The Somerset reporter., 1890-01-30
Some Old Surveys.

,-.
!" JIM III 'aei'h " 'i' HH''i' IN
some time ago stated that my father
surveyed The Million Acres. 10 called
.,ld ~ ,b.. pl,,,,,.n,. f,,,ro,,s,v ,,, WIN
- y -
oinebam' otiiptJ TPe@Iihs 'H'9 - n"'
correct, though 1t was always 20 tpld "
me in my young days. II seems that years
hefore this nnrch,se The title u, ~, wild
....t,t.
-AAN' :" ''-'' 40 W.
Msss., and that IN 1871, the state Com
mittee for the sale Of Public Lands, sOld
tbi. Million Ac,e. VA Henry Isckso, i.
,,..-,.,.,--. .,
''''oiueions't Noione'' u MAZE anu
Royal fAnt of y. r. and soon after they
assigned their claims 10 WIN. Dusr and
Gen Uenrv knnY NJ Tbons.,on vbo
,,--,'-..-,
was INC "a :" a7nihs' WI 1'uS' iHey ID
turn assigned TO Bingham. This was in
1892 and the contract Is still preserved ID
the Land )nice in Augusta Appended
" this AGREEMENT with the signatures Of
Bingham and the Agents Of Hx--achu
sette appears the name Of Samuel Yves
ton, written in strong legiDle hand.
Weston was the Surveyor who made the
plans | suppose be Was either wit
ness to the Signatures, or more probably
certifying 10 the correctness Of the sur
yey aud the plans, A part Of these fact-
is derived from the Augusta correspon-
dence Of the Portland Press. The pee
ullar signature Of Ii. Knox is noticed, in
which the last Lalf Of Ii. forms the 1r,t
part Of the X have q receipt given by
simon Pierre. 70 Samuel Weston" for the
sum Of i've pounds and eight shillings In
full for services In surveying the Mill n
Acres. sold BY the Committee for the sale
Of Eastern Lands 70 Mes.rs Jackson and
Flint, which was performed in the month
Of March last, dated April 90, 1892
Also q receipt from Stephen Weston Of q
similar tenor, for twelve pounds; but in
GLIDING services in Surveying a Tract
between the rivers Penoo.cot and Ken
nebec."
Notice the time Of year when this sur
yey was made In March: probably the
best time. as the streams would be froz-
en- over and a strong crust on the snow
They camped of course wherever night
overlook them: once on clearing away the
snow, they found about foot Of water
under il. II was in the midst Of q large
swamp and thew were obliged 70 cut down
trees and make floor Oh which to make
their fire and spread their blankets.
A Million Acres Of land is q pretty
large tract, and the Press correspondent
saws it included part OF Franklin, Som.
erset and Piscatquis counties.
have also receipts Of Amos Taylor
and Samuel Bigelow for money paid for
their services in assisting 10 surveying
the tract between the rivers, in May Of the
same year Where it was, how large a
body OF land have no means of know
ing perhaps Pitt.feld or Hartlsnd. but
more probably farther East.
We now come nearer home. The towns
on the keuuebec were Of course survey
ed as far up as Norridgewock before the
coming Of the nrst settlers in Canaan,
Hanson's History says that along the
river in Norridgewock the work was so
carelessly done that only the width Of the
| lots was measured and marked, the side
lines not being run at all. However this
NAV be. nv father was employed 10 re sur
yey the whole town. have the affidavit of
Josiah Head and Stephen Weston that
they had faithfully performed the duty OF
chaipmeu agreeable to the direction OF
!. Can't Samnel We.,an snry.SQr meas
urlng the several lines of the town VI
Norridgeyalk. Sworn to March 3lst,
l7s9.
| BEFORE me
| Oliver Wood, Justice Of the Peace
Hanson SAYS too that John Jones sur
viewed Canaan in 1898. This must have
| been re-suryey. and could not include