The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-12-05
SURVEYORS QUIT
FOR THE WINTER

During the past summer and fall
there have been several surveying par
ties in the field executing surveys for
the general land office. One party has
been operating in the northern end of
Washoe county completing surveys of
eight townships for which actual set
tiers had made application, says the
Reno Gazette. There remain in that
portion of the state still five townships
which settlers are anxious to have sur
veyed at an early date and which will
receive attention as soon as the wealth
er permits in the spring
Another party has been surveying in
the southeastern part of the state
along the Salt Lake, Los Angeles &
San Pedro railroad and also near Gold
field Five parties were employed on
surveys within the Central Pacific rail-
road grant (S. P. r. R.) and large
group of townships of this class of
work was completed.
New System Inaugurated.
On July /, 1910, by authority of con-
gress the old system of executing pub
lie land surveys by awarding con-
tract to the lowest bidder for such
work, was abolished and the direct
system inaugurated, which already has
proved much superior to the old
method. A contracting surveyor neces-
sarily expects to derive as great a
benefit financially from the contract
as he can manage to secure and while
a fair percentage of contracting sur
veyors have done or tried to do honest
work, many more went into the bust
ness to obtain the greatest benefit with
the least expenditure of labor.
As a result most of the old surveys,
made years ago, are worthless and
some exist mostly on paper. These old
defective and fraudulent surveys have
caused much unnecessary expense and
much dissension and often litigation
among settlers.
Under the new system, called the
"direct system,' the surveyors are
paid salary and subsistence and
quality of work is of primary consid-
Grafton. Each party is fully and com
pletely equipped with modern survey
! ing Instruments and tools and their
camp equipment is complete and as
comfortable as can be had on such
work. All surveys are monumented
with iron posts with brass caps, on
which are stamped the proper mark
4 ings for each corner so that any person
with ordinary intelligence can identify
each corner.
1t is the intention of the government
to have all unsurveyed townships with
in. the railroad grant of the Central
Pacific railroad surveyed and this will
be done from now on, the first group
of eighteen townships, beginning on
the west boundary of this state having
just been completed. These surveys
will be extended across the state with
in railroad limits as fast as the force
available will permit. Under the rule
of the commissioner of the general
land office, surveys of townships ap
piled to for bona fide settlers will be
entitled to first consideration and it is
expected that all such pending sur
veys will be completed during the next
season and new applications will re-
ceive early attention as soon as same
are approved.
During the season just closed there
were employed by the general land
office ON surveys in Nevada over fifty
persons, twenty eight horses and elev-
en- wagons, with a complete camp
equipment for each of the seven field
parties. All of the equipment was
purchased in Nevada and is the prop
erty of the United States. 1t is prob
able that an additional party will be
added to the surveying forces in the
spring.
At the close of the surveying season
the surveyors are required to write uT
the field notes of the surveys executed
by them and submit such to the Unit
ed States surveyor general at Reno
Nevada, who prepares the final field
notes and plans for fling in the gener
al land office at Washington, d. G..
and in the United States land office
at Carson City. The U. s. surveyor gen
eral is also the disbursing officer OF
the funds set aside by the commission
er of the general land Office as the ap
portionment for Nevada from the gen
eral apportionment for survey, etc
This apportionment for the current fis
cal year was $4,000. In addition the
Central Pacific railroad was required te
deposit $4,000 for its share of the
cost of surveys within its grant, and
the United States government will pay
an additional $4,000 for its share OF
the cost of railroad surveys.
The total amount available for sur
veys in Nevada during the current
fiscal year was therefore $4,000, to
which must be added a considerable
amount paid by the Southern Pacific
railroad for about four townships
surveyed by the general land office or
application of the railroad, the total
cost of which has to be borne by the
company, besides its deposit of $25,
600.
More Extensive Work Planned.
1t is expected that in 1912 the full
season will be utilized by the entire
surveying force in this state and that