The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-02-09

cluate Information as TO these waters
and .his country
In lS45 the state of Texas proposed
and In 1858 the United States accept
ed an agreement to appoint commits
sioners and surveyDrs to find and
mark the boundary line in question:
with special reference to the f00th
meridian and the question as to
whether the North or South Fork OF
Red river should be followed west
ward to said meridian: but these com
missioners did not commence work
until une, 1860. and separated with
out agreement before completing the
work
In the mean time. A. II. Jones and
II. NJ c. Brown, acting under orders
Of the secretary Of the interior. and
pursuant to an act Of 1856 relating TO
the lands of the Choctaw and Chicka-
saw Indians, proceeded TO find the
south and west lines of the country
Of the Indians, and on high point
of the north bank OF the South Fork
erected an initial monument to mark
the Tooth meridian, which. for the
first time was established by astro.
nomical observation, made by Daniel
g. Major. astronomer; and this work
was done in 1859.
Prof H. S. Pritchett has since found
the Tooth meridian to be 1913 feet
east of the initial monument estab-
lished by Jones and Brown; and the
resulting controversy Is now pending.
In 1860 by an act approved by Gov
ernor Sam Houston on February &,
the county of Greer, named for vet
eran of the Texas. was with Mexico
for independence. was created with.
boundaries as follows: beginning at
the confluence of Red river and Pr
airie Dog river, thence rinning up
Red river to it's intersection with the
23rd degree of west longitude; thence
due south across Salt Fork and to
Prairie Dog river, and thence follow
Ing that river to the place of begin
iEng"
The South Fork of Red river was
then known as Prairie Dog Toen
river translation from its earlier
Indian name observation-disclosures
1t will be observed that the Texas
legislature in describing the bound
ary of the county of Greer on the
west uses the ~23rd degree of west
lOHkllAOO HUN washington lHoAtdu
Of the Tooth meridian from Green
wich; but these are identical, of
course.
The civil war interrupted the con
troversy and it was not resumed until
years later In 1884 United States
surveyors. engaged in sectionizing the
southwestern portion of the Indian
Territory, seationized Greer county,
except its mountains. and in 1878
Texas surveyors. ayaiIing themselves
of the corners established by the
former, also sectionized ihe county for
the state of Texas
In 1879 the legislature of Texas
appropriated the lands OF the county,
one half for the benefit OF the public
free schools of the state and the other
half to be used in paying the public
debt.
In 1881 by an act of its Legislature
the state of Texas arthorized the is
suance of certificates to certain
class of veterans of the Taxes army
In the war for its independence from
Mexico, and of the confederate army
emitting the holders to locate certain
amounts of land on the public domain
Of the state and obtain patents to the
same; and some of these certificates
we're soon afterwards located in Greer
county andspatents obtained in 1855
upon the erroneous theory that this
act repealed or modified the act oi
1879.
Colonel A. S. Mangum, of Sherman
held a certificate for service in the
var with Mexico, ad Colonel John III
swasher, OF Austin, who was a vet
sran of the same war, held number
" such certificates by purchase from
such of his comrades as had resolved
them.
Mr. II. c. Sweet, a Texas surveyor
after consulting Governor Ireland ant
other eminent lawyers of the state
undertook the location of certificates
for Colonels Mangum and Swisher II
Greer county. which he did in the
summers of 1862 and 1888; and pat
snts we're accordingly issued to thos'
gentlemen In 1883 and 1885, Mr.. Swee
being entitled TO a portion of the lanl
from the grantees for his service.
In 1884, when Wichita Falls, Texas
was the nearest railroad station, MI
Sweet and his wife. now deceased
With their two youngest children, nov
Mr.. +. II. Sweet and Mrs. A. r. Wi
son. of this place, came to the conntr.
as its first settlers; and after crossing
,Ae South Fork on April rs they camp
( ed on the Elm river northeast of tn
present site of Mangum, while MI
Sweet surveyed and plated the town
= which he named for Colonel AIangum
establishing residence here about Ma
: l. In the same year.
{ Mr. Sweet, having explicate con
, hdence IN the claim Of Texas 70 IN
4 county, at once commenced to inyit
= settlers who began 10 com later i
the year; but, through representatio
. of cattle men to President Arthur, tn
E war department isINef orders 10 tn
g soldiers in this vicinity to eject thes
y settlers, and they We're aecordingl
I notified to leave within specific
I tme; but before the arrival of tn
day when they were to be forcibly e.
e PEELED Governor Ireland had induce
q the president 20 cause the order to b
0 revoked