64 A MANUAL FOR NORTHERN WOODSMEN 
In pursuit of this system, during the course of the pub¬ 
lic land surveys twenty-four initial points have been 
established, a principal meridian has been run due north 
and south from each of these, and a base line east and 
west. Each twenty-four miles north and south of the 
initial point standard parallels or correction lines have 
been started on which, as they were run east and west, 
marks have been left each six miles for the starting of 
township lines. These are run due north to the next 
standard parallel; each fourth one being run first and 
* 
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Principal 
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Base 
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First Subdivision op Land 
Division into Townships 
most accurately as a guide meridian. On the north and 
south lines township corners are fixed each six miles by 
measurement, and each pair of corners is later connected. 
A township corner is common to four townships except on a 
standard parallel. There, owing to convergence of merid¬ 
ians, the corners of the townships north are farther from the 
principal meridian than those of the townships south; farther 
east or west, as the case may be. The ranges of townships 
connected with any given initial point are numbered east 
and west from the principal meridian, and the townships 
themselves are numbered north and south from the base 
line. Thus the sixth township north of a base line in the 
fourth range east of a principal meridian is designated as 
township 6 north, range 4 east. Each township contains 
