New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-21
Register Grifenhagen Com
pletes the Work of Re-
indexing Deeds.
INSTRUMENTS FILED.
FROM 1915 TO 1891
State Legislature in 1910 Appro-
priated 100000 a Year
for the Work.

Register Grfenhagen has practically
completed a New York conveyance index
under the block system more comprchcn-
sive. more perfect, more exact than is
TO be found in any other large city in
the world 1t marks an era in the realty
world Of inestimable value-a magnificent
work that will last for all time. The long
drawn battle between the systems OF In
dexing by lots or by blocks has thus been
most ingeniously ended by making the
block index give notice TO all subsequent
grantees or leners. while the unofficial
index according TO lots enables the
searcher to trace down any lot within he
block with ease and certainty.
When the Legislature Of 1910 ordered the
reindexing and classification of all instru-
ments conveying realty from 1915 70 Janu-
airy /. 1891 (when the present section and
block plan was put IN operation), it was
not considered possible 10 complete the
complicated task in much less than ten
years. Yet, in the face OF many serious
obstacles, Mr. Grifenhagen has produced
this immensely valuable index in less
than three years. An inspection of The
vlction that an epoch has been created in
the system of recording documents and
of examining titles to real estate in this
country.
Any one familiar with the old methods
Of indeXing instruments alphabetically
will scarcely believe tho facility with
which searching can now be done.
In view of the great Importance of the
task which has been accomplished, II Is
probable that Mayor Kline will name a
committee TO examine and report on it to
the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment, which. obeying the mandate OF the
state Legislature. has appropriated slco0JO
q year for this work. Attorneys, owners
of real estate and brokers doing business
with the Registers office who nave seen
the finished books have expressed their
entire satisfaction with the new index
which has been so carefully and so ex-
peditiously provided. believing IT to be a
model that will eventually be adopted In
all the cities of the country.
From January l. 1911. when the rein
dexing department was organized, Regis
ter Grifenhagen has taken special interest
in the undertaking. never permitting 1t 10
lag for an instant always hoping TO nave
it finished during his administration.
The records Of the Office date back to
1854, and many of the deeds cover old
farms containing many acres now densely
populated. The old landmarks, hedges.
brooks, trees. stones. fences, etc. used in
describing property have long passed
away, and the fixing Of the exact outline
Of some OF the tracts OF land has been
exceedingly difficult. Many of the lots
also fronted on streets long since aban-
doned, and the complications that result
ed have been frequently hard 20 solve.
The usefulness OF the index has beer
greatly increased, because, in addition 70
the fixing of the blocks affected by the
various instruments, particular lots in the
block have been designated in most cases
so that the searcher has only to ascertain
the exact part OF the block in which the
property the title TO which he IS searching
is situated, and can then rapidly make a
search for all instruments affecting that
particular lot.
A force Of from seventy to eighty men,
under John j. Lyons. special deputy regis
ter; Walter Fairchild and James F.
Davenport, assistant special deputy regis
tiers; j. Bennington Gill, chief surveyor,
and Samuel Lipschutz, in charge of the
locality index, has been constantly en-
ployed.
The main part of the work to be per
formed was the taking OF abstracts OF the
instruments in the conveyance libers and
OF locating them in modern city blocks, as
shown on the lend map OF the City OF