot 1 N. W. i. 
 
 77 .......... Lot 2 N. W. J. 
 
 40 .......... N. | Lot 1 S. W. i. 
 
 40 .......... S. | Lot 1 S. W. i. 
 
 39 .......... N. i Lot 2 S. W. J. 
 
 39 .......... S. i Lot 2 S. W. i. 
 
 20 .......... W. N. W. i S. E. i> 
 
 SECTION 12. 
 
 80 .......... N. i N. E. i. 
 
 80 .......... S. | N. E. i. 
 
 160 .......... N. W. i. 
 
 30 .......... All N. of Goose Creek, S. W. 
 
 130 ......... . All S. of Goose Creek, S. W. 
 
 120 .......... All N. of Goose Creek, S. E. 
 
 40 .......... All S. of Goose Creek, S. E. 
 
 OWNER. 
 
 Eliza Smith. 
 Phineas Jones. 
 Thomas Smith. 
 Amy Love. 
 John Carr. 
 Thomas Morehead. 
 
 Thomas Morehead. 
 Thomas Jeffries. 
 Thomas Jeffries. 
 John James. 
 Jerome Jackson. 
 John James. 
 Jerome Jackson. 
 John James. 
 
 M. Jack. 
 
 Thomas Edwards. 
 Thomas Morehead. 
 Thomas Edwards. 
 John Swift. 
 Thomas Edwards. 
 John Swift. 
 
 P. L. S.-4 
 
50 
 
 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 ERRONEOUS DESCRIPTIONS. 
 
 No. OF ACRES. SECTION 1. OWNER. 
 
 121 N. | N. E. J S. E. i N. E. *. John Wright. 
 
 121 S. W. i N. E. i N. i. N. W. J. Thomas Smith. 
 
 80 North part of S. E. J. . Sarah Smith. 
 
 80 South part of same. Eliza Thomas. 
 
 160 S. W. J. Thomas Morehead. 
 
 SECTION 2. 
 
 80 N. i N. E. J. John Brown. 
 
 80 S. | S. E. . Thomas Morehead. 
 
 160 S. E. i. Thomas Moreliead. 
 
 79 N. i N. W. J. Phineas Jones. 
 
 20 E. part S. E. J N. W. J. Eliza Smith. 
 
 20 W. part S. E. J N. W. i. Eliza Smith. 
 
 37 S. W. i N. W. J. Eliza Smith. 
 
 SECTION 13. 
 
 80 Part of N. E. J. M. Jack. 
 
 80 Part of N. E. J. Thomas Edwards. 
 
 120 Part of S. E. J. Thomas Edwards. 
 
 40. Part of S. E. J. John Swift. 
 
 A city or town is divided into blocks and lots, the assess- 
 ment beginning with Block 1 of the original town and with 
 Lot 1, proceeding consecutively with the lots in each block 
 and in consecutive order with the blocks. Each addition 
 
TAX RECEIPTS. 51 
 
 to the original town is assessed separately by lots and 
 blocks. 
 
 27. Tax Receipts. Taxes are paid on the assessments 
 fixed by the Assessor, and when paid are evidenced by a 
 receipt. This receipt contains the correct description of 
 each piece of land, or of each lot, and its assessed value, 
 together with the amount of taxes paid on it for the several 
 purposes for which taxes are assessed. The description 
 should be correct, so that the taxpayer may know that he 
 has discharged his duty to the state, and that the public 
 may have an easy method of ascertaining whether all prop- 
 erty is bearing its just and equal share of the burdens of 
 government. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 28. Deeds, A deed is a written contract conveying land. 
 It has several necessary parts, as, (1) tlie parties, (2) the 
 consideration, (3) the description, (4) the covenants, (5^ 
 the signatures, (6) the acknowledgment. 
 
 The parties are the grantor and the grantee. The first is 
 the seller, and the second the buyer. The consideration is the 
 price paid, and is generally money. The description is such 
 a designation of the land by metes and bounds, or by town- 
 ships, ranges, and subdivisions of the section, as will identify 
 it. In such states as were not surveyed into townships, 
 ranges, and sections, the description is by calls made from 
 natural or stationed objects or corners along a named line by 
 courses and distances. This is called a description by 
 metes and bounds. 
 
 Here is a description taken from an old Jersey deed, which 
 will illustrate the method of describing lands in all the old 
 Colonial States, and in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee : 
 
 Description of 204 acres sold by Bennett Bard to Peter Bard, August 4, 
 1763. " Beginning at a pine lettered B. B. and M. , on the side of that 
 
DEEDS. 53 
 
 branch where his saw-mill formerly stood, and is a corner to land surveyed 
 to John Monroe, Esq , and runs by the same S. 3 degrees E. 47.50 chains 
 to a small pine by the north side of his mill pond" (this is called the first 
 course) ; " thence crossing the same S. 68 degrees E. 25 chains to a pine on 
 the north side of the southerly branch of his mill pond " (second course) ; 
 " then crossing the said branch S. 27 degrees E. 19 chains to a pine corner 
 to 50 acres of pine land and cedar swamp that the said John Monroe pur- 
 chased of Bennett Bard" (third course) ; "then N. 65 degrees W. 35 chains 
 to a post by a pine marked corner to land surveyed to John Monroe" 
 (fourth course) ; " thence N. 65 degrees W. 35 chains to a post by a pine" 
 (fifth course) ; "thence N. 20 degrees W. 19 chains to a corner" (sixth 
 course) ; "thence N. 60 degrees W. 30 chains to the said mill branch" 
 (seventh course); c< thence it is bounded up the said mill branch and its 
 several courses to the corner pine first mentioned " (eighth course). 
 
 The principal things to note in every such description are 
 (1) the corners, (2) the courses, (3) the distances between 
 the corners. 
 
 The corners may be trees, stones, or any other object 
 permanent and easy to be found. The courses are indi- 
 cated by degrees and their parts, and are ascertained by the 
 surveyor. The distances are ascertained by actual meas- 
 urement, and are usually designated in rods and feet. 
 They are sometimes marked in chains and links. 
 
 Such descriptions usually close with a clause like the 
 foregoing one from Bennett Bard : " Containing 204 acres, 
 more or less." This is unnecessary, however, as the given 
 
54 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 description carries with it all the enclosed area, whether it 
 be 204 acres or 20,400 acres. 
 
 The following is a description of lands within the territory 
 surveyed by the United States, and will serve as a guide for all 
 other descriptions of the same kind : 
 
 11 John Jones sells to Marcus Wright the following described real estate, 
 situated in the County of Clark and State of Illinois, to wit : 
 
 " S.W. i Sec. 5, 160 acres, and S.W. J of W. i Lot 1, N. W. Sec. 5, 10 
 acres lying in T. 10 N. R. 12 W., 2 P. M., containing in all 170 acres, more 
 or less, according to the United States survey thereof." 
 
 This description calls for the township and range as of 
 first importance ; it then calls for the section and one or 
 more of its legal subdivisions. The quantity of land is not 
 subject to so many variations as is land surveyed by courses 
 and distances, and the new surveys are far more accurate 
 than the older ones. The Government surveys are more 
 nearly correct than private ones, though all of them are sub- 
 ject to inaccuracies of many kinds. The last description 
 names the second principal meridian, and where two merid- 
 ians govern the lands of the state this method of description 
 should be observed. 
 
 Land grants, military tracts, and irregular shaped pieces 
 should be deeded by metes and bounds. 
 
 The covenants of a deed are the words which bind the 
 
DEEDS. 55 
 
 grantor to defend the title of the land. This means that, if 
 the land is claimed by any other person than the grantee, 
 the grantor (seller) will protect the grantee (buyer) against 
 said claim. 
 
 The deed is signed by the grantor in the presence of wit- 
 nesses. If the grantor has a wife, she also must sign, if 
 her dower right is to be conveyed. The absence of her sig- 
 nature would indicate a dower right not conveyed. 
 
 In addition to all this particularity, the deed is not per- 
 fect unless it is acknoivledged before an officer of the state 
 authorized by law to take acknowledgments. If the wife 
 signs, the officer must take her acknowledgment separate 
 and apart from her husband. 
 
 To make a deed effective against other persons who may 
 buy it from the grantor after his first sale, the grantee 
 must take it to an officer of the state regularly authorized 
 to receive it and deposit it for record. This officer receives 
 it, endorses the time of its reception on the back, and re- 
 cords it in a book provided by law for that purpose. 
 
 This record is always open to inspection, and is a notice 
 to third parties not to buy lands from a grantor who has 
 already disposed of his title. 
 
 Questions. Can you name the officers in your state who 
 are authorized to take an acknowledgment to a deed ? Can 
 
OD PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 you name the officer whose duty it is to receive and record 
 deeds ? What is his office called ? What do they call the 
 books in which deeds are recorded ? How are the record 
 books for deeds distinguished from each other ? 
 
 29. General Warranty Deed, with Relinquishment of Dower. 
 The following is a copy of a deed, with the acknowledg- 
 ments and the entry of filing and recording : 
 
 Know all men by these presents that we, John Young Brown and Mary 
 Russell Brown, his wife, for and in consideration of one thousand dollars, 
 to us in hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, do hereby 
 grant, bargain, sell, and convey unto Thomas Wolcott, his heirs and as- 
 signs forever, the following lands lying in the County of Prairie, State of 
 Arkansas, to wit : 
 
 The N.E. Sec. 16, T. 1 N.R. 4 W., containing 160 acres, more or less. 
 
 To have and to hold the same unto the said Thomas Wolcott, his heirs 
 and assigns forever, with all appurtenances thereunto belonging. And we, 
 the said John Young Brown and Mary Russell Brown, do hereby covenant 
 with the said Thomas Wolcott that we will forever warrant and defend the 
 title to said lands against all lawful claims whatever. 
 
 And I, Mary Russell Brown, wife of the said John Young Brown, for 
 and in consideration of the said sum of money, do hereby relinquish unto 
 the said Thomas Wolcott all my rights of dower in and to the said lands. 
 
 Witness our hands and seals on this 27th day of May, 1891. 
 
 JOHN YOUNG BROWN, : SEAL. 
 
 MARY RUSSELL BROWN, : SEAL. 
 
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DEED. 57 
 
 30. Acknowledgment. 
 
 STATE OF ARKANSAS, 
 COUNTY OF PRAIRIE, 
 
 Be it remembered that on this day came before me the undersigned, a 
 Notary Public within and for the county aforesaid, duly commissioned and 
 acting, John Young Brown and Mary Russell Brown, his wife, to me well 
 known as the grantors in the foregoing deed, and stated that they had 
 executed the same for the consideration and purposes therein mentioned 
 and set forth. 
 
 And on the same day also voluntarily appeared before me the said Mary 
 Russell Brown, wife of the said John Young Brown, to me well known, 
 and, in the absence of her said husband, declared that she had, of her own 
 free will, signed and sealed the relinquishment of dower in the foregoing 
 deed, for the purposes therein contained and set forth, without compulsion 
 or other undue influence of her husband. 
 
 Witness my hand and seal as such Notary Public on the 
 27th day of May, 1891. 
 
 JOHN THOMAS, 
 
 NOTARIAL : 
 
 SEAL. Notary Public, 
 
 : Prairie County. 
 
 31. Certificate of Record. 
 
 STATE OF ARKANSAS, 
 COUNTY OF PRAIRIE. 
 
 I, John Trinity, Circuit Clerk and ex-officio Recorder of the county 
 aforesaid, do hereby certify that the annexed and foregoing instrument of 
 writing was filed for record in my office, on the 27th day of May, 1891, at 4 
 
58 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 o'clock, P.M., and that the same is now duly recorded, with the acknowl- 
 edgments and certificates thereon, in Record Book M, page 528. 
 
 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal 
 of said Court, this 28th day of May, 1891. 
 
 JOHN TRINITY, 
 
 Circuit Clerk and ex-officio Recorder. 
 
 By ELEAZAR DUNBAR, 
 
 Deputy. 
 
 Questions. Who was the grantor in the above deed? 
 The grantee? Why did Mary Russell Brown sign the 
 deed? What part of the property was hers? What is 
 dower? Was she required to sign? Why was she ex- 
 amined separate and apart from John Young Brown, her 
 husband? What was the consideration? Why was its 
 receipt acknowledged? What is the difference between 
 heirs and assigns ? What was the description of the land ? 
 What was the covenant? Why is this deed called a 
 general warranty deed? (The covenant is general. It is 
 against all lawful claims whatever. Had it been against all 
 claims originating in the grantor the designation would 
 have been, "special warranty deed.") What did Mary 
 Russell Brown do ? Plat this land. Before whom was the 
 acknowledgment taken? What did John Young Brown 
 
DESCRIPTION OF A TOWN OR CITY LOT. 59 
 
 acknowledge? What did his wife acknowledge? Who 
 appoints a notary public ? What are his duties ? May a 
 woman be a notary? What attests the signature of the 
 notary? Write another acknowledgment. Where was this 
 deed recorded? When was it filed? Why was it filed? 
 When was it recorded? Why was it recorded? What 
 is a deed index ? What is a cross index ? Who signed 
 the certificate of record ? Why did Eleazer Dunbar sign ? 
 Did John Trinity sign the paper in fact ? What rights has 
 a deputy? What do the letters "ss." in the acknowledg- 
 ment mean? Write a deed. Take a blank deed and fill 
 it up. When could you use a deed without relinquishment 
 of dower? 
 
 32. Description of a Town or City Lot, 
 
 The following described lots in the City of Johnstown, State of Pennsyl- 
 vania, being Lots 1, 2, and 3 in the original plat of said city, and Lot 3 and 
 the N. i of Lot 2 in Bridgman's addition to said city, to have and to hold 
 the same, etc., etc. 
 
 33. Mortgages. Property is also conveyed upon condi- 
 tion as security for debt or the performance of duty, to 
 become void upon the payment of the debt or the perform- 
 ance of the duty. The form of a mortgage is the same as 
 that of a deed except that the mortgage contains an addi- 
 tional element which is called the condition. This condi- 
 
60 PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS. 
 
 tion, if the instrument is given to secure the payment of 
 debt, recites the amount of the indebtedness of the maker 
 of the instrument, the method of payment, and the interest 
 to be paid, together with a statement that if said indebted- 
 ness shall be paid in full at the times indicated then the 
 entire instrument is to become void and of no effect. But 
 if not so paid then the instrument is to remain in full force. 
 
 Questions. What is a chattel mortgage ? What is a real 
 estate mortgage ? Who takes the acknowledgment of mort- 
 gages? Is it necessary for the wife to sign a real estate 
 mortgage ? Where are mortgages recorded ? Are all mort- 
 gages recorded ? 
 
 34. Abstract of Title. You have seen that, unless the wife 
 signs the deed, her dower is not conveyed ; that every 
 deed must recite a consideration ; that it must be acknowl- 
 edged before a proper officer, and so on. Now, if you desire 
 to purchase a piece of property and to acquire a perfect title 
 to it, it will be necessary for you to investigate the records 
 for a given number of years, to ascertain whether all these 
 requirements have been legally attended to, not only by the 
 last grantor, but by all preceding grantors within the given 
 time. This investigation of the chain of title is evidenced 
 by a series of notes, showing all the transactions which 
 have in any way affected the land. These notes are called 
 
BOND FOR A DEED. 61 
 
 an Abstract of Title. The investigation should embrace all 
 records of deeds, orders or decrees of courts, wills, titles by 
 descent, and encumbrances. The latter include mortgages, 
 judgments, dowers, liens, taxes, leases, and rents. 
 
 35. Bond for a Deed. This is. a method for securing the 
 payment to the grantor of the deferred payments of purchase 
 money without making (1) a deed to the grantee; (2) a 
 mortgage back to the grantor. By this method the grantor 
 binds himself, in a sum of money payable to the grantee 
 upon breach of the bond, to convey by general warranty 
 deed, upon the payment of all deferred payments by the 
 grantee, as stipulated, a certain described piece of land. 
 This bond is acknowledged as is a deed, except that the wife 
 of the grantor does not sign. 
 
 On the following page will be found a tabular statement 
 showing the number of acres of public lands surveyed in 
 the states and territories named up to June 30, 1880 ; 
 also, the total area of the public domain remaining unsur- 
 veyed within the same at that time. 
 
- 
 
 ^OOOCOOOOOI^CSCOIOGO 
 
 5 O -^05 OOCOlNOO^t-COCO. 
 
 "$?SaS8^3bP$SS8 
 
 ggg 
 
 I 
 
 T 
 
 ssiSt^SwSPP^s 
 
 Tf"lO O5 T-Tr-Ts^ of OS to to O? O cT 
 " - - - 
 
 i 
 
 
 P tr } & n > !rl TH e 
 
 CO T-T W" r-t 
 
 (NO 
 
 It 
 
 ef 
 
 ooiioeo 
 
 5 (ft IfSiOCOCO'rr O CO O GO t-^TT lO r-t Oi rH 
 
 " ' 
 
 iO ^ TjirH<M i-t C 
 
 "' 
 
 *^'" 
 
 .2 
 
 3 
 
 g, 
 
 " "'"' " " " * " ~ " " 
 
 f- a 
 Jl 
 
 ^K'flii 
 
 
^g. CIS, 086 !** 
 
0051743172 
 
 
 k -M. *-^f r^ 
 
 7&?:t