Imperial Valley press., 1912-07-19
CONFLICT OF SURVEYS IN
UNOEvELOPED TERRITORY

The Brawley News sounds note of
warning as follows:
Claimants under the new Northside
| Water companys system have an
nounced that their land is located ac-
cording to the line of what is alleged
to be the 1856 survey. If this policy
of location is maintained, and these
boundaries are not changed to conform
to the Henderson survey. confusion
of claims north of the Third standard
parallel will result second in land Of
flee history only TO that which sub
jected the settlers of the southern por-
tion of Imperial valley to difficulty for
a number of years.
Previous to the withdrawal of the
land north of Brawley by the interior
department under the reclamation acr
the greater part had been taken up by
locators under the desert land act In
the North End district canal system
vas constructed and cultivation of the
land begun.
The first problem that arose among
the prospective settlers was that of
the proper boundaries Intellectual at
1856 corners. The assistance of the
Southern Pacific company was sought
in an endeavor to straighten out the
tangle which was threatened AS the
big corporation is the owner of every
other section, under a railroad land
grant. the survey matter was investi-
gated by their land agents.
Finally the Henderson survey was
adopted with apparent satisfaction 10
all, including the Southern Pacific
company. This survey was a resurvey
ordered by congress for the Imperial
valley, but land north of the Third
standard parallel was not included in
its provisions Expenditure of money
for surveys where half the land is un-
der private ownership is not author
lied by the government.
While the question of the correct
survey has arisen occasionally during
the past two or three years, it has
been given only desultory attention.
The fact that all locations were made
and patents issued to land according
to the Henderson survey seemed suf-
ficient evidence in the minds of the
entrymen to justify its final accept
ance.
Now the entry of the Northside
Water company into the field has
raised new questions Applications
were made to file on land north and
east of the SaltOn sea. This land be-
ing withdrawn under the reclamation
act, the entries were rejected by the
Los Angeles land office On appeal.
in due time, some of them have been
accepted by order of the higher-ups.
These are the filings located accord
ing to the so-called '56 survey, in the
second tier of townships north of the
Third standard. that threaten to dis
turb the peaceful conditions in the
North End.
BY the line of the so-called '56 sur
vey, the claims are thrown approxi-
mately 1000 feet east of the corners
located according to the Henderson
survey, with due allowances made for
corrections.
There are not lacking those who as
sert that the keen desire of the loca-
tors whose claims adioin the Salton
sea to secure land better suited for
agricultural purposes than for motor
boating is responsible for this east
ward movement.
Although the Southern Pacific offici-
ais are willing to accept either sur
vey. they prefer to observe the status
quo. and have so expressed themselves
In the North End district, the school
sections are recognized according to
the Henderson survey Some of them
are in cultivation. West of New river
and north of the Third standard claims
have been taken up and in some cases
water delivered to filings based on the
Henderson survey.
1t appears that the chief result that
will be accomplished by these loca-
tions according to a so-called sc sur
vey, will be an endless amount of liti-
CATION and difficulty in establishing
boundary lines, delaying the develop
ment of the country for years.