Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-01-21

them will have any doubt about
the boundaries of his farm. There
are twenty parties numbering 300
men, now at work on these lines.
They will continue in the field all
winter. They are Differed and
directed by the Geological Survey.
That is what insures the thorough.
ness aud accuracy of the "section-
izing" Most OF the public land
surveying heretofore has been done
by contract. The result is that in
places the section lines zizzag
across the country like a rail fence
A man who buys n quarter section
of land in the west and accepts the
corner stones may get $50 acres, or
he may get 10 acres. He rarely
finds himself IN possession Of the
correct and legal 100 acres. The
survey OF the Indian Territory is
going to be a model. The only
thing to be regretted is that it
comes after the public domain has
been sectioned and qusrtered. 1t
will serve TO show what should
have been done a great many years
ago.
The Indian citizen will also have
a sure thing on the points of the
compass. The main lines Of the
territory survey are determined
first by accurate observations Of
latitude and longitude. These
government surveyors do not wal,
for clear night, load a wagon
with stones, drive toward the north
pole, dropping d stone every mile,
and call that a section line. They
lay out grade meridians and stand
ard parallels. With such begin.
nings they divide the land into
blocks Of twenty.four miles. The
next division is into blocks OF six
miles, making townships. Then
come along other surveying parties
and sub. divide into the mile-square
sections and the quarters. At the
same time that the section lines
are established there is being made
by still other parties a triangula-
ton and typographical survey.
One survey is a check on the other
and errors are impossible. At the
corner of every township is plant.
ed heavy iron post, going 3 feet
into the ground. On the top of
this post is shown the height above
the sea of that particular locality.
This elevation above the sea is es-
tablished along all of the railroads
at short intervals, aud OH the east
and west township lines at the
corners.
Last fall a geological exploration
was begun and some progress was
made. 1t will be resumed in
April, and, when concluded, will
show what is now unknown about
the natural resources Of the terri
tory. 1t is a common impression
that this great region, lying be-
tween Kansas and Texas, partakes
of the prairie character of those
two states. To a degree this is
wrong. The government survey
ors are now running lines through
large portion of the Indian Ter.
ritory where the country is so
rough that wagons have been aban-
doned. Transportation can be
provided only by pack trains
This statement may be discredited
by some who think they know the
topography OF the southwest fairly
we'll. 1t is, however, fact that
the government has sent to the
Mexican border and brought to the
Indian Territory burros sufficient
in number to form three pack
trains in order to outfit the sur
veying parties. The wild resgon
where such provision was found to
be necessary is in the southeastern
corner of the territory.
For several years a good deal Of
coal mining has been done in a
small area about twO-thirds Of the
distance south from Kansas TO the
Texas line. The mining was be-
gun under leases with the Indians,
approved by the government.
The more these deposits have been
developed, the greater the promise
this field has shown. Within a
recent period the coal has been
found to be valuable for coking.
Indian Territory coke is now ex.
ported to Mexico, and is used there
by the smelters. Near McAlister
coke ovens costing $4,000 have
been built. The geological party
which began work last fall was un-
der DR.. Hill, practical man who
was formerly in the service OF
Texas, and who had much to do
with the defining Of the artesian
water belt Of that state. DR.. Hill
had formerly made prospecting
trip through portion OF the ter
ritory west Of that occupied by the
five tribes, and knew something OF
the character. In his recent ex-
ploration which is to be resumed
in the spring, he went far enough
to satisfy himself that the Indian
Territory coal field will prove TO
be Of much greater extent than the
workings 80 far indicate. His
theory Is that the coal measures
will be found as far north as Mus
kogee. This would give field
equal to ABOUT one third of the
area of the territory. Besides coal
DR.. Hill predicts that there will be
found oil in that same region. He
says the geological formations
point TO such conditions. If these
expectations shall be realized the
Indian Territory, subdivided and
allotted and thrown open TO enter