The New York herald., 1876-03-13
The state survey.

was appointed at the January meeting of the
American Geographical Society. Expe-
rienced engineers assisted in the investiga-
tion, and thereport published by the society
sets forth in q striking way the gross inaccu-
racies of old surveys and the costly troubles
arising therefrom. 1t seems that the land
marks, designated in deeds as means by
which we should find the exact piece Of
ground conveyed, were trees, stumps stones
and other perishable or. movable objects.
These have disappeared or changed position
to such an extent that the boundaries of
many estates are already lost, and many
more are rendered so uncertain as to prevent
careful purchasers from investing in these
lands. The original chain and compass sur
veys have proved, whenever tested, to be
so bad that they are no guide whatever
in determining doubtful lines or areas.
The Flushing surveyors say that the farms
there measure from two to twenty acres more
or less than the deeds purport to convey.
One property, described in the deed as fifty
acres, ''more or less," measured sixty-nine
acres. One railroad reports that the deeds
of the lands over which it is built have an
average error of ten per cent in the number
of acres described. In Westchester lot
conveyed as seventy acres more or less"
really contained eighty-seven acres.
The best authorities say that not one deed
in q thousand gives the true amount of land
which changes hands. We know of one case
where an estate which had always passed for
A, 200 acres was offered for SALE and the price
fixed in accordance with its supposed ex-
tent AS it was near the coast the intending
purchasers applied to the United States
Coast Survey for information, and found
that the land really measured only 1900
acres
In Europe they have had this same trouble
in preserving boundaries and making abso-
lutely reliable measurements of counties,
towns, estates and holdings. Each country
has settled the difficulty by extending overits
whole area Just such triangulation as that
of our own United States Coast Survey.
They establish a system of practically inde-
structible and immovable monuments at
short intervals over the State, measuring
their distance and direction from one an
other with absolute precision. Then the dis
tance and direction from these imperishable
landmarks to the neighboring corners of es-
tates, towns and counties are very care
fully determined. This fixes them forever.
Each new line laid down in the State, when
connected with these triangulation stations,
becomes as permanent as they The
adoption of this system of surveying
in Europe has put an end to all disputes
about land boundaries, such as have in the
past twenty years cost this State enough to
pay for survey that would settle the matter
for all time. The difficulties attending such
q work are becoming greater every year, as
property increases in value and population
is more dense Most landowners will
gladly agree upon their dividing lines, if
they can only be permanently fixed by dis
interested State survey of the same scien-
tiic character as the coast survey. Such
work will proceed slowly at first
and cost but little each year. In saving
ing the transfer of real estate, in furnishing
an accurate basis for all local surveys for tax
maps, public improvements and other
purposes, State survey will pay for
itself over and over again. 1t should
be started now, while the public
feeling about reform will permit only honest
and capable management. If begun in
time of general prosperity, and the conse-
quent carelessness in administration of
affairs, we fear that scientific purity cannot
be secured. The bill for State survey, in
troduced into the Assembly by Hon. Isaac /.
Hayes is an excellent one and ought to pass.
The Cattle Raids on the Mexican
Frontier.
We print letters from two gentlemen who
profess an accurate acquaintance with the
state of affairs on the Mexican border. One
of them, Mr. Jasper W. Johnson, is the coun-
sci of more than thirteen hundred citizens
of Texas who have been plundered by the
Mexican bandits and are seeking redress
through the action of our government. Mr..
Johnson has devoted four years to the inves-
tigation in lthe interest of his clients,
and two Congressional commissions have
spent fifty thousand dollars in collect
ing evidence. The other correspondent
General Pillow, became personally ac-
quainted with the Rio Grande region while
serving in the Mexican war; and has very
decided opinions in relation To the nroner