The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-07-08

OnoHoCtCA " SW amy 4S1AuSs
Mr.. d. D. Oliver is the official Sur
veyor of the county of Alpena andshas
resided within the limits for the, best
part of twenty years. duringwhich long
period, he has been for the most part
employed In making surveys and ex-
animation of lands and in running lines.
His vocation has brought him ac-
quainted with many tracts, and when
ever any one Of these tracts, either
larger or smaller, has been found upon
examination to be valuable for timber,
grass, or the character of its soil, he
has noted it by section or subdivision.
Since the subject of selling what are
called the "Swamp Lands of Michi-1
gan has been agitated, and during the
greater part of the last two years, Mr..
Oliver has devoted almost exclusive at
tention to- the examinations of these
lands lying within the several counties
Alpena, Altoona, Montmorenci, and
Presque Isle, and this examination has
not been made casually or specifically,
but carefully and in many eases minute
ly. He has. been in the habit of run
ming out section lines, and then of pen
etration as far as the centre Of the.sec-
ton, from each point Of the compass.
of cliabing trees, where view could
not otherwise be had, and of committing
the results of examination to paper, in.
the form of field notes, showing the
PARTICULARS above referred to. Of course
he has taken all his troubles for his own
benefit, either immediate or ultimate,
and with that we have nothing to do,
but in doing this for himself, he has
conferred a general benefit upon the
State at large, by developing just
knowledge Of some of her lands re-
sources, and more particular advan-
tage to all those persons who design to
purchase at the Great Land Sale which
is to commence on the 2sth of July.
In the four counties of Alpena, Alco-
ma, Presquc Isle, and Montmorenci it
is the opinion of Mr. Oliver, as stated
to us in conversation, that three fourths
of the land returned as Swamp" is
valuable as arabic land, for timber or
for grass, and not more than one-fourth
worthless for all purpose.
The counties named are not at pre-
sent settled to any great extent, and
such settlements as exist are chiefly mp
on the lake shore, and are comprised
of fishing or numbering stations; but
there exists no doubtful the placing of
these lands in the market, together
with the inducements to purchase held
forth to actual settlers, will at once
cause this region of country to be pop
ulated.
In addition to the course adverted
to by Mr. Oliver, he states to us that
very many lands in these four counties
were dishonesty surveyed, or rather
not surveyed at all, but we've returned
by the surveyors as " Swamp to save
the trouble and expense Of the work.
The following table, addressed to the
editor of this paper by Mfr. Oliver, will
explain itself, and will stand as the
voucher for the Commissioner for what
he has officially published in regard to
the Swamp Lands:
RufusH osnler, ESssIi--Dear Sir: HAY
ing read with much qualification the
very interesting and truthful statement
of the kind and quality of the Swamp
Lands generally, in the recent public
notice Of sale by the Hon. S. B. Tread
well, Commissioner of the State Land
Office, I take great pleasure in even
more than confirming his statements,
from long and extensive observations
upon many Of these lands as practical
Surveyor more or less since 1910.
In Aipena, Altoona, and Montmoren-
CT and Presque Isle counties, at least
one half of the SO called Swamp Lands
are among the best farming and pine
lands in the State; the pine lands lying
mostly on or near the streams, and
consequently in better locations than
lands already purchased of the United
--s.etes. Most of the farming lands
have pine ene~-Ez5n trre1ff- y
farmers consumption, and are oil
wise timberei with sugar-maple, bee
hemlock, cedar, balsam, white BIZ
&C.; are mostly gently rolling wit
soil varying from clay and sandy K
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