THE BATTALION.
H
Surveying in the mountains.
The lands of the five civilized tribes of Indians in th©
Indian Territory are now being surveyed. The base line, the
standard parallels and guide meridians are almost completed.
About one half of it has been sectioned and the remainder
will perhaps be completed within a year.
The roughest part of the Territory, which lays just west
of Arkansas, is now being worked. The prevailing hot and
dry weather has caused the surveyors in that district to suffer
during the last few months. Many have been compelled to
quit on account of sickness, while others have succeeded in
getting transferred to other parts of the Territory.
Wagons are used to transport the camping outfits as near
the work as possible, then a main camp is established. From,
this camp each party starts out with sufficient provisions to
last a few days, packed on mules. Many would laugh to see
us start out on one of these trips, each man carrying a can
teen of water and the instrument he is to use and driving or
leading a mule covered with beddings, tin pans, cups, coffee
pots, etc. In addition to the above mentioned load each
man geneaally “toats” a big Colts 45-six-shooter. When the
party reaches the place where the work is to begin a tempo
rary camp is established and one man is left to take care of
it. The party then goes into the field to work, leaving the
one man to do the cooking, feeding of the mules, hunt water,
and to do other chores around the the camp. It often hap
pens that after the days work is finished the party is two or
three miles away, and perhaps a mountain or two to cross.
The man in camp fires signal shots from time to time so that
the lost ones may find the way home. After supper is over
each one tells hie experience in his native state, or in other-
words, spins a yarn and goes to sleep. Reveille is not sound
ed next morning, but the wolves generally act the part
of the drum major. The solar compass, which Bruce said
was used for running the vertical lines, is used quite exten
sively on this work. The principles and formulas learned