The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-07-29
REsURVEY OF TOWNSHIP ~
4 Letter from the Department ofthe
Interior. Washington, ID. &.

y
paper by publishing the enclosed copy
u letter from Washington. on the
survey of Township IL, and few re-
marks 10y him, who quite alone pushed
this survey through TO an accomplish
ment. ID should bs understood As
matter Of fact, that our township had
never been surveyed by the U. ). Cover
ment, notwithstanding the government
had paid to have it done. as was amply
proven during Col. Hopkins survey;
AMI until the Esd If June, 1ssG, no
person owning lands in said township
could ascertain to certainty where his
or her land corners or lines were, neither
could they defend the rights to their
lands I'm an action III law. No individ-
ual, court of state c;tn make the original
surveys.
Surveying the lands Of the L. :. Gov
ernment isa prerogativs which has al
ways been reserved exclusively to itself
Stll further, the surveyors compass
Is not reliable and cannot be depended
upon for direction and accuracy. The
4. s. Government depends principally
upon actual chain measurement.
Now, as your readers will learn from
the enclosed letter, that the stubs Stakes
set every half mile around each section
and the witness trees where such may
ls. ARE their only law. guide and reliance
in establishing and maintaining their
land lines; hence. with what jealous,
sacred care every land owner should
gaurd their stubs and witness marks,
they Icing their only protection against
quarrels aud expensive law suits; AL.
Joining land ow ners should get together
and locate these government posts
show them to their children. break up
old bottles, crockery, &C., fine and with
"A narrow long handled spade dig out a
hole down under the stubs and scatter ia
a handful of the timely powdered delft
and continue to scatter il in rs you It'll
the hole up, IN this will enable you I,
find the SPOT in case the stub should In
removed by accident or design. kceI
good fire line around them. ! saio
above that the government pests wer.
set every one half mile around each sec
ton. but in thJ middle Of the section,
there IL M government posts set. AM
this II the weak spot and where nlos
bic n affect the 10 individual 70, ties il
that section and their subdivisions
hence, it in essential to know how to gc
the exact center Of u section. The fol
lowing IN the way it was explained /,
me, by tho commissioner Of survey,
from Washington. when here for the pur
pose Of verify ing Col. Hopkins resurvey
Of our township. IL is this.-draw f,
line from one Of these quarter section
posts (which are the half mile or mi,l,ll,
Posts ON tho north and south and cas-
and west sides Of tho section lGtweel
tho section corner posts straight sci osl
t. its corresponding post on the opposite
side Of the section; then, in like manne
draw line from one of the remainin,
section posts, straight across to its cor
responding I0st on the other side of tn,
section, south cross each other-is III,
lawful center Of the section: aud from
this point in straight line half way b,
measurement to each Of the four / nee
ton posts il the lawful corner Of the fo,,
| foriies which il centers, AMI from whicI
they must be subliyincd.
MIR. Editor. il is not alone every Ian,
owner in our township, hut in ever,
township. that should In DESTROYS Of tn
above information, also in locating an,
keeping in place the COVER n,ent post an,
marks.
In this Township IL probably almos
every post is in place; We personally az
companied Col. Hopkins on this sirve
aud witnessed the setting of nearly ever
stake, aud know Of but one instanc
where one has been moved or destroyed
and this one ~ by the county road gOin
from Crescent City to Huntington Depo
at the crossing Of Union Avenue; an
boiha s an example and a warning I
others, we will give reward Of ten do
| ars for sufficient evidence to convict tn
,erson or persons who removed the elOv
mentioned post.
| II III very serious matter to me,ldl
with land marks, especially NJ of go,
rrnment letting. No wonder the war;
ing was given in holy writ, Course
be he who moveth his neighbours Ian
mark"
For copies of the plot and field not.
of the said resurvey. apply to tl
| United States surveyor general at Tall;
hassec. Fla.
Allow mo to say in conclusion for tn
satisfaction Of surveyors who may
called upon tn do surveying in this tow
ship, also to those who may emplo
them, that they may not be dissatisiit
with the results. that scarcely any Of OF,
sections are Just one mile square: III
most of them are wider or narrower .
one end than ut the other; our TOWNSHIP
is notched and is spread out In two place
accordingly neatly all foities in the sc,
tons will be irregular. Some section
are little wider, others corresponding
narrower, this could not I've otherwise q
account OF the townships boundarie
The broken nature or topogra of OF
township, and the endeavor to make
rcsur,ey. where there had been no SUI
vcy OF evidence thereof, and still NOR,
make the survey 40 as tn do the lea,
damage to improved property, cause
frequent retracing and change of cours,
and lines. Col. Hopkins is certainl
worthy of much praise for performin
such arduous requirements to the gel
cral satisfaction of all. and ~ little da,,
age TO any. Long may he hold h
worthy position as United States su
veyor Yours respectfully.
j. =. BRowN.
| HUNTINGTON, FLA, July -, 1856.
The following is the letter enclosed.
DEPARTMENT or THE INTERIOR,
/