American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-05-09
Land Surveys and " Subdivisions"

From remarks we nave frequently heard
we are convinced that some general eX-
plantations of the artificial or civil divis-
ions of land will be of interest to our
readers.
The proper survey and plating of the
whole territory is essential to knowl-
edge of what land is described or meant
in muniments of title. The title to all
land in this country was acquired by
grant from the English crown or by pur-
chase from the aboriginal tribes, or by
both, and then surveyed by the Govern
ment and plated so as to show the lines
of civil divisions and the location of all
important natural objects, as rivers, lakes,
etc.
Some base line lying east and west, or
STANDARD parallel" is established, and
also another base line lying north and
south across this parallel, called "prin-
cipal meridian" Parallel with and on
both sides of these base lines are run other
lines every six miles, cutting the territory
into tracts containing thirty-six square
miles. These are called "townships'' or
"towns," and the rows Extending north
and south are called ranges" and the
rows lying east and west are numbered
successfully north or south from the par
allel or base east and west line, to dis
tinguish the town in any given range.
The range of towns north of the parallel
is called "north range,'' and that south of
the parallel is the "south range" The
base line" or standard parallel" of
our survey is 22S miles south of the pres
ent southern limits of Chicago; hence the
"city limits is the north boundary of
"Town So"
The number of the towns is shown on
the maps along the north and south line,
or principal meridian and the
oranges" are numbered on the standard
parallel" from a principal meridian"
beginning with l on each side of the
same, increasing both east and west.
Hence the expression "town 80 north,
range IA east of the third principal merid-
ian" in descriptions of land In portion
of our southern suburbs. If that descrip-
ton were only changed to south range the
land described would lie exactly 456
miles south of the first-named.
Each township is again divided into
sections" just one mile square, making
thirty-six sections in a township. These
are numbered, commencing in the north
west corner and continuing west to 6;
then z is the next section south, and the
second tier is consecutively numbered
toward the east to 12-the east line of the
town-thus numbering alternately west
and east to section 36 in the southeast
corner of the township.
These sections are again divided into
quarters, at each corner of which stake
is set. This is the limit of the divisions
by the Government. These surveys make
1T very easy to describe almost any piece
of land without giving the measurement
simply describing what part OF what
quarter of what section of what town of
what range, by number. This is a great
improvement over the method in the East
where the actual measurements and the
boundaries of the tract have to be given,
referring To some point in some road or
the corner of somebody's land.
The West has another improvement in
descriptions of small tracts of land. A
section, or any given part of section, is
frequently subdivided" by tn 4. owner,
and plat made of the same, showing a
division into blocks, lots, streets and
alleys" each of which is named or num-
bere1- This IS approved by the proper
municipal authorities and recorded in the
public records of the county. The sub
division is usually named for convenience,
so that the descriptions thereafter only
need give the number of the lot, in given
block, IN the given plat designated by
name).-iSouM Side (Chicago) Netos
WHITE MOUNTAIN JELLY CAKE.-Two
cups white sugar; one half cup butter,