The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-07-04

Hon Binger Hermann. Land Commits
sioner, has issued ore Of the most in
terestinF reports OF he year No de-
Tartueat of the Government has more
distinguished history, and none has had
so intimate relation with the great body
Of the people. The present system Of
survey OF the public lands was inaugu-
rated by committee appointed by the
Continental Congress, consisting Of the
following DELEGATES: Thomas jefferson.
Virginia, chairman: Hugh Williamson.
North Carolina; David Howell. Rhode
Island; EIbridge Gerry. Massachusetts,.
Jacob Read, South Carolina The first
report Of this committee vas made on
Nay :. 1854
The scheme OF the division Of public
lands recommended by this committee OF
1lustTious men is practically the one in
1 @se today they reported An ordinance
fer asceTtaining the mode OF locating
and disposIng Of lands in the Western
/ territory, ard for other purposes therein
mentioned This ordinance required
The public lands 10 be divided into hun
I GTeds Of ten geographical square miles
each, subdivided into one mile square
/ lets these sutdivided into sections.
( half sections, and quarter sections The
townships were 10 be seven miles each
way, and the plats and sections in them
+ We're TO numbered from ! 10 A. The
EUubers were TO run from the right
/ hand lower corner instead of the right
| hand upper corner as now
The surveys and delineatiors so far
made have been put in proper shape
and are sent out to the land agents and
/ tna officers generally from a room in
IRE lower part OF the General Land Of
fee, where Mr.. Edwin Minor IS the pre-
siding officer The maps OF GCveramer:
possessions in every State. railroad
grants, mining claims and Government
I eservations are sent to this room on
completion anC are mailed out The
Government experts do the drawing and
the maps are printed by contractors.
Among the people working Tor the
Government there is not force superior
to that engaged in the construction OF
the Government Printing Office. This
building IS designed 10 be the best in the
world Of the kind and particular care Is
taken in the construction. About 81
oCO,0G0 Of public money is being spent
and the best results OF architecture and
construction are expected.
Col J. s Sewell. OF the United States
Army, is the engineer in charge. He is
one CT the most thorough men in the
T Government service and he is exacting
I toward every employee IN the way of
/ faithful and skilled workmanship. He is
/ a West Point graduate and has reached
/ The high post Of captain Of the Corps
/ Of Engineers.
/ Mr.. P Y. Heating. native Of New
/ York IS Colonel SewelTs clerk He is q
/ fine Office man and is careful account
/ art and skilled correspondent
Mr. " 7 Austin, chief clerk Of con
/ stTuctton, is one Of the finest account
+ ants in the country. He was appointed
/ from Boston. but is a native OF Eng
[ Land.
Mr. N, A Maloney, of the Government
/ Printing Office. has gone to Colonial
( Beach for month of ''rustication" He
I proposes to fish and battle to the fullest
extent.
One Of the most interesting men en-
p,oyed by the Government Is VI Edwin
II. Minor. one Of the clerks In the re-
corder's division Of the General Land
Office. Department OF the Interior. ue
is one OF the veterans Of the division and
be has regularly been a courteous. obIig-
ing and affable man through all the
hardshtps and changes Of the variegated
department with which he Is connected.
Mr.. Minor IS Pennsylvania by birth
and baptism OF fire. He was one OF the
Keystone States conspicuous. represen-
tatives in the great fraJricidaI struggle, /
though he occupied an humble position /
in the army Of the Republic In the /
awful battles Of the civil war, IN
equaled at any tine and anywhere. he !
as constantly at the front bearing no
inCOnspiCuOUs part. At the battle Ct I
Fredericksburg Mr. Minor. by the for
tunes OF war, was put IN comaud OF his {
company and he discharged his trust /
with a rare degree of bravery and wis 1
dom He is one of the great army Of /
men who without title or even con!
spicuous mention, took heroic parts.
Mr. Minor vas a corporal in Company /
I. Nineteenth Pennsylvania Infantry. Att
Fredericksburg the Confederates played .
havoc with the regiment, and Company 7 /
was perhaps fhe heaviest sufferer Every {
commissioned officer and all the non
commissioned officers except Corporal /
Minor we're either disabled OF killed. and
command. The gallant remnant made a
good record and always insisted on their
youthful commander being ranked with
the officers OF conspicuous merit.
In March, 1865, Mr.. Minor was ap-
pointed 10 a position IN the Depart
nent OF the Interior. and he has been
in since through ali changes. He was
soon assigned 10 the important work
OF handling the maps and tracings IN
the General Land Office and 70 the
duties Of that place he has given most
OF his time and best endcavor lie
is successful in his work and the fav-
orite OF all who knew him.
Mr. Minor had two brothers in Com
pany I one was killed at Fredericks-
burg.
Captain Charles sIavin. special ex-
aminer G. the Census Bureau. viii leave
Washington this evening for Vermont,
where he viii remain for several weeks
on official business. Captain Slavfn is
a well-knoWn and popular attache Of
the Census Bureau. and his feIlow-cierks
viii bid him -good-by." even only for d
short time, with no little regret