Seward daily gateway., 1925-07-30


 made the surveys. glance at a relief map of Alaska will show how l impracticable and unnecessary it is at the present time to extend the surveys over the mountain ranges and barren coastal plains. This was realized by those in charge of the work and instructions were issued which permitted the engineer to sur vey fractional townships whenever necessary. This is advantageous in a region of decided relief because it enables the surveyor to survey all of the suitable land and eliminate the useless areas, thus saving time and expense. In some regions, such the Chignik-Cold Bay area, it is de- sirable to make a skeleton survey that can be used as a control for subsequent topographic mapping, and also serve to fix the position of all coal and oil claims which may be | located in the district traversed by the survey. The rectangular system is particularly well adapted to this because new surveys can be initiated at any time from the known points along the established lines and the exact description of any tract of land may be easily and quickly deter mined. Under the coal and oil leas- ing law, it freuently becomes neces- ] sary to survey tracts smaller than the usual quarter section. This is 1 very simple if the rectangular sys- tenn has been extended over the dis trict, because the surveyor merely retraces the boundary lines and de- termines the intersection of lines which will define theareas required. This is being done in the Matanuska valley this summer, where the coal leasing units are being subdivided into 40 acre tracts.
 Public Land Surveys In Alaska.
 The primary object of the public land survey is to provide basis for 1 the disposal of the public domain and for this reason the work in Alaska so far has been confined largely to the regions which seem most adaptable to agricultural or valuable for coal or oil With this objective in mind, the first surveys were made in the Copper River val ley about 1905, when more than 200 miles of the principal meridians and standard parallels were surveyed. At that time all surveying was done un- der the old concrete system. About 1 1910 the general land office, under authority of congress, began to make all public land surveys thru it's own organization, and since then nearly all of these surveys in Alaska, with 1 the exception of certain classes of l private claims and mining claims, have been executed under the direc- tion of MT. Frank M. Josnson, super visor of surveys of the general land 1 office. Subs aquent to the year 1910, 1 the demands tor surveys of the pub l lie lands in Alaska increased each year and it became necessary to establish a headquarters in Alaska MT. John P. Walker was appointed assistant supervisor of surveys and continued in charge of this work un- til 1924, except for a short period during the war Tn 1924, he was as. signed to more important work in another field
 All of the existing rectangular sur veys in Alaska are controlled by three principal meridians which are designated by significant names: point near Fairbanks; the Seward meridian north of Seward; and the Copper River meridian extending north from Copper Center in the Copper River valley.
 The agricultural lands in the viein- ity of Fairbanks offer an attractive field for the homesteader and in 1910 plans were made to extend the rectangular net over that area. The Fairbanks Base and Meridian were established and several townships subdivided These surveys were made under instructions from the general land office by the engineers of the geological survey. Since that time the work has been carried on from year to year until they include 627,- 744.69 acres, and extend from Rich ardson on the upper Tanana river to Nenana and south along the rail- road to Broad Pass.
 The Seward Base and Meridian were established in 1911 and con- trol the surveys along the railroad through the Matanuska and Susitna valleys; the Kenai peninsula from Kachemak Bay to Point Possession: the oil fields from Chignik to Cold Bay, and the Chitina Bay district. Tn the agricultural sections the town