The evening times., 1899-05-09
DISTRICT PROPERTY RECORDS.
Dispute Over Their Transcription by
the Surveyor.

Dispute Over Their Transcription by
the Surveyor.
In view of the fact that the Surveyor Of
the District is now engaged in trascribng
the records of his Office into new books,
Conway Robinson, counselor at law, has
forwarded a statement TO the Commission
ers, through Commissioner Ross, taking
exception to the transcription of certain
annotations which appear on the original
plats.
Attorney Robinson called attention to the
fact that the records are being compared
In the Surveyors Office as they are tran
scribed; that the transcribed records are
copies of the original land records in the
Office Of the Superintendent of Buildings
and Grounds, at the War Department, and
that on these original records certain an
notations have from time TO time been
made in the Surveyors Office, improperly.
as Mr.. Robinson thinks, and in different
colored ink from the original records
In comparing these latest copies, Mr..
Robinson thinks the memoranda so made
from time to time are being carried on the
new copies. He contends that the copies
now being compared should be exact re-
productions Of the original copies still in
the ONCE OF Colonel Bingham. Further
more. he thinks that for that purpose the
original records should be utilized for such
comparison and all subsequent notes
omitted and eliminated, for which purpose
he believes one volume at a time could be
obtained from Colonel Bingham's Office
20 as to avoid inconvenience. In this man
per, Mr.. Robinson says, the new copies
would be evidence under the law. but
would not be if they carried with them
new matter not on the original records.
The Commissioners forwarded these sug-
eestions and objections to the Surveyor,
who replied that the facts we're stated cor
rectly as they existed at the time Mr.. Rob-
inson examined the transcription.
Since then" stated Surveyor LOCKER
"in the new copy of Book I-327, Record of
SQuares-now in constant use in the Sur
reyor's Office, and to which no objection
has as yet been raised by the large num-
Der OF title examiners and attorneys who
have used it, l have appended to each case
Of transcription OF note, not originally
on the page, a statement as to the form in
which such note appears on the original,
whether In red ink, or pencil.
IN that way, / have simply made re-
production TO prevent entire destruction
by wear and tear. 1t is obvious that
something must be done to prevent such
irreparable loss. AS to Mr. Robinson's
point that any copy made now should go
back directly to the unbound sheets, in
the War Department, which are not pre-
Sumably the originals of all data In exis-
tence as to the subdivision of the squares
Of the city of Washington and their parti-
tion between the United States and the
original proprietors, l feel constrained to
say in view of the conditions of the case,
] think it matter of grave doubt that
such action would be either feasible or
legal.
"In the case of Ashley against Bradshaw.
recently decided by the Court of Appeals,
! am informed by Mr.. Darlington. whose
standing at the bar is needless to descant
upon, and who was counsel in said case
for those who base their claim to title to
certain lots in square 939 on the penciled
numbers Of these lots. as shown In original
Book 1-327. Records Of Squares Survey
or's Office, the court has sustained the ver-
dict given him in the lower court and, in
effect, sustains Mr.. Justice McComas in
the opinion that the books OF Records CT
Squares, which have been in constant Lse
in the Surveyors Office for nearly one
hundred years, have become themselves
the record. without regard to differences
from the War Department records that un-
doubtedly exist-differences Of vital char
acter in the writing unquestionably done
when books were made. not to speak of
the 'annotations' mentioned by Mr. Robin
son.
THE careless or intentional erasure of
penciled figures In square 939 would evil
IDENTIFY have gravely complicated the case
mentioned. 1t is easy to rub out a pencil
mark, but difficult to erase completely a
mark in red ink, when the records are un-
der such thorough surveillance as here.
All Of these penciled notes and many of
those in red ink and other colors are fast
becoming illegible. The old book is al
ways available in settlement Of any ques-
tionirg of the accuracy of the copy, but
10 retired from active service, to be fol-
lowed by all the other worn-out books
whenever ! obtain sufficient ONCE force to
proceed with the work. now. perforce. sus-
pended.
II fear, II Mr.. Robinson's suggestions
be >;opted. confusion Of the worst descrip
tion would now result in many cases.
where the changes made in the books
many years ago have been absolutely ac-
Quiesced in by all parties affected, includ-
ing this ONCE. To disregard these impor-
tant addenda would now seem to me al
CASTORlA FaIat,ns and caldna