C.--Special deposits made by individuals for office-work on mining surveys. D.-Linear miles run during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891. [NOTE. This list embraces contracts 123 and 124, the survey of A. D. Robinson, and the surveys of Edson D. Briggs. The mileage on the unfinished portion of contract 123 and the whole of contract 124 could only be approximated.] E.-Office-work performed during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891. G.-Character and condition of surveying instruments belonging to the different deputies. Manufactured by Wm. & L. E. Gurley, Troy N. Y.; no number; open sights with telescope attachment, level head, nonadjustable tripod. Solar apparatus correct; magnetic apparatus correct; polarity of needle good. Variation 18° 45' east. Manufactured by Wm. & L. E. Gurley, Troy. N. Y.; no number: adjustable tripod and tripod head; plate 6 inches diameter, needle 4 inches long; level attachment to telescope, also vertical arc; nonins for setting off variation of needle; no index error; side level for regaining latitude; stadia wires in telescope. All parts in perfect adjustment. Variation 18° 45' east. Manufactured by Wm. & L. E. Gurley, Troy, N. Y.; no number; adjustable tripod and tripod head; plate 6 inches diameter, needle 4 inches long; level attachment to telescope, also vertical arc; nonius for setting off va riation of needle no index error; stadia wires in telescope. All parts in perfect adjustment. Variation 18° 45′ east. No. 12 steel wire, each 66 feet long, agree with standard measure.* Manufactured by Wm. & L. E. Gurley, Troy, N. Y.; no number; andjustable tripod and tripod head; plate 6 inches diameter, needle 44 inches long; level attachment to telescope, also vertical arc: nonius for setting off variation of needle; index error 1 minute; polarity a little weak; stadia wires in telescope. Aй other parts in perfect adjustment. Variation 18° 45' east. Very heavy steel tape on reel, 100 feet long, to be used for field standard; agrees exactly with office standard. Heavy steel tape on reel, 100 feet long, to be used for field standard; agrees exactly with office standard. Manufactured by Wm. & L. E. Gurley, Troy, N. Y.; no number; adjustable tripod and tripod head; plate 6 inches diameter, needle 4 inches long; level attachment to telescope, also vertical are; nonius for setting off va riation of needle; no index error; stadia wires in telescope. All parts in perfect adjustment. Variation 18° 45' east. Manufactured by Wm. & L. E. Gurley, Troy, N. Y.; no number; adjustable tripod and tripod head; plate 6 inches diameter, needle 4 inches long; level attachment to telescope, also vertical arc; nonius for setting off va riation of needle; index error 1 minute; stadia wires in telescope. All other parts in perfect adjustment. Variation 18° 45′ east. Chesterman steel tape, 66 feet long, divided in feet and links; to be used as field standard; agrees exactly with office standard. *The standard measure of this office is notched on the stone water-table along the eastern face of the capitol building. The meridian is a brick pier, erected by the U. S. Geological Survey on the south side of Boisé river, and a geodetic station some 43 miles south of same. The pier is latitude 43° 35' 57" 98, and longitude 116° 13' 4.035. REPORT OF THE SURVEYOR-GENERAL OF LOUISIANA. OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SURVEYOR-GENERAL, New Orleans, La., July 18, 1891. SIR: I beg to herewith submit my annual report regarding the operations of this office for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891. I also attach herewith the following tabulated statements, viz: A.-Estimate of funds to be appropriated for surveying service in the district of Louisiana for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893. B.-Estimate of funds to be appropriated for the compensation of the surveyorgeneral and his clerks in the district of Louisiana for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893. C.-Estimate of the funds to be appropriated for "contingent expenses" in the office of the United States surveyor-general, district of Louisiana, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893. D. Statement of office-work in arrears in the surveyor-general's office, district of Louisiana. E.-Statement of surveying contracts entered into by the surveyor-general of Louisiana on account of appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889. (See Commissioner's letter dated June 13, 1889.) F. Statement of surveying contract entered into by the surveyor-general of Louisiana on account of appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890. (See Commissioner's letter of March 4, 1890.) G.-Statement of surveying contract entered into by the surveyor-general of Louisiana. (See Commissioner's letter dated May 21, 1891.) OFFICE-WORK. In my last year's report I called attention to the inadequate clerical force allowed this office to properly keep pace with the work required of this office, and am forced to again call attention to the same. The force allowed this office consists of a chief clerk, a clerk and draftsman, a clerk and calculator, a draftsman, and a messenger and porter. Each of the clerks and draftsman has been constantly employed in the examination of the partial returns made by United States Deputy Surveyor Ruffin B. Paine, under his contract No. 1, dated November 11, 1889, tabling said notes, and calculating areas, protracting and making the plats therefrom in triplicates, and also transcribing the field notes; examining and transcribing the field-notes of the returns made by Examiner J. L. McManus, jr., of his examination of the surveys executed by said Deputy Paine under his contract No. 1; preparing surveying and quarterly accounts; investigating applications for certificates of location, as provided in section 3 of the act of June 2, 1858, issuing scrip for the same, and copying the evidence filed in support thereon; in corresponding with the department, attorneys, and claimants in regard to the same; in keeping up with the general and miscellane ous correspondence with the department, deputy surveyors, and individuals. The inadequate clerical force allowed this office must be its own apology for the work in arrears as shown by exhibit D submitted with this report, and year after year only adds to this arrearage. Last year I called attention to the fact that citizens were unable to obtain patents on at least 5,900 private claims, solely because this office did not possess a sufficient number of clerks to prepare plats of survey and at the same time meet the many other requirements of the office. I beg here to call attention to the salary of the first assistant draftsman and clerk, which, as at present allowed and published in the "Blue Book," is only $600 per annum, or $50 per month, and in my humble judgment entirely too small for the skill necessary aud the work required. SATISFACTION OF CONFIRMED CLAIMS UNDER SECTION 3 OF THE ACT OF JUNE 2, 1858. During the year just closed this office has adjusted sixteen of these claims, and I again call your attention to the reference made in my last report to the remarks of my predecessor found on page 448 of the Bureau Report of 1888. UNSURVEYED LANDS. Under this head I will quote from my last annual report, as follows: "The subject of the survey and disposition by the United States of the beds of shallow lakes, ponds, former streams, etc., in this State, is one of increasing interest. Every year of increased and better drainage and levée construction increased the number of acres of these valuable lands, while the removal of obstruction rafts in the navigable streams, and where total overflow is not prevented thereby, serves to diminish the period of overflow, thus increasing the time within which crops may be raised on such lands. As they are of immense fertility, and often near cities and towns and railroads, which gives them additional value, they attract the attention of cultivators and capitalists, who are constantly seeking means through this office of acquiring title to them. But practically the subject is environed with so many legal difficulties that after learning them many applicants in despair give up their efforts. I find that in 1877 the Bureau, after a full review of the embarrassments surrounding the subject, resolved to refer the whole matter to Congress, and I understand that such determination has been considered a bar to any proceeding under the existing circulars and decisions. I refer to pages 11 and 12 of the Land Report for 1887. "As Congress has not taken action, and some thirteen years have elapsed since the matter was so referred to that body, my recommendation is that the land department should go on and perform its duty under existing laws; and that for this purpose the circular of July 13, 1874 (1 Copp's L. O., 69) should be extended to districts for which there are surveyors-general, or at least to the district of Louisiana, and that a sufficient sum should be annually set apart from the general appropriation for the survey of public lands to pay for such surveys as may be made under such circular. It is rather an anomalous condition of affairs, and one not very creditable to our land system, which practically denies any legal steps by which every class of citizens, settlers, or capitalists, seek to honestly acquire title to these lands. "If they apply to the United States land office for the proper district they are there told that the township plats and tract books do not represent the desired tracts as surveyed lands, but as lakes, streams, ponds, etc., whose areas are unknown, and that until they are surveyed and the survey returned to the proper land office they are without authority to take any action at all looking to the acquisition of title. In brief, they are referred to the surveyor-general in order to have the necessary survey made. When they come here they are told first, that, under the existing instructions and decisions, the whole matter is in suspense; that it was referred to Congress in 1877, and that, as that body has taken no action, the surveying department will take none; moreover they are further told that if this office could lawfully survey these lands no funds are allotted to pay for such matters, and if they reply that they are willing under the 'deposit system' to pay for it themselves they are then told that, under the construction placed on the laws founding that system, it does not apply to land of that status. They then go to the State land office, hoping to find in the State legislation some law or system arising under the supposed grant of such lands to the State under the federal swamp land grant, but are there met with the information that, in the absence of federal survey and selections and approval of these lands as inuring to the State under these laws, its officers are powerless to allow sales or any other kind of disposition known to the land laws of the State applicable to other lands. Thus practically every avenue of acquisition is found closed or so surrounded with expense and difficulty that the attempt is abandoned. And thus the richest lands in the State, probably amounting to half a million acres and of untold fertility, are placed beyond the reach of the citizens and must remain the breeding places of the alligators and snakes, infecting the surrounding air in hot weather with miasmatic poisons, instead of being drained and put in cultivation by the poor homeseekers or the more powerful capitalists or land improvement company. Some of these lakes contain from 10,000 to 25,000 acres, while those that contain from 500 to 5,000 acres are numerous. "I strongly recommend that the bureau should take the subject in hand and supply instructions and money with which this office may take action in particular cases when proper application is made for that purpose." In this matter I respectfully ask that action be taken thereon and this office instructed in regard to the same. In concluding my remarks under this head I will state that funds should be appropriated for the survey of the ten military reservations on the Gulf coast west of the Mississippi river, and to which reference is made in my last annual report on page 417 of Land Office Report for 1890. FIELD-WORK, The contract awarded to George O. Elms, United States deputy surveyor, on May 22, 1889, for the survey of Pecan Island in the southwestern district, aggregating 82 iles 72 chains and 89 links, has been completed and accepted by the department. Ruffin B. Paine, United States deputy surveyor, under his contract No. 1, dated November 11, 1889, for the survey of several townships and fractional townships within the limits of the Houmas Grant and the location of the claims of John McDonogh, jr., and Henry Fontenot in the southeastern district of Louisiana, east of the Mississippi river (as required by decisions of the honorable Secretary of the Interior, dated January 6, 1888, and January 25, 1889,) has made returns of all his work under said contract, of which the plats and transcripts of the field notes of T. 10 S., Rs. 4 and 6 E., aggregating 196 miles 68 chains and 77 links, have been forwarded to the Department, and the surveys therein accepted with the exception of the location of the back line of the McDonogh and Fontenot claims, as several protests were filed against the approval of said back line. By departmental letter dated May 21, 1891, a new contract was ordered to be entered into for the establishment of this said back line as directed by decision of the honorable Acting Secretary of the Interior dated May 14, 1891, and accordingly, on June 5, 1891, a new contract numbered 2 was entered into with United States Deputy Surveyor Ruffin B. Paine for the survey and location of said back line as required by decision of the honorable Acting Secretary above referred to, and the duplicate and triplicate contract and bonds were transmitted to the Bureau for authentication and approved July 10, 1891. The other returns made by United States Deputy Paine under his first-mentioned contract are now undergoing examination in the office and will shortly be platted, etc. FIELD EXAMINATIONS. Under date of September 11, 1890, special instructions were issued by this office to Examiner J. L. McManus, jr., for the inspection of the surveys executed by Deputy Surveyor R. B. Paine, in T. 10 S., Rs. 4 and 6 E., under his contract No. 1 of November 11, 1889, and in his report (which was forwarded to the department) the examiner states that he found Deputy Paine's work to have been done in an honest and permanent manner. On February 25, 1891, the same examiner was instructed to make the inspections of the remaining portions of the surveys executed by Deputy Paine under his contract of November 11, 1889. The examination has been completed and the examiner has filed his report, which will be forwarded to the department when the plats and transcripts of field-notes of Deputy Paine are transmitted. In conclusion, I would respectfully beg to call your special attention to the explanatory notes attached to and in support of the several amounts submitted in statements A, B, and C, being, respectively, estimates of funds necessary for surveys, compensation of myself and clerks, and for contingent expenses of my office for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, and would respectfully beg that in making your recommendations to Congress that the amounts asked in these estimates meet with your favorable consideration. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, CHAS. B. WILSON, Surveyor-General, Louisiana. Washington, D. C. The COMMISSIONER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, A.-Estimate of funds to be appropriated for surveying service in the district of Louisiana for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893. In the southeastern district. $10,000 7,000 In the north western district.. 10,000 In the district north of Red river 10,000 For original surveys, resurveys, and corrective surveys of confirmed private land claims, and donatious.... 8,000 Total...... 45,000 |