Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-02-14
Year.

To remedy this evil as well as 10 &C
complish certain desirable ends, which
viii appear Mr.. Norton is advocating
the establishment OF State Land Bu-
reau, and the matter will shortly come
before the Legislature. An elaboration
OF the plan OF organizing and conduct
ing the.bureau would require more space
than is at our disposal this morning,
but SYNOPSIS wonld be as follows:
The following objects are to be accom-
pished; First, furnish reliable infor-
nation regarding the land titles to large
tracts OF land; second, put quietus
upon and prevent fraudulent titles;
third, secure desirable properties for
sale, and fourth, procure purchasers and
settlers and protect them, thus inspiring
confidence to all concerned and further
ing the interests OF the State.
The mod,s operundi would be briefly,
as follows: The bureau would select
Superintendent or Manager, whose
duty it would he to procure from Rich
mond, full copies OF patent registers,
warrants, surveys, plats and grants, to
commence with say tracts OF not less
than $1,000 acres. From the county
courts obtain copies OF all assessors
land books, delinquent lists and tax
sales prior to the formation oil this State
and IN the event OF their being lost or
destroyed, procure copies from Rich
mond. From the circuit courts full
copies OF all proceedings relating to de-
linquent and forfeited lands should be
obtained. Allconveyances OF land COM
ing from other than bona .fde res
idents OF the State, should
first be sent to the bureau for ex-
animation and registration. Registers
will be kept for recording maps, re-sur-
views, abstracts OF title.deeds and docu-
ments pertaining thereto. Fraudulent
titles OF records shall be expunged
where only copies have been illegally
admitted. All doubtful titles are to
have in the margin OF the registers,
marks, in red ink, indicating their ma
ture, and when advisable, photographs
shall be taken. In short, the system will
be 30 managed, that tract OF land can
be traced back to the original patent and
the books will show every transaction
down to the present time.
What will this cost, then becomes an
interesting question. Ii is proposed,
after the start, to make it self-supporting,
lust as land offices are conducted in
other States. Information coming from
the bureau will be regarded as er-cd,he-
dra and will be valuable-it will be
backed by the credit OF the State and
perfectly reliable, therefore will be paid
Tor. Persons sending for information
will OF course pay for it. An attorneys
charges are not uncomfortable for work
of this nature and persons desiring, upon
short notice, reliable information, can
thus obtain it at largely reduced fg-
ure. The more perfect the bureau be-
comes, the more information will be at
its disposal and the more will its receipts
be. Mr.. Norton, thinks the first years
expense will be in the neighborhood oil
5000.
Mr.. Norton's rooms at the Stsmm are
perfect curiosity shops, for his collec-
tons OF maps, surveys, patents and
grants OF West Virginia lands. His in
vestigations for English companies have
put him in possession OF many valuable
facts, and outside OF his documents he
has wonderful acquaintance with the
State.
On Saturday the reporter had con-
versation with Auditor Miller upon the
subject of Land Bureau. He thought