The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-09

performed by tho commission created b,
the Twenty-slxth legislature to inquire
into the condition OF the different Ian,
funds.
His Excellency Joseph d. Sayers, Governor
OF Texas.
Dear Sir; In obedience to an act entitled
IAN act empowering the governor OF the
State of Texas. together with the com
missioner of the general land office OF sait
State, TO employ four additional clerks. oil
so many thereof as may be necessary
to tabulate the account in the general lane
f. Office between the State of Texas and th'
permanent school fund, and providing fol
the ascertainment of the amount OF public
domain of the State of Texas at the tim,
of the adoption Of the constitution Of 1876
and what has been done with the same
and showing the present condition OF the
account between the State of Texas and
! the permanent school fund growing out
I of their joint landed interests, aud maxi
! ing an appropriation therefor" approved
! March ., 1884, have the honor TO submit
! the following report:
! To perform the work required, my pre-
decessor, Hon. George W. Finger engaged
/ the services of four competent clerks, all
! of whom were steadily employed from
| the Goth of March to the LIST of September
! 1893, and but one of the number from the
I date last mentioned, until the 18th of Oc-
tober.
During this time they examined each
file and each set of field notes surveyed
| and made on the public domain by author
ity OF law and returned to. and filed in
the general land office from the 18th OF
/ April, 1875. the date OF the adoption oil
the present constitution, up to the 23rd
day Of May 1898.
The duties required OF them were ilrtrl-
cate and tedious, and the data compiled by
them when put in hook form will make
| several large volumes
The recognized integrity of .he gentle
men engaged in the work, and their well
known business capacity, give me the as
surance that their work has been faith
fully performed.
The purpose of this report Is.
l. To show the amount OF unappropri-
ated public domain in the State OF Texas
Mt the time OF the adoption of the constitu-
| ton OF 1876
>. The disposition OF the same
3. To show what part thereof has been
surveyed or otherwise appropriated for
the benefit OF the permanent common
| school fund
! 4. To show the present amount OF I'M
| appropriated public domain.
In view of probable legislative action
| upon the subject. as we'll as for general
! information, ! have carefully examined the
| reports of all former commissioners OF the
! general land Office on file in the Office,
! for the purpose of giving your eXuellency
! the benefit thereof, beginning with the re-
port OF Hon. George W. Smyth. dated M
vember l. 1919, (it being the first report
on file in which an estimate of tho public
| domain is made), down to and including
the report of Hon. a. j. Baker. dated Sep
TENDER 1, 1898, and have taken from their
respective reports only that which spe
ciicalIy related 10 the public domain.
In making said extracts, for HE sake CT
convenience, the date OF each report aud
name of each commissioner appears signed,
as II their reports treated only OF tho ere
subject. When reports for speeic wears
are not given, it is because none for those
years were made thereon, VIZ: A
Austin, November /, 1879.
The public domain of Texas, according
to an estimate made by Robert Crausbaur
principal draughtsman of this ofarA, COM
prises an area of $40. 05i square miles. or
2425ai.5 $50 acres. line drawn from Red
/ river to the Rio Grande circumscribing
the entire region of country In when SUR
Veys have been made would include an
area of l4o735 square miles, or 90,070 400
acres, leaving an area of 1872, 52i, 16O acre
IN which no surveys have been made.
From the mouth of tho Sabine 70 the
mouth or the Rio Grande our State has an
extent of S15 miles on the gulf coast.
The extent of our eastern boundary IS
estimated as follows.
~, Gu, Miles !
me SABINE from its mouth to its in
terseeton with the SO degree OF north
latitude, estimated by the course OF the
river and including the pass and the
iahe --..tIt.,.tt...,..... .........,..... 9o9
From the Sabine TO Red river ~ los
hea river By the course of tho stream
W 10 intersection with the Tooth degree
OF Vest longitude from Greenwich son !
me meridian OF the Tooth degree from
Red river to the Arkansas ,,. aio
ine Arkahsns river with its meanders
y" ~ s"ufVe ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Go
Extent OF our Eastern and Northeast
ern boundary ..,... ~ ., a,.l
Is formed by the RIO Grsnde from is mouth
70 its source Is estimated by inc nourso ~
,he river a. 22io miles In computing the
estlma.s ., the streams, small bends are not
I'LL, ~ me territory comprised within these
im,ts the following estimate has been made:
tbortis. nave "a s, oeen tited by the former au-
.he documents Of various kinds on GIe In tho
Ss TSs om laaa Once oS aS9tsas acrss
orieinosins -, %. ieginmate claims for land
public and State OF Texas iin,is<ted nv i ~
~ M spGwh 10 70 ,ns Office : ~ ssi ios acres
sra nnlinuida'ea en srs 79s arrss '''''ua'ed
eav'ng Ia Texas n public domain =,
~ "'N NSs acres after thu liauiAation ~
loRnl claims for land known 10 oxist I
"sa'nS' her' Geo w smvth S
Commissioner.
Austin, Nnvembe- !, 1881. c
IN my last biernal communication sub
mitted In November, 1919 tho s,ata =,
,eNss was estimated 10 comprl,e within
ner limits les defined by cur s,stu.ol a.
acres. "' :" @'-'''f'oop
snne that period our state has ceses - s
'r pn'ted states district Of cour,r,
eshmatsd to contain an area o. az non M,
"orss leaving 10 the State a su,ersc,a, q
"on,eht OF 1854 ECO acres, claims
hauiaated and unliaudated. a. 7seoS.
q, ser g There would consequently remain
70 iexas Ill ,sli ,Sos acres OF nuhlio doma,, :,
s s,,er every legal claim for land oficlaI,v
MnuWh 10 exist against hs~ shalI havs 81
'''ahea' Geo w smvih.
Commissioner
I, WIN Austin. November iss, 8,
a, y WI, De seen Nv reference IN ,Ls ,ann.. o.
w, ~ p'.uecsssnr that there H. estimn,ea ~ ~
~" 70 roe STATE Of Texas after a,,a.,I
1 "a. sm ,s ,,n coed n the United stnt,.
4 ~" records 81 this ofheo x,,ou, ~. A.. nc
,,ss neen titled nv the author,,,o. (, slers
n ~sics eS.S'5sN neyes W Hpaih &c
"'''"'d by commissioners 10 inve,tIv.,s