Court Opinion

ID: 9833844
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 23:05:22.00918+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:44:07.656499
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing.
Appellant’s motion for rehearing in this ease has had our most careful consideration. In addition to able written arguments and briefs, we permitted oral argument on submission of this 'motion. We believe our original disposition of this case is correct, and appellant’s motion for rehearing is in all things overruled.
In overruling this motion for rehearing, on our own motion we find the following facts, in addition to those stated in the original opinion:
(1) That the appellees own what is known as the W. J. Bryan survey, which was located contemporaneously with the Sarah Pannell survey, also owned by the appellees, and that the said W. J. Bryan survey was located by virtue of a veteran donation^ certificate No. 946 issued by the land office of Texas in 1882, which authorized the location of 1,280 acres of unappropriated public domain, and that the field notes in the original patent of the Bryan survey calling for 1,225½ acres of land are as follows:
“Beginning at a post at the S. E. corner of a 1,280-acre survey made for Mrs. S. A. Pan-nell; thence east 400 vrs. to the west line of Sec. 361; thence north at 443 vrs. to its N. W. Cor.; thence east' 950 vrs. to the west line of No. 360; thehce north 443 vrs. to its N. W. Cor.; thence east 950 vrs. to the west line of No. 359; thence north 443 vrs. to its N. W. Cor.; thence east 659 vrs. to the Cor. of E. P. Gregg; thence north 1,575 vrs. to post for Cor.; thence west at 3,219 vrs. to Cor.; thence south at 1,900 vrs. to north line of Mrs. Pan-nell; thence east on her north line 260 vrs. to her N. E. cor.; thence south on her east line 975 vrs. to the place of beginning.”
*707(2) The court further finds that within the above field notes is contained 1,225½ acres..
(3) The, court further finds that the original field notes made by the county surveyor of Jefferson county in locating said land are as follows:
“Beginning at a post at the S. E. corner of a 1,280-acre survey made for Mrs. S. A. Pan-nell; thence east 403 vas. to the west line of section No. 361; thence north at 443 vas. to its N. W. corner; thence east 950.4 vas. to the west line of No. 360; then north 443 vas. to its N. W. corner; thence east 950.4 vas. to the west line of No. 359; thence north 443 vas. to its N. W. corner; thence east 656 vas. to the corner of E. P. Gregg; thence north 1,546 vas. to a post for a comer; thence west at 3,217 vas. to the corner of sections Nos. 262, 263, and 346; thence south on its east line of No. 263 at 1,900 vas. to the north line of Mrs. S. A. Pannell; thence east on her north line 257 vas. to her N. E. corner; thence south on her east line 975 vas. to the beginning.”
(4) The court further finds that the field notes in the handwriting of the county surveyor of Jefferson county, James Ingalls, in a boot found at' the office of the county surveyor of Jefferson county, were corrected in the handwriting of James Ingalls as follows:
“The State of Texas, County of Jefferson.
“Field notes and plot of a survey of 1,216 acres of land made for Wm. J. Bryan by virtue of veteran Donation No. 946 for 1,280 acres of Land, Issued to said W. J. Bryan by W. C. Walsh, commissioner of the General Land Office at Austin, Texas, April 26th, 1821. Said survey is in Jefferson County in Salt Bayou marsh & About - miles S. - W. from Beaumont. Beginning at a post in the S. E. corner of a 1,280-acre survey made for Mrs. S. A. Pannell. Thence East 400 vas. to the west line of section No. 361. Thence North at 443 vas. to its N. W. corner. Thence East 950.4 vas. to the west line of No. 360. Then North 443 vas. to its N. W. corner. Thence East 950.4 vas. to the west line of No. 359. Thence North 443 vas. to its N. W. corner. Thence East 659 vas. to the corner of E. P. Gregg. Thence North 1,575. vas. to a post for a comer. Thence West at 3,219 vas. to the corner of Sact-ians Nos. 262, 263-&-S46r — Theace—S&u-th—⅛⅛-⅞⅞
■1883 ooraar
Fast Hue 'Cf No. 233 a'fe-l-989-vaST-t-s-&-s-N3-i’-fe ⅞3⅛
lino of Mrs.- Sr — A-r-Pa-Baeft—Thence Fast op bar North line 257-vas: — ¡■s-ber-N-r-ET-cora&fe Thence South on her East line 975 vas. to the beginning.
“Variation 9 deg. 15' E.
“Surveyed ■ October 6th, 1882.
“James Ingalls, Surveyor.
“Jas. Garvin,
“Claud Eastham, C. C.
“Thence south at 1900 vas. to the north line of Mrs. Pannell; thence east with her north line 260 vas. to her N. E. corner; thence south on her east line 975 vas. to the beginning.”
(5) In our original opinion we said:
“We have discussed this case on the theory that the survey as originally reported by In-galls was a paper survey in most part. How- - ever, we would add, if necessary to sustain the judgment of the trial court, that the facts are sufficient to sustain an actual survey had the trial court so .found.”
This ease was tried by the judge without a jury, and he filed no findings of fact and conclusions of law. We have carefully reviewed all the testimony in this record on the issue of how this land was surveyed. We do not believe it is necessary for a decision of this case to make a definite find- ■ ing on this issue, that is, whether the Bryan survey was a constructive or office survey, or whether it was actually surveyed on the ground, but we reaffirm the statement in our original opinion that in our judgment the facts are amply sufficient to sustain a finding that the survey was made on the ground, as indicated in the surveyor’s report.
(6) As supplementing our ninth finding of fact in our original opinion, in 1917, on reports made by the county surveyor of Jefferson county, the general land office of Texas recognized a vacancy between the north line of the Bryan survey and the south line of sections 346 and 347, and patented this -vacancy to the appellant, W. P. I-I. McFaddin, which patents are as follows:
“No. 511. Vol. 52.
“In the Name of the State-of Texas:
“To all to whom these presents shall come, know ye, I, Jas. E. Ferguson, Governor of the state aforesaid, by virtue of the power vested in me by law, and in accordance with the laws of said state in such case made and provided, do by these presents grant to W. P.’ H. McFaddin, his heirs or assigns, forever, six hundred and seventeen (617) acres of land, situated and described as follows:
“In Jefferson county, known as Sur. 25, Blk. No. 4, W. P. H. McFaddin S. F. 11282, about 28 miles S. 10 deg. W. from county site, bought and fully paid for under the laws regulating the sale of public free school land, beginning at a stake in mount and 4 pits mkd. N. E. 25 on the S. line of T. & N. O. Sur. No. 347, from which Pipkin’s ranch house brs. N. 2 deg. 50 E. Thence S. 772 vs. enter the N. bank of Star Lake, 1,000 vs. the N. edge of a pt. of land and at 1,200 vs. the.S. edge of same pt. of land and enter Star Lake, 1,512 vs. the N. W. corner of E. P. Gregg Sur. No. 2, 1,797 ■ vs. the N. E. Cor., of W. J. Bryan Sur. for the S. E. Cor. of this survey in Star Lake. Thence W. along the N. line of Bryan Sur. at 1,100 vs. leave Star Lake 1,938.7 vs. a stake in marsh for S. W. cor. of this sur. Thence N. 5 vs. the S. bank of a bayou, 300 vs. the N. bank of another bayou which joins the aforesaid bayou at this place, 1,500 vs. the S. bank of Star Lake, and at 1,797 vs. set a stk. in S. line of Sur No. 346 and in the W. bank. of Salt Bayou for the N. W. Cor. of this survey. Thence E. 120 vs. the east bank of Salt Bayou wch brs. N. and E. 800 vs. a chain of lakes running north, 980 vs. to the S. W. Cor. of *708Sur. No. 346 and S. W. Cor. Sur. 347, 1,838.7 vs. to tile place of beginning. Whatever minerals may be in the land herein described are expressly reserved to the public free school land of Texas.
“Hereby relinquishing to him the said W. P. H. McFaddin and his heirs or assigns forever all the right and title in and to said land heretofore held and possessed by the said State, and I do hereby issue this letter patent for the same.
“In testimony whereof I have caused the seal of the state to be affixed as well as the seal of the general land office. Done at the city of Austin on the twenty-fifth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventeen.
“[Seals.] Jas. E. Ferguson, Governor. “J. T. Robison,
“Commissioner of the General Land Office.”
Indorsed:
“Patent. State of Texas to W. P. H. McFaddin. Filed for record 20 day of July, 1917, at 1:40 o’clock p. m. J. R. Jefferson, Clerk' County Court, Jefferson County, Texas, by V. P. Giddings, Deputy.
“The State of Texas, County of Jefferson.
“I, J. R. Jefferson, clerk of the county court in and for said county, do hereby certify that the foregoing instrument of writing dated the 25 day of April, 1917, with its certificate of authentication, was filed for record in my office the 20 day of July, 1917, at 1:40 o’clock p. m., and duly recorded the 24 day of July, 1917, at 9:40 a. m., in deed records of said county in Vol. 167 on page 42. Witness my hand and seal of the county court of said county,. at office in Beaumont the day and year last above written. J. R. Jefferson, Clerk County Court, Jefferson County, by H. Carls, Deputy.”
(7) We further find that appellee paid taxes only on 1,225¼ acres in the Bryan survey until'about -, and since said time they have rendered the Bryan survey as containing -- acres, and before this time, though it had been surveyed out, ap-pellees believed there was an excess in the Bryan survey.