Imperial Valley press., 1912-07-31
CONFUSION IN SURVEYS
ON UNRECLA|MEO DESERT

BraWley News: Allen Kelly Re-
port again takes up the cudgels in de-
fense of the Northside locators who
have so rudely disturbed conditions
north of the third standard parallel.
In the last issue the Report states:
1T may be true that the railroad
surveyors found no corners on the
third standard. but the railroad loca-
tion map of the Texas Pacific of 1872
adopted by the Southern Pacific in
1877, shows corner stakes of the 1856
survey close TO the location line and
gives exact measurements to those
stakes from points on the line that can
be identified at this time. These cor
ners are not near the third standard.
Some of them are under water in Sal
ton sea
The Northside locators retraced
the 1856 survey from the railroad
south. not from the third standard
north. as the News enormously as
sumes. They followed the only survey
recognized by the government, and
they needed the advice of the general
land office to avoid conflict with the
section lines of the railroad grant.
which were established by the 1856
survey and are so shown on the map.
If they retraced the meridian lines
correctly from the railroad west of
Imperial Junction southwark they did
all that was possible to avoid con-
fusion. Had they attempted to extend
the Henderson survey north from the
third standard they would have got
into conflict with the railroad sections,
th0,, hnx
been in accordance with any survey
recognized by the land Office.
1T would seem to be necessary for
the government to adjust the discrep-
ancy in the townships touching the
third standard and to make the Hen
derson survey and the 1856 survey fiji
somewhere There is confusion and
there may be trouble from locatofs
near the third standard. but it i MOI
clear that the Northside lOcators arc
responsible for it. They would be
very foolish to attempt to get land
from others by muddling surveys.
In attempting to retrace the lines of
the 1856 survey from the railroad
south the Northside locators have only
followed the example of numerous
predecessors.
Engineer c. \. Perry started the
Imperial survey from a certain def
rite point IN the Southern Pacific
main line Bit no one claims that he
followed the 1856 survey.
Engineer C J. Park. commencing d
a certain point on the Southern Pacific
railroad. ran lines that changed the
boundaries of claimants in the dis
puted territory approximately three
eighths of a mile east. Yet the North
side survey makes difference of 1880
feet.
Here. then. are three surveys, all
based on certain definite points along
the railroad, and none agree. These
examples suffice to show the utter con-
fusion that surrounds any attempt to
establish the so-called 1856 survey,
and substantiate the contention of the
News that the stakes will not check
up.
The Report errs when it claims that
the News assumed that the Northside
locators retraced lines from the third
standard, and lodges the question
whether the Northside survey will
check up with that of the Coacheiia
valley. The railroad troubles were
cited to illustrate the absence of suf
fcient stakes for checking purposes.
If the Northside locators can prove
that their starting point and corners
will check up and tie to authentic
1856 corners on the second standard
parallel, and will then check up with
certain other 1856 corners, then and
not until then, may their claim that
they have successfully established the
1856 survey be received with credence.
In the absence of this immediate
government action is
needed to establish a definite survey
on the Henderson lines if the develop
ment of land north of the third stand
ard is not to be restored