114 SURVEY AXD SUBDIVISIOX OF IXlJlAX TERRITORY 
purpose of inducing them to accept their lands in severalty. In 
pursuance of this object two different commissions have been 
appointed, each of which has spent several months in the Terri- 
tory endeavoring to obtain a hearing from the tribes, but thus 
for without the slightest result. The tribes have declined abso- 
lutely to treat with them upon this subject. 
During the progress of these attempts at negotiation Congress 
has taken another step in the same direction. In March, 1895, an 
appropriation of 8200.000 was made by Congress for commencing 
the survey and subdivision of the lands of the Territory, being 
the necessary ])reliminaiw step toward allotment. This work 
was placed by the Secretary of the Interior in the hg^nds of the 
Director of the Geological Surve}^, instead of being let out on 
contract, as has been done in all cases of subdivision heretofore. 
The Chickasaw nation was excepted, as it was subdivided in 
1873. The work was commenced in April under the following 
plan : The Indian base line, which forms the base line of the 
Chickasaw nation and of Oklahoma, was adopted for carrying 
the work into the other nations. The second guide meridian 
east of the principal meridian of the Chickasaw nation was run 
northward and southward as a principal meridian for the other 
nations. Thus while the general system of surveys conforms to 
that in the Chickasaw nation and in Oklahoma, the work has 
been so planned as to make it independent of any errors which 
may have accumulated in the earlier work. 
Two parties have been engaged continuously since April last 
in running standard lines (guide meridians and correction lines) 
b}’ which the country is divided into blocks twenty-four miles 
on a side. The township exteriors were run by distinct parties, 
two parties being at first organized for this work, which were 
subsequently increased to four. The subdivision of townships 
into sections was carried on by still a third set of parties, eight 
of which were organized and placed in the field during the month 
of May, and the number was subsequently increased to sixteen. 
Thus the entire work of subdividing the land is carried on by 
three distinct sets of parties, the work of each checking that of 
another. 
Furthermore, a system of triangulation has been carried over 
the area subdivided, and the stations in this triangulation have 
been connected with section and township corners. This is done 
not only for the purpose of checking and correcting errors, but 
also to form reference points for the recovery of missing corners, 
