Putnam patriot., 1925-10-30
Key Number used

Key Number Used
 The Russell system safeguards such possibilities by grouping the various spelllngs under one head. To deter mine this q key to the index Is used. This key Is made up of the consonants L, M. \. R. T. In finding the key let ter for any surname the first letter of the name Is ignored Take any spell ing Of the name Myers-Miers. Mey- ers,. Mayors. etc, the key letter In each case Is K. therefore all Myers, however spelled, will be found grouped together.
 Assume that the case being sought is John Myers. Look in the column "Given name initials" for "J' and you find section and number is 9i, above all John Myers will be found, re gardless of spelling.
 The lawyers, who come Tn closer contact with land records than any other class of citizens, were favorably impressed with the system.
 Attorney Howard C. Bradford was elected chairman of the meeting and Judge NJ. II. Geissler, clerk. Town Clerk David Flage was also present at the meeting. as were F.. C. Morse, r Carpenter. |. Il Miron. F. NJ. Warner. C. L. Torrey. and A. :. Mae donald
 Mir Nutting was asked how much if would cost Co have the Putnam land records indexed. He said that he could not give an estimate but would have representative come here, eN- anime the records and make an esti- mate without obligation on the part of the town or those present. He also t0 take a committee te Middletown to investigate the Russell system installed there.
 Estimate to Be Made
 It was voted that the offer to have the estimate made be accepted lt was also voted that it was the con census of opinion of members of the bar that Putnam have an up to date index and that 1t shall not be card index. c,--,.
 it was voted that Town Clerk Flagg. Judge Geissler and States At torney Bradford be the eommittes to go to Middletown.
 While the indexing of the land re- cords of Putnam are of especial m. terest to lawyers in their search ot titles 1t is of paramount interest to land owners and the buyers and sell CTS of real estate The Russell system has been devised solely for the pur- pose of safeguarding those who own property and make real estate trans fers.
 The town of Putnam is approM- matelv 54 years old. IL was estimat- ed that 1t would take about ten months to properly index the records as the installation of the system calls Tor checking and reehecklng of eaeh transfer several times that absolute accuracy may be guaranteed.
 Card Index Unsatisfaetory
 The present card index, installed against the best judgment of Town Clerk David Flagg, but at the urgent request of the state supervisor of records. has proved a failure, at least if is not regarded as safe method Ii is at once apparent that IL Is an easy matter for a dishonest person To SID out a card, say an incumberance on his property and thereby, leaving no public record of 1t. Even an hon est person searching the record might replace a card Tn the wrong place and the next person searching the same title would not therefore find it where 1t should be and therefore would overlook what ever record that specific card might contain.
 Those who have come in contact with the records realize full we'll that something needs to be done or there will be deplorahle state of affairs at some future time.