New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-17
THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS
IT'S BOUNDARIES NOT YET ACCURATELY
DFTERMINED-NEED OF CORRECT
LONGITUDE OBSERVATIONS.

-fp
.o-estirg paper by Marcus Baker. in the geo
.anbical bulletin Of the United States Geologi-
al surrey The particular part @: the Texas
tonndarv considered begins the eastern bank
- +he Rio Grande. Fl Paso. and runs easteriy
n the ed parallel the 103d meridian; thence
eth along that meridian 10 its intersection with
.e naralel OF So deg. 80 min the northwest corner
= Texas: thence eastward the parallel OF 50
deg 60 min. TO the Tooth meridian to its inter
.s+io, with the parallel of Red River This
,oundsrv except the part the 100th merid-
A., was created by Congress In an act APP
,oved September 2, 1850 In 1885 Texas declared
t+sels independent Of Mexico. and December %.
,sr5 was admitted the Union 1t then comprised
-,r+s Of territory included in New-Mex:co.
I,p1sboma. Kansas Colorado and Wyoming. in
<95n II sold 70 the United States for 100000 the
territory north Of latitude Sc deg. 50 min. and
-ves+ OF the 1C5d meridian, far south as
Latitude g. degrees. Eight years later Con-
ess nassed an act. approved June G. 1855 pro-
siding for running and marking this boundary
r--a survey thus provided for was executed Just
,-ior 70 the Civil War in the years 1883 and 1850
sFos+ Of the boundary the Tooth meridian was
.,~veved and marked by the Indian contract sur
,,evo-s. Jones and Brown, in 1889
Tho initial monument the Tooth meridian.
-,,r,.gnr the eastern boundary of the Panhandle
IF Texas vas established by Daniel c. Major.
er4ro7on,e- and erected by Jones and Brown. sur
vre,o-s IN 1859 II is the north bank Of the
,rsi, Red River and thirty chains therefrom. The
-ienaI survey Of the northwest boundary Of Texas
,zes made by the United States and Texas Boun-
Diary Commission in 1859 and 1850 The Texas COM
missioner however. soon withdrew from the work.
which was thereafter carried on by Commissioner
Jobr H Clark who established the northwest
-er Of Texas in September. 1859 Clark surveyed
,he 1850 meridian from the northwest corner Of
Texas southwark for 155 miles. The following year.
1850 he returned TO the work and began on the
10th meridian where il crosses the Canadian River
He accepted the previous survey by Jones and
nrrh nd heir
lire ro-thyard its intersection with the parallel
Of IS deg. 50 min. the northeast corner OF the
Texas Panhandle and then surveyed and marked
the northern boundary Of the Panhandle After
establishing the northeast corner, Clark ran west
on the parallel Sc deg 50 min, surveying and erect
ing monuments. Being obliged to abandon this line
from lack Of water. Clark went TO the west end.
the northwest corner OF Texas and traced the
uaralIel eastward TO the point where he had ahan-
dooed it. In 1882 to 1855 ". 5. Mabry. County Sur
veyor Of Daam, Hartley and Oldham counties.
Tex retraced the Clark line from the Canadian
River northward. and built the NIT pasture fence.
IN 1892 H s Prtchett- then professor of astronomy
in Washington University. St Louis. was employed
By Texas 10 determine the location of the Tooth
ridian at its intersection with the Red River. in
order TO obtain information for by Texas in
the famous law suit known the Greer County
case In 1893 Levi 5. Preston. United States Deputy
Surveyor. entered into contract with the General
Land Office TO execute certain land surveys in New
Mexico near the north and west boundaries Of
Texas.
Among other things Preston was careful 10
determine retrace Clerks line along the northern
part Of the Ig3d meridian and connect his surveys
herewith. This work he cid between July II and
Is $500 with such intelligence and reported his
suits with such clearness that much Of the doubt
and uncertainty which had long existed has been
cleared up. Starting at Clark's monument No. 10.
the south bank of the Canadian. he surveyed
nor,hward seventy-six miles. retracing Clark's
line TO the northwestern corner OF Texas. He also
prolonged this line thirty-four and one-half miles
further north 10 its intersection with the south
boundary Of Colorado Also from the northwest
corner OF Texas, as now locally recognized and
I ADOPTED; ne measured eastward to the Cmarron
one doubtfully, and No 20 the one.
the present fence of the pasture of the KIT
or Capi1sl Lana and Catte cclp2EE is at or very
But at miles 1z-56 chains west of Cimarron
meridian. and 547 chains south I found the north
west corner Of NIT pasture fence accepted by the
State Of Texas and by Dallam County, Tex, as
northwest corner of the KIT pasture fence re-
ma stood eighteen inches In the ground and set
on top cf the rotJed stump Of old cedar post.
the bottom OF il twenty-six inches below the
face Of the ground. and remove segment Of the
greatly decayed. and reduced almost a dry.
cedar indicated that the original post was about
10 BY y inches in diameter at the bottom This old
cedar post could easily have been in the ground
more than the eighteen years since 1882. This
point being almost on true alignment with the
60 by p by 10 inches. thirty-six inches in the
ground Tor the nSrthTest corner Of the State of
Texas. marked = 49, - - the east, ~ NJ
On The vest Isss' on the south and 1900 the
The east boundary of the Panhandle of Texas is
10th meridian Of west longitude from Greenwich
5nciaded between the Red River and the parallel Of
st SUBSEQUENT surveys taorpb iI,orIIi 20 Ilabn
MOI gTg0Eg vsr1G
fssa 6ished little to the west-say. one thousand
Hence Mr.. Baker concludes. the northeast corner
o. he Panhandle should be located the parallel
hest cf the Tooth meridian: thence line should
Iath meridian to no,1t aIor, pa lf I;,a 10 ,R
q me starting point: thence line about eighty
River ntersecting II al 1oiTt +b~e tbyen ed
eight hundred feet west Of the Tooth me
e On the north bank OF the Red River as ascer-
The Io5d meridian Of west longitude from Green
wien was fixed by act of Congress 1850 as the
.Ss In 1881 Richard o. CLANCY by independent
section of 1880 meridian and parael OF ss der
nortbp,es+ "m a 81 20 r. m9nUlnent 10 mark the
vent carefully over the ground the vicinity OF
co-ne- &c T Lo-ally recognized as the northwest
slLeI OF texas near or At the point where CIarl's
e0lner They differ in longitude ny more than
tIsrl NIT a. + ne LARK corner is. according to
a. oLh IN longitude lG3 degrees The Clancy corner
Or socsprolng to Clancy. in longitude 1o3 degrees
era OF ile1n IS surely wrong. and probably both
Sc. ana YET Clark monument. confirmed by Con-
is The de facto corner. CIsrls determine
on was fairly good by weak method;
heys weak determination by a strong
,,ntsthoc and the need Of a new and strong longi7
determination IN this vicinity is obvious
regard to this matter, Mr. Baker concludes
To the west boundary of the Panhandle of
--Ads mat until a and trustworthy deter
tiananon Of the longitude has been made. the
ssryoSoaTy should be shown the 103d meridian
rne45. the Canadian River southwark. and on the
7rne-ascan Of lG2 deg min. from the Canadian
dssee-NafG- and also that n neg and accurate
esrf rnninaton Of longitude should be made at an