Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-08
CONFLICTING SURVEYS.
Instances of Actual Settlers Losing
Their Improved Lands in Con-
sequence.
Settlers on Supposed School Lands on PalO
Duro Creek Disturbed-Neglect
Somewhere.

HANsFoRD, TEX, April &c, 1890.
To the Gazette.
If the question was preached as to
whether the state protected and encour-
aged settlers on school hands, shall teel
inclined to answer that under the exist
ing state in this county, she has either
shown culpable negligence in her pre-
vious surveys or has, in a meBCsRary
view allowed the Houston Eand Texas
Central railroad company, tthrouga its
surveyor, to do what she, I'm her aln
pecunious state could not afford, va,
let the railroad company IS SURVEY stand
prior to that of her own agents.
The thing in Substance Is this {:
In 1885 J. o. B. streA. ayseurveyor of
Wheeler and attacheS codhties, made
certain surveys for setsIsrss who took up
sections of supposed srlol ldad On the
Palo Duro creek. Ghds lers believing
said Street to. be pow sfsto make
surveys and 8cate settlers, which he
most undouftsl was, many did settle
upon and iniprGFe such lands along said
creek asthe 6sid surveyor represented to
to be school lazds.
Filifsga tor entries were made at once
upon DIS lands, and as soon as the state
would Neeept them, filings were made
.lsnep vi tered lands.
IRE st6te through its officers accepted
the Rings, together with the first pay
mems on the land, and has
continued from year to year to
taccept the annual interest thereon. These
lands were taken in good faith TO obtain
permanent homes with water rights, and
would never have been entered upon by
the present settlers unless there was q
legal guarantee to secure the same.
Accepting the location in good faith,
we have continued TO live upon and i'm
prove these lands, our improvements in
many instances having amounted in actual
value from $500 to $4,000, which, if the
survey of Mr.. Long is held prior to that
of the state, will prove a total loss.
These Improvements are borne of much
toll and expense, and were
all that tended to hold
us to what we believed would be a per-
manent home for ourselves and families.
In the recent survey of Mr.. Long, q
strip of homestead land is shown vary ing
from mile to mile and quarter lying
between blocks Q and "a, and running
almost directly through the center of the
county, thus throwing all settlers that
distance from the claims originally taken
by them.
Those who are located west Of
block As, are thrown among the foot
hills and bluffs that extend from the
plains. and placed upon ground from
which they can yield no product what
ever, while others are removed and
placed upon lands claimed by the rail-
road.
Fully three fourths of the settlers have
let their land go back to the state par
TALLY on account of the conflicting sur
veys, and also because they could get no
satisfaction from the state through its
land Office, though numerous letters have
been written making inquiry in the
matter. and if no redress be given others
viii be compelled to rellnquish their
claims. The question is, why was not
this strip shown in maps previously issued
by the land office TO Mr. Street, or at
the time of the Maddox survey, or in
those furnished Mr. Gass the state