UNITED STATES PUBLIC LAND SURVEYS 69 



lished on opposite sides of the corner point, and at the mutual in- 

 tersections of the lines limiting the roads or streets, as the case 

 may be. 



94. When the true point for any corner described in these 

 instructions falls where prevailing conditions would insure its 

 destruction by natural causes, a witness corner will be established 

 in a secure position, on a surveyed line if possible, and within 

 twenty chains of the corner point thus witnessed. 



95. A witness corner will bear the same marks that would be 

 placed upon the corner for which it is a witness, and in addition, 

 will have the letters W C (for witness corner) conspicuously dis- 

 played above the regular markings on the NE. face when witness- 

 ing in township or section corner; such witness corners will be 

 established, in all other respects, like a regular corner, marking 

 bearing trees with the proper numbers for the sections in which 

 they stand. 



W C will also be cut into the wood of each bearing tree above 

 the other markings. 



98. Witness points will be perpetuated by corners similar to 

 those described for quarter-section corners, with the marking W P 

 (for witness point), in place of J, or J S, as the case may be. 



If bearing trees are available as accessories to witness points, 

 each tree wUl be marked W P B T. 



4. Fractional Sections, Lots, etc. 



A section or quarter-section made of less than full size by 

 water is called "fractional," and in some cases is subdivided 

 according to special rules laid down by the Land Office. 

 The sections on the westerly board of a township, into 

 which, under the plan of survey, shrinkage of area due to 

 convergence of township lines toward the north is crowded, 

 are called fractional as well. Within these sections again, 

 the westerly quarters and forties will be fractional for the 

 same reason. The final subdivisions of irregular area 

 the system is followed next the north as well as the west 

 line of the townships are called "lots." In a regular 

 township there are four to each section, numbered from 

 1 to 4 for each, beginning with the east or north, with seven 

 lots for Section 6. In timbered country, however, they 

 are seldom run out on the ground. 



While the above are usual features of the public land 

 surveys, numerous exceptions were made, as for instance 

 in case of a defective east or south boundary in a township, 



