HOMESTEADING 



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on east and west, bounded by true meridians of 

 longitude, and on north and south by circular 

 parallels of latitude. Townships are subdivided 

 into thirty-six sections, containing 640 acres, more 

 or less, with road allowances 66 feet in width 

 dividing them off. Each section in turn is divided 

 into four quarter sections of 160 acres each, which 

 are designated the south-east, south-west, north- 

 west, and north-east quarters. The corners of each 

 division are marked out on the prairie by " mounds " 

 — viz., stone or earth heaps — into which is fixed an 

 iron rod with a metal label attached to the top, 

 bearing the number of the quarter-section of which 

 it denotes the boundary, so that it should be an easy 

 matter to locate any piece of land you may have 

 selected, provided stroUing, predatory Indians have 

 not removed the label, which they often do. Early 

 white settlers have seen rows of them, forming a 

 necklace, adorning " squaws " of the Cree tribe. 



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