I managed the compass, and Mr. Moody, with another man, were chainmen. The man for whom we were making the survey remarked that he supposed I had had a good deal of experience in that kind of work. I did not inform him that I was then engaged in making my maiden survey. When we had surveyed three sides of the quadrangle, and were running toward the starting point on the fourth, or last side, the owner began to predict about where we would come out in relation to the point of beginning.
He declared there would be quite a wide distance from the point of beginning. This, as was natural, caused me to be more nervous. However, I made no reply, and when the survey was completed, it proved to be a very satisfactory close. This gave me more confidence, and as another man near by desired a similar survey made, we made that with equal satisfaction.
About the second week of Mr. Freeman’s absence the weather cleared up and the sun shone, and Mr. Moody and myself started the survey of the township line. I was compassman, as before, and assisted him in making the measurements with the chain. This was an east and west line, six miles long, and was run as a “random line,” as they were called. All east and west lines were random lines, as at first surveyed, and were afterwards corrected according to the amount of error found in closing. Later I surveyed many township lines, but I believe that was the most difficult one I ever surveyed. Soon after we commenced it we ran into the Santiam bottom and river, and the line followed the stream, crossing and recrossing almost the entire distance. The impassible parts of this line of six miles, which was measured by us by triangulations and offsets, amounted to very nearly, if not quite, one-half of its entire length.
It was a tedious and discouraging task for a beginner. But we worked upon it steadily, when the sun favored us, and at the end of nearly a week we reached the town corner. I had run a due west line, and at the end fell farther from the corner than I had expected. Consequently, I did not feel fully satisfied with the outcome of my work.
We did not correct the line, however, as I supposed Mr. Freeman would make a new survey when he should return. In fact, we had no time to correct the line, as Mr. Freeman returned after an absence of about two weeks. I explained to him what we had accomplished during his absence, and how the township line had closed. After he had made an examination of his field notes of the closing six miles farther north, he said it was really the best close that had been made on that contract, it having closed with less variation, as compared with the parellel line six miles north of it. We soon after finished the contract.
While at Oregon City Mr. Freeman took the contract to subdivide townships 9 and 10 S. range, 1 west; 8 and 9 S. range 2 W. and 9 S. range 3 W., it being a part of the townships of which we had surveyed the exterior lines. This contract was dated November 28, 1851.
After we had finished the first contract we began the subdivision. There were 60 miles of surveys of subdivisions in each township. At first I acted as one of the chainmen with Mr. Moody, and Mr. Freeman was compassman. Soon after we had started, however, Mr. Freeman asked me to relieve him so as to give him time to write up his field notes. The result was before we were half done I was compassman substantially all the time, and so continued until the contract was completed.
The winter of 1851-52 was quite a rainy one in Oregon, and some time during the rainy season Mr. Freeman concluded to dispense with the camp and depend upon the settlers for accommodations. Nearly all the settlers held their claims under the Donation Law, so called, passed by Congress September 27, 1850.
These claims principally consisted of 640 acres, equal to one square mile of land, which, when taking account of the lands unsettled, caused the residences to be at a considerable distance from each other, generally from one-half mile to three miles.
In some respects this arrangement of seeking accommodations with the settlers was satisfactory, and in other respects it was not. In many instances, after our work for the day had been completed, when we were wet and hungry, we were obliged to travel from two to four miles before reaching a house. The houses there at that time were log cabins, the great majority of which contained but one room, with perhaps a small “loft.”