B.-Statement showing the contracts entered into and condition of the public surveys under apportionment to this district of appropriation for fiscal year ending June 30, 1879. Parties in the field. 1878. Stephenson, McElroy & 108 July 25 Exteriors All north of the base line and west of the sixth Townships 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32, in ranges 40. Subdivision lines of twenty-four townships Fifth guide meridian from sixth to eighth By apportionment of ap- $22, 500 1879. C.-Statement showing the amount expended for salaries of surveyor general and clerks dur ing fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. By appropriation for compensation of surveyor general for fiscal year 1878. By special deposit made by Union Pacific Railroad Company for office work By balance of special deposit for office work of Union Pacific Railroad Sept. 30, 1877, to first quarter, ending September 30, 1877. Total $2,000 00 3, 000 00 528 9,794 07 $1,259 20 1,340 80 1,227 78 1,172 22 9,799 35 14,799 35 14,799 35 D.-Statement showing the amount expended for rent of office and other incidental expenses, and condition of account during fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. By appropriation for rent of office and other incidental expenses for fiscal Sept. 30, 1877, to first quarter, ending September 30, 1877.. Total $1,500 00 $395 56 374 33 358 50 1 11 1,500 00 1,500 00 E.-Statement showing the description of land, area, and number of miles for which duplicate plats and transcripts of field notes have been transmitted to the department and triplicate plats and descriptive lists have been furnished to the local land offices during fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. F.-Statement showing the description and number of township maps and descriptive lists furnished the different local land offices during fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. All north of base line and west of sixth principal meridian in the State of Nebraska. To Register Grand Island Land District: Fractional townships 8 and 9 in ranges 13, 14, and 15, and fractional township 8, ranges 16 and 17. To Register Republican Valley Land District: Fractional townships 7 and 8 in ranges 14 and 15.. To Register Western Land District: Township 19 in ranges 49 and 50; township 20, ranges 50, 51, and 52 township 23, range 56.. Townships 33 to 35, ranges 33 to 36, inclusive Township 34, range 37; and township 21, range 51 G.-Estimates of sums required for the extension of public surveys in the State of Nebraska for fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. All north of the base line and west of the sixth principal meridian. Number Rate per Amount. mile. Standard lines. Fifth guide meridian from sixth to eighth standard parallel; sixth and seventh guide meridians from sixth standard parallel to north boundary of State; the seventh standard parallel from fourth guide meridian to west boundary of State; the eighth standard parallel from fifth guide meridian to west boundary of State.. Exterior lines. Townships 25 to 32, ranges 33 to 40, both inclusive; townships 27 to 32, ranges 30 to 32, both inclusive; townships 33 to 35, ranges 38 to 40, both inclusive; townships 33 to 35, range 32... Subdivision lines. Seventy-five townships within above exterior lines, coming under classes of lands authorized to be surveyed as described in letter "E" of the honorable Commissioner of the General Land Office, dated August 23, 1877, to be selected after survey of standard and exterior lines. Total SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA AND IOWA, Plattsmouth, Nebr., July 10, 1878. H.-Estimate of sums required for office expenses for fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. I.-Statement showing the names, duties, nativity, whence appointed, term of service, and rate of compensation per annum of persons employed in the surveyor general's office, district of Nebraska and Iowa, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. F.-Report of the surveyor general of Wyoming. SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, SIR: In compliance with your instructions of May 1, 1878, I have the honor to submit herewith, in duplicate, my annual report of the surveying operations of the Wyoming district for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. PROGRESS OF THE PUBLIC SURVEYS OF WYOMING TERRITORY. The twelfth guide meridian west, from the fifth standard parallel north to the south boundary of the Shoshone Indian reservation, has been surveyed and established as a basis for surveys in the vicinity of said reservation, which had been petitioned for by the settlers in the Popo-Agie Valley; and the length of this meridian, including convergencies and connections, is 83 miles, 13 chains, and 59 links. The seventh standard parallel north has been established from the twelfth to the thirteenth guide meridian west, passing the continental "divide" in range 103 west, and amounting in length to 48 miles. The eighth standard parallel north, from the twelfth_guide meridian west to range 101 west, a distance of 24 miles, has been also surveyed, and terminates on a spur of the Wind River Mountains. The tenth guide meridian west, from the south boundary of Wyoming to the fourth standard parallel north, has been surveyed and established through a mountainous and densely timbered country, the distance, including connections, being 27 miles, 46 chains, and 19 links. Exterior township lines of 51 different townships have been surveyed and established, the total length of which, including connections, is 451 miles, 65 chains, and 92 links. Nineteen townships, three of which are made fractional by the Shoshone Indian reservation, have been subdivided into sections, and amount in length of lines, including meanders and connections, to 1,050 miles, 13 chains, and 18 links, a detailed statement of which is given herewith in tabular form. Two of the most eastern of these subdivided townships are 25 miles west of Fort Laramie, and can be irrigated by Laramie River and some of its northern confluents. They are considered valuable as hay lands. The middle portions of these recent surveys are on the heavily timbered slopes of the Medicine Bow Mountains, some being near Carbon Station, on the Union Pacific Railroad, and embracing mineral, forest, and pastoral lands. Many of the mines in this region are now being successfully worked. Of the most western surveys those within the limits of the Union Pacific Railroad land grant and in the valleys of Bitter Creek and Green River are chiefly valuable as coal or hay lands, and four of the subdivided townships are traversed by the Union Pacific Railroad. The area of coal lands reported in these subdivisions is 27,4544 acres. The northern portion of the western surveys contains settlements on the Popo-Agio River mineral lands, now being worked, and hay lands, much of which is or can be easily irrigated. The recent surveys are delineated on the accompanying map in red ink, and where necessary the topography has been corrected to conform thereto. The boundary between the Cheyenne and Evanston land districts and those of the new counties are also indicated. The early and deep snows of 1877 prevented the completion of the two contracts of survey in the timbered lands of the Medicine Bow Mountains, though in one of them there remains only one township to be subdivided. In the other, ten townships of exteriors and seven of subdivisions are yet to be surveyed. The deputies employed in these surveys having asked for extension of time, it has been granted. The area of recent subdivisions is 392,717 acres, and the total area surveyed in Wyoming Territory to June 30, 1878, is 7,926,173 acres. PROPOSED SURVEYS. The accompanying estimates for the extension of the public surveys in Wyoming during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880, are intended for the agricultural and pastoral lands on the North Platte River, which are being settled by stock raisers; for the continuation of the surveys of timber and mineral lands in the Medicine Bow Mountains; and for additional surveys of agricultural and timbered lands in the valley of Bear River, near Evanston. OFFICE WORK. Of the recent surveys contracted for by this office and payable out of the balance of the appropriation of July 31, 1876, of $16,500, and that of March 3, 1877, of $14,400, the original field notes of the standard, exterior, and subdivision lines returned by the deputies were carefully examined, and approved upon their evidence of correctness. The original diagrams and maps of these surveys have been constructed on the prescribed scale, from the field notes, and placed on file, and a copy of each has been made, compared, and transmitted to the General Land Office. Copies of all the maps of subdivisions have also been made, compared, and transmitted to the proper local land offices, and a list of these registers' maps has been added to the schedule posted in this office. The original field notes of all the aforesaid surveys have been transcribed, compared, prefaced with title pages and index diagrams, and, with the maps and surveyors' accounts, transmitted to the General Land Office. Thirty-eight lists descriptive of the corners, soil, timber, &c., of nineteen townships of subdivisions have been compiled from and carefully compared with the original field notes, certified, and transmitted to the proper local land offices, and the registers' receipts for them placed on file. The original field notes have been arranged in volumes, and will be bound during the summer. The usual amount of miscellaneous office work has been performed, which it is not deemed necessary to state in detail. There are no arrears of office work. To secure the prompt performance of the work of this office, and to avoid delay in the adjustment of the deputies' accounts and the necessity of working beyond office hours, a more liberal appropriation for the compensation of clerks is much needed. CONTRACTS OF 1877 AND 1878. The contracts of 1877, including those unfinished at the date of my last report, amount to $15,239.45, paid out of the appropriation of July 31, 1876, of $16,500, and leave an unexpended balance of $1,260.55, which reverts to the United States Treasury. Out of the appropriation of March 3, 1877, of $14,400, two contracts were entered into, in August, 1877, leaving an estimated unexpended balance of $5,450, and a third contract was issued in April, 1878, for the survey of standard, exterior, reservation, and section lines in the vicinity of Fort Laramie and in the valley of the North Platte. This contract is estimated at $5,300, and leaves an estimated balance unexpended of $150. At the close of this report, contract No. 94, of August 23, 1877, is nearly completed as to survey; four townships of subdivisions, in valuable timber and mineral land, having been returned to this office, and are now in process of platting and transcribing; and the remainder will be returned in about two weeks, Contract No. 95, of August 24, 1877, is completed, and the map and transcript have been sent to the General Land Office. In contract No. 96, of April 23, 1878, the standard lines are returned, and have been platted and transcribed, and the remainder will be returned about August 15, 1878. DESERT LAND SURVEYS. One description of survey of desert land, containing 640 acres, has been received from the land office at Evanston, and 26 from the Cheyenne land office, amounting to 8,646.25 acres. The descriptions of some of these surveys are so indefinite as to render it impossible for the deputy surveyors to close to them. |