The Columbus journal., 1880-12-15
Boundaries and Titles to Farms.

head first.-LOuiSriHe Comier.
Boundaries and Titles to Farms.
A few years ago a dozen farmers
i'm "A town i'm Eastern Illinois discov-
cred that they had erected houses
and other buildings. dug wells and
planted fruit and ornamental trees
on land belonging TO others. None
of the fences dividing their farms
were on the true line. Some of
them had been to The expense OF
making valuable improvements OF
various kinds on land TO which they
had no title, or to which the bound
aries had not been correctly marked.
They had purchased their land of
the agent of Speculation, who in
formed them that he understood a
certain tree stood at such a corner of
the tract he WAS dispOsing of. They
accordingly measured from the tree
and stuck up their stakes.
The land was of little value then,
and il was not thought worth while
to employ a surveyor TO run the
lines. Most of the land i'm the vicin-
ity was open prairie, and the differ
ence of u few rods, more or less, did
not appear to amount TO much.
In the course OF few years
the land became valuable, partly on
account of the improvements upon
il, and partly because the entire
section was settled. Some new set
tier had his land "run OUT by a
competent surveyor. when il was
discovered that none of the fences
were on the right line, and that a
large number OF buildings. wells and
orchards were on laud that did not
legally belong to the persons who
had made the improvements. The
cost of adjusting matters, though
brought about by the most amicable
means, was greater than the original
cost OF the entire section of land,
Instances of the above Kind may
not often occur, but the Instances OF
building division fences several rods
from the true line are very common.
Comparatively fe~ persons who
take up a farm have the land sur
veyed. They generally start from
some farm that is inclOsed and run
out the number OF acres their deed
calls for. Many who know where
the true lines are erect a fence be.
yond the line because they do no,
wish To cut the boards or rails they
are using. Most persons who pur.
chase improved farms accept the
boundaries that are marked by di.
vision fences. Much of the meas.
urement of land is done by means oI
a chain or stick which was never
marked by a standard. In point ot
| fact. most of the measurement ot
land is little better than guess work
Every person who takes a new
farm or who purchases one that ha:
been occupied would find it to hi,
interest To have il accurately sur.
veyed before he proceeds TO make
improvements upon it. Ii severs
farmers would unite IN having 8
survey OF their land made, the ex
pense TO each would be very small
t, The best time TO survey land is in
the fall, after the crops have beer
harvested and most OF the other veg
citation has been killed by the frost
It is then easy to carry a chain ant
there is little 10 obstruct the vision
When the survey is completed per
manent stone posts shonld be erect
ed al the corners of the sections an,
quarter sections. The number o
the sections can be easily marked
on them with stone chisel.
In many sections of the country
that were settled at an early dal
there was considerable difficulty il
establishing the boundary of tract
of land: the territory was divide,
up by different grants, and in nu
merous cases the land granted to on'
individual oSerlapped that granted
TO another. This gave rise to mucl
complication and to numerous diff
cuities. There were no settled bas,
or meridian lines. The location o