Division M. To this division are first referred all returns made by registers and receivers of the business of the district land offices. The various dispositions of lands are here classified, and the accounts of the registers and receivers are here kept. A strict account is also kept of the five per cent. fund due the States from the sale of public lands within their respective limits; an account of the receipts and expenditures of moneys collected from depredators of timber lands, and the accounts of sale of Osage and other Indian lands. All applications for repayment of moneys received for lands to which title cannot be given are here examined. In this division is kept a classified statement of all disposals of public lands. Division N. The work of this division relates to mineral lands, and has in charge the examination and final disposition of applications for patents for that class of lands, and the adjudication of contests growing out of such applications. Here, also, the mineral or non-mineral classification of given lands is passed upon. All patents for mineral and coal lands are here prepared, and the plats of survey of all mines for which patents are sought are here filed. Salaries of officers and employés of General Land Office. 1 Commissioner, at $4,000 1 chief clerk, at $2,000.. 1 recorder, at $2,000... 1 law clerk, at $2,000 1 principal clerk public lands, at $1,800.. 1 principal clerk private land claims, at $1,800 1 principal clerk surveys, at $1,800. 6 clerks class four, at $1,800 each 1 draughtsman, at $1,600... 22 clerks class three, at $1,600 each. 1 assistant draughtsman, at $1,400. 40 clerks class two, at $1,400 each. 80 clerks class one, at $1,200 each. 30 clerks, at $1,000 each.. 9 copyists, at $900 each 9 assistant messengers, at $720 each. 6 packers, at $720 each.. 12 laborers, at $660 each.. 223 OFFICES IN THE LAND SERVICE SUBORDINATE TO THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. Geographer. The first officer in charge of the surveys of the public lands was called the geographer of the United States. He was appointed under the ordinance of May 20, 1785. Thomas Hutchins was the first and only incumbent of the office. Surveyor-General of the Northwest Territory. Under the act of May 18, 1796, creating the office, Rufus Putnam, in 1797, was appointed surveyor-general of the Northwest Territory (including Michigan Territory). He remained until 1803. Captain Jared Mansfield, U. S. A., succeeded as surveyor-general from 1803 to 1813. Under Captain Mansfield, aided by the advice of Mr. Jefferson, many and important changes and improvements were made in the surveying system.* * The following letter, in answer to one of inquiry as to Captain Jared Mansfield, father of Hon. E. D. Mansfield, the writer of the letter below, was received by the editor of this volume September 25, 1880. Mr. Mansfield died in October, 1880, and the data mentioned were not received: MORROW, WARREN COUNTY, OHIO, DEAR SIR: I received a copy of your Report on the Public Lands yesterday, for which I am obliged. I will write you in a few days what I know of my father's surveys (astronomical), and give you a brief account of his first observatory. In Niles's Register you will see full accounts by the Commissioner of the Land Office of my father's system of survey. I have the bill of astronomical instruments bought in London for the Government, and Mr. Jeffer son's letter on the subject. Yours truly, EDW. D. MANSFIELD. Josiah Meigs held the office of surveyor-general of this territory from 1813 to 1815. He gave way to Edward Tiffin from 1815 to 1825. These surveyors-general employed a sufficient number of skillful deputy surveyors; who employed a force of men as chain men, &c. They were paid by the mile for each mile of line run, the first rate being $3 per mile. Sections of the country were laid out, over which from time to time Congress or the Treasury Department appointed surveyors-general, who employed deputies, special statutes in most cases regulating this. 17 William Rector, surveyor of Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas, 1814 to 1824. Isaac Briggs, surveyor south of Tennessee, 1803 to 1807. Seth Pease, surveyor south of Tennessee, 1807 to 1820. Thomas Freeman, surveyor south of Tennessee, 1820 to 1822 John Coffee, surveyor of Alabama, 1817 to 1825. Robert Butler, surveyor of Florida, 1824 to 1825. Silas Bent, surveyor of Louisiana, 1807 to 1813. Surveyors general within States or Territories. May 7, 1822, the first surveying district was created, viz, the State of Ohio, with an officer called a surveyor-general in charge. A surveying district may be a State, a Territory, or two or more of any of them joined together for such purpose by law and in charge of a surveyor-general, with assistants. The surveys are made under the contract system, the surveyor-general selecting the deputy, Congress fixing the compensation. These surveying districts are closed by act of Congress when all the public lands are surveyed, and certain archives therein transferred to the State in which the lands lie. Registers and Receivers. The offices of register and receiver were created by the act of May 10, 1800. Districts for the sale of lands were made at the same time and by the same act, and this method has since continued. A land district for disposing of lands, with a register and receiver, may cover a State or there may be ten in a State. Land districts are in no wise connected in boundary with surveying districts. They are made by law of Congress, or by the President in mineral districts, and are abolished, consolidated one with another, reduced in area, or closed by Congress or the President. They are simply points for sale and disposition of land, more for the convenience of the people than of the Government. The land being surveyed is duly returned and notice of filing of plats given, and the land laws applicable to the district are put in force by the registers and receivers of the several district land offices, in permitting the settlers and locators to proceed under the law. When closed, their archives are sent to the General Land Office, which during their existence has complete and entire control over them by a system of checks and notations on a set of duplicate plats, notes, and supervises each and all changes made on the plats of the district offices, which are duly reported by them at the end of each month to the General Land Office at Washington. Through the agency of these district offices the United States proceeds to dispose of the public lands in the methods contemplated in the laws providing for sales at ordinary private entry, for pre-emptions, for entries for homestead, timber culture, town site, and mining purposes, and in the laws making grants for specific objects, and exceptional provisions with regard to abandoned military and other reservations. Ohio List of offices of surveyor-general from May 10, 1800, to June 30, 1880. Surveying district. Nevada. Dakota. Colorado Arizona Idaho Nebraska and Iowa. Montana Boisé City Aprill, 1867.. To Detroit, Mich. o Jackson, Miss. To Saint Augustine. To Baton Rouge. To New Orleans. Discontinued Aug. 28, 1848. Abolished. Discontinued, 1859. To Salem. To Eugene City. To Portland. To Wyandotte City. To Lecompton. To Nebraska City. To Virginia City. Minnesota. Wyoming List of surveying districts where surveys are now in progress, names of surveyors-general, with their compensation and location of offices, to June 30, List of local land offices (258 in number) under the laws of the United States, from May 10, 1800, to June 30, 1880, by States and Territories, with date of establishment and discontinuance. Act Mar. 2, 1833.. Act July 10, 1832.... Mar. 3, 1853. Mar. 3, 1853 Mar. 3, 1853.. Act Mar. 29, 1858.. Apr. 17, 1871.. June 15, 1871 July 10, 1878.. March 30, 1866. To Little Rock, 1865. To Huntsville. To Camden. To Little Rock, January 2, 1860. Closed February 9, 1871. Consolidated with San Francisco. To Bodie. Act June 2, 1862. Sept. 12, 1864.. Oct. 29, 1867. Act Mar. 2, 1861. Oct. 4, 1880.. Act May 5, 1870. Act Apr. 24, 1874. Act Jan. 21, 1880... Act Mar. 3 1807... Act Mar. 3, 1819 When established. Act June 12, 1838. Act Mar. 3, 1855 Act Mar. 3, 1855.. Act June 20, 1874.. Act Mar. 3, 1811 Act Mar. 26, 1804.. Act Jan. 30, 1833.. Act June 15, 1836. Act Mar. 1, 1847. Act Apr. 12, 1854.. Sept. 1, 1869. Act Apr. 12, 1854. Act Apr. 12, 1854. Removed or discontinued. To Marion. Closed June 21, 1859. To Fairfield. November 12, 1855. July 8, 1856. September 14, 1859. To Council Bluffs. To Kickapoo. To Atchison. December 26, 1863. To Junction City. To Salina. To Fumboldt. To Wichita. To Kirwin. To Wa-Keeney. February 16, 1861-'66. To New Orleans, Jan. 21, 1879. To Greensburg. To Baton Rouge. To New Orleans. To White Pigeon Prairie. To Mackinac. To Chatfield. To Winnebago City. To Jackson. To Worthington. To Forest City. To Minneapolis. To Greenleaf, To Saint Peter. To New Ulm. |