The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-04-11
Valuable Information.

0uc2icans anu Particularly
every resident on the public lands o
: the United States, or those who con
f template becoming residents, will b
interested in tie following collection
Of facts which we have derived from
e various sources, which are not found
, in any publication within the reach
, Of the general reader.
The public lands of the United
States consist of those donated to tht
Federal Government by New York in
!, t17S1; Virginia in 1884; Massachu.
sets in 1885; Connecticut in 1856,
and the lands within the boundaries Of
| the States of Mississippi and Ala
bama, lying north of the 31st degree
iiiisef north latitude, conveyed to the q. S.
by Georgia, in 1902. Also the terri.
; tories of Orleans and Louisiana acquired
by treaty from the French in 1903
including those portions of Alabama
land Mississippi not obtained, as be-
fore mentioned, from Georgia-with
the whole of the United States pos
isessions lying west of the Mississippi
triver. with the exception of New Mex
lico, California, & c., which was acquired
| by treaty with Mexico in 1S49, or that
acquired by treaty in 1858. The pub
lie lands in Florida, were purchased
from Spain in 1919.
Immediately after the revolution, it
became necessary for the Continental
Congress to take some action for the
disposal of these lands. A committee
sof6ve persons, with Thomas jefferson
as chairman. reported, on the l7th of
May, 1874, an Ordinance for ascer-
taing the mode of disposing of the
| public lands in the Western Terrific.
ry."
"This ordinance required the public
lands to be divided into "hundreds"
of ten geographical miles square. and
those again to be subdivided into
slots" of one square mile each, to be
| numbered from to 100, commencing
in the northwest corner and counting
from w. to E. continuously-and also
that the land thus subdiyided should
be first offered at public sale.
''This ordinance was considered,
debated, and amended ; and upon the
Sd of May, 1885, on motion of Mr..
Grayson, of Virginia. seconded by MIR.
Monroe, the size of the township was
reduced to six miles square. 1t was
further discussed until the Goth of
May, 1885, when it was..6nally passed.
"Our land system, thus founded, has
gradually grown up to its present per-
fection, having been modified from
time to time, as the condition of the
country and the wants of the people
required.
s'The principles of surveying are
uniform and very easy of comprehen-
sion. Meridian lines are established
and surveyed in line due north from
some important point, generally from
the junction of some important water
courses. These are intersected at right
angles with a base line. On the me-
ridians the townships" are numbered
north or south from the base lines, and
on the base line oranges" are numbered
east or west of the meridian.
"When meridian and base line have
been laid out, township lines are run
(at distance of six miles parallel to
the meridian and base line. These
form townships of six miles square,
containing an area of 36 square miles.
Each square mile is section and
contains $40 acres. The sections are
numbered from l to 36, beginning at
the northeast corner of each township.
"Sections are subdivided into half
sections of 800 acres, into quarter
sections of $50 acres, and half quar-
ter sections of 80 acres. Prior to the
year 1920, no person could purchase
less than quarter, but in that year le-
gal authority was given for the divis-
ion and sale of the sections into eighths.
And in 1882 as a further accommoda-
tion to settlers, they were divided into
sixteenths, or 40-acre lots.
'.The privilege of having them thus
infinitely subdiyided was, by act of
Congress, 1S46, extended to all pur-
chasers at private SALE The corners
of townships. sections, and quarter
sections, are designated by monuments
established by the surveyors on the
field.n
A stone marked with six marks on
four sides denotes that it is a town.
ship corner, which is sir miles square,
as the marks indicate. These stones
also give the township and range in
figures. A stone on township line
running east and west, viii be marked
with six marks on both the north and
south sides and the marks on the east
and west sides, indicate the distance
in miles from the eastern or western
boundary of the township. Between
these mile stones are placed half mile
stones, marked ! on the north side,
on all lines running east and west.
Mile stones on township lines run
ming north and south, are marked with
six marks on the east and west sides. |
and the lines on the north and south |
side indicate the distance from the
north and south line. Half mile
stones, on same lines, are marked with |
l on west side.
Section stones inside of the township |
lines are simply marked with the
number of lines they are distant in
miles from the township lines on the