Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1899-08-30
THE SURVEY COMPLETED.
west Boundary Line OF the Las Vegas
Grant Positively Located.

ne survey OF the west llne OF the
Las Vegas land grant has been COM
pleted and Engineer Frank NJ. Johnson
IS now engaged In making out his re-
port Of the work done. which will be
submitted to the authorities at Wash
ington. 1t is stated that the line as
found by the patty just returned is To-
Gated five eighths Of mile east of the
line popularity supposed to be the cor
rect boundary. In speaking of the fact.
Mr. Johnson stated today that for some
reason not known by him the govern
ment survey Of public lands made on
the west side of the Las Vegas grant
does not extend up to the grant itself
but leaves the strip Of land ei.tioned.
The general public had therefore fallen
into the error of supposing that the
grant and the public lands survey con.
nected close up with one another, when
in fact this was not the case.
"The situation is peculiar one-very
much So" said MIR. johnson. "as 1t
leaves number of ranches partially on
public domain that has never been sur
veyed. Just what action the settlers
can take l really do not know. Who
are the ranchmen indicated? Well,
among them are Messrs. SandovaI, Mel
son and Lespersnce and Others"
From all accounts the new survey
was anything Lut a picnic for the party
engaged in it. The original survey
was made in 1860 and the data, giving
marks of Identification, were rather
meagre, to say the least. Monuments
were almost invariably partially COW
cred up by the soil and vegetation but
were found In perfect condition. The
bearing trees were almost In all in
stances found to have been chopped
down. Prominent landmarks were so
meagerly described, that great difficulty
was experienced in locating the monu-
ments. But after diligent search and
patient Investigation fifteen out of the
twenty-five corners were positively
identiIied. the old survey was found
to be correct and the new line runs
alongside of it, only foot away, the
entire distance.
"l'll guarantee this survey 10 last 100
years." said Mr.. Johnson confidently.
He added that nearby land marks aud
the bearings have been minutely des-
cribed, SO that localities cannot possibly
become confused in the future.
The surveying party left this city on
July Sd. and has been continuously in
the field ever since.
Occasionally we got into FL Porve-
MR. said Mr.. johnson, "and enjoyed
square meal and attended dance"
Otherwise the party toiled industri-
ously and ,persistently through Sec
tion of country noted for its roughness
and Iuggedness. There were some
thrilling incidents, too. Thus. one day,
Mr.. johnson picked up his corduroy
jacket from off the ground and plunged
his hand in one of the pockets to get
some tobacco. AS he did so, a cente-
pide, fully eight inches long, crawled
out on his hand and ran up his shirt
sleeve. His 'pedeship fortunately failed
to throw his hooks into Mr.. Johnson's
flesh and was brushed off, falling to the
ground, but Mr. Johnson could not help
thinking of his narrow escape for sew.
eral days afterward.
Another experience enjoyed by one of
the men was to find snake skin in the
folds of his blankets. It is supposed
that the snake had crawled into the
blankets and proceeded to dlvest him.
self of a seasons wearing apparel
In addition to Mr.. Johnson, engineer
in charge, the surveying party consisted
of G. r. Caudle, V. S. Barber and J. w.
PuTman, assistants. all of Washington,
ID. G.