The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-08
THE FEDERAL CLAIM ON GREER
COUNTY.

liked. In this report he said:
8. BY the astronomical survey made |
Of the Tooth meridian west from |
being the boundary line
between the Choctaw and Chickasaw
in the Indian territory and
the state of Texas, in the month of
April, 1853, under contract of 18th
of October. 1857, between Messrs. y.
III. Jones and III. NJ. G. Brown and
the commissioner of Indian affairs,
the initial point of the boundary was
to be at the intersection
of the said meridian with what Is
designated upon the maps from this
office as Red River, and monument
was established thirty chains due
north from the bank of the river.
The surveyors in their field notes
of the survey remark: The Tlver
due south from monument is 70 chains
and 50 links wide from high-water
mark to high-water mark; while the
North Fork OF the Red River is %
chains wide. IL will be sufficient tn
say to those interested that there can
be no doubt as to the fact of its being
the main branch of Red River, as was
doubted by some persons with whom
we had conversed relative to the mat
ter before seeing it, for the reason
the channel is larger than all the rest
of its tributaries combined, besides
affordIng ITS equal share of water.
though like the other branches in
many places the water is swallowed
up by its broad and extensive sand
beds; but water can, at any season of
the year be obtained at from one to
three feet from the surface in the
main bed of the stream. Capt. Marcy,
in his report and map, also specifies it
rs the Keche-ah-que-hono, or main
Rcd River, or Prairie Dog Town
river"
6. Under the act of congress ap-
proved June 5, 1858 Omitted States
statutes, volume IL, page 3lO), author
iZing the president of the United
States in conjunction with the state
of Texas to run and mark the boun-
Diary line between the territories of
the United States and the state of
Texas, and by the second section OF
said act, it was required that land
marks be established at the point of
beginning on Red River, and ut the
other corners, etc.
Accordingly, joint commissioners
on the part of the United States and
the state of Texas proceeded to the
field in May and Junt, 1860. and
commenced work from the point
where the Tooth meridian crossed the
Canadian river; they retracted the
meridian line established by MeSSrs,
Brown and Jones in 1889, as afore-
said, and prolonged it farther north
to the intersect:D;. OF the 80 deg. 81
min. of north latitude, or the north
east corner of the state of Texas
thereby determining the jurisdiction
over said territory west of the North
Fork of Red River to be within the
United States.
From the time of survey made 10y
Brown and Jones in 1860, until Col
Swisher made public his researches
into the records, it was accepted as d
fact that the territory belonged to the
Udited States. Nobody thought OF
securing rights in this territory dur
ing the period named, except from
the United States, and cattle were
grazed there for many years under
permits obtained from the commits
sioner. Since the Swisher investiga
lions were made public this right has
not been so exercised, and the follow
ing letter may explain why the ftde
raj government now lacks confidence
in its claim. 1t explains itself:
DEPARTMENT OF PIE INTERIOR, J
GENERAL LAND OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, March q, 1882.
John NJ. Swisher, Esq, Washington, ID. c.:
SIR am in receipt of your letter
of the 10th inst, requesting me &c
state whether there is any evidence in
this office showing that the joint com.
misSionerS on the part of the United
States and the state of Texas proceed
ed to the field in May or June, 1850
and commenced work from the point
where the one-hundredth meridian
crossed the Canadian river, and re
traced the line established by MeSsrs
Brown and JONI in 1859, thereby de-
termining the jurisdiction between the
Indian Territory and the state OF
Texas.
In reply 1 have to say that
from the examination made in 1877
of the proceeding had by the commits
sioners in the establishment of the
meridian in question, as gathered
from incomplete record of the bound
airy survey under the joint commits
sion and reported to the honorable
secretary of Il interior on the 10th
| of May of that year, the Language
| used by this officer was to the effect
that the joint commissioners did es-
Cablish the Tooth meridian. In orIel
to verify the statement at present sc
as to enable me to be more pos
tive in the matter, and respond
more satisfactorily to your
inquiry, / regret the inability
to do so, owing to the fact that the
most important papers, reports and
correspondence on the subject have
been called for by resolution of the
United States senate, not yet returned
to the files and records of this office.
From the memorial to congress which
accompanied your letter, to which
this is the answer observe that the
JOINT commissioners, MeSsrS. VIM. ii
Russell on the part of Texas, and
John Ill. Clark on the part of the
United States, were in the field in the
Tooth meridian in the month of June,
1860, as appears from correspondence
exchanged between them at camp
near the Canadian river on the 9th
and 10th of June, 1860, respectively
1t further transpires that said cor
respondenee led to no harmonious ac-
ton but on the contrary eventuated
in separate determination and estab-
lishment of the meridian dividing the
state of Texas from the Indian terri
tory; the respective reports appear to
have been made to the respective au-
thorities.
In view of the additional light
thrown on the subject of the joint
commission by the said memorial, the
question as to the proper determine
ton of the respective Jurisdictions
alluded to in the statement of May 10
1877, does not seem to be finally set
tied pursuant to the provisions of the
act of congress approved June 3, 1858
Very respectfully,
N. q. MCFARLAND,
Commissioner.
Had it not been for the Swisher in
vestigation, begun two years ago and
prosecuted by him and his veteran as
sociates with such vigor, there would
to-day be no life in the states claim
to Greer county. The service has
been of incalculable value, and when
it is asked that veteran certificates be
satisfied with locations in Greer