The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-02-06

How Stranger Should Inform
Themselves of Their Locality.


The following letter, as will be seen, is to a
correspondent of the State Immigration Agency
in Jacksonville, in reply to one written to that
Office. The agent says that it is substantially
similar to other letters written from his Office in
response to like inquiries. The information NAV
be of much use to inQuirers at distance, who
are seeking information as to the public lands:
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, January 9, 1883.
W. H. Carpenter, Esq, Ani,cd, Sia1ano county,
Wisconsin:
DEAR SIR-Referring to yours of the 4th,
have to say that this Office is not land Office.
1t has no records from which the description or
location Of the public lands can be given. You
should write to the public land Offices for the
same. You should locate the spot as to which
you may wish to learn. II you ask generally
where there are public lands it would be impos-
sible for an officer to answer, 90 great would be
the search over such an area as the public lands
lie upon. You should select township Of six
miles in a county, which is designated by the
squares shown by the faint lines on nearly all the
maps. These are six miles square and by see
ing the locality which these squares cover per-
son may arrive at pretty nearly the place as to
which they wish to learn. These are described
by section, township and range. The range is
marked by Roman numerals at the head Of the
maps, running east from the meridian line in
Leon county from to XVIII, which CORE
spond in order on the projecting land below.
The numerals are sometimes repeated lower
down on the peninsula to facilitate the tracing
down by the eye. Those west Of the merid-
ian run from I TO XXXIII, as will be seen
usually on the maps.
Under the upper range lines the townships are
counted down from square to square, 1, 2. 8, 4, g.
&C, down to township sixty, the last TO which
the United States surveys have been run on the
bottom of the map. There are thirty-six sections
Of one mile square each in township, numbered
one from the top right hand corner to the left,
and reversed coming down to section thirty-six
IN the lower right hand corner. The sections
are divided into sixteen parts of forty acres EACH
and four quarter sections, thus The descriptions
read: The NE / of the Sc Of section -,
township. =. range -. or of s. T. and r.
and in this form to the other subdivisions of
q section. Fractions on coasts or rivers, or when
bounded or changed in form by old grants, are
frequently numbered as lots. Particular infor-
nation, when the questions are definite, can be
had at the United States Land Office at Gaines
vile. Fla, the State Land Once at Tallahassee,
the Disston Land Oface at jacksonville, and from
many OF the business land agents who make the
sale Of public lands and information thereon
specially. For information as to q. 8. or State
homesteads, write the respective officers named.
General inquiries, such as what public lands
in your State can be bought :" cannot easily be
answered. All the public Offices furnish skeleton
township plats showing the lands for sale, such
as they represent, for about 81, and fuller de-
scrptive township maps for about %. according
TO the work on them and the information given.
The better way IL TO first locate the township, as
near rs the writer can, then to inquire II there is
any for sale in the same, and II sold request a
map showing or describiDgit. This will save iu-
quirers much time, uncertainty and delay. The
State immigration officers give all information
possible to parties wishing to settle Ia the State.
and give the sources of all information as to
lands; also furnish all printed matter possible
bearing on immigration. Respectfully.
@. DRKw,
State Agent Of Immigration, Jacksonville.