Item 36: Photocopies of Letter from Ira E. Hartwell to W[illiam]. H[enry]. Sturdevant [removed to Legal Box #1], [1890] October 25
Item — Box: 11, Folder: 36
Dates
- Created: [1890] October 25
Creator
- Hartwell, Ira E., 1849-1920 (Person)
Disclaimer for Name and Subject Authorities
Some of the name and subject authority tags have been assigned by educated guessing and estimation of persons and subjects by region, age, profession, and familial relationships. They have been thoroughly researched by using primary and secondary sources available digitally, and named in each description, or in some cases linked directly to the person tag.
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Photocopied Letter
Condition Note:
Good.
Measurements:
13 ⅜ in. x 7 15/16 in.
Description:
This is a letter from Ira E. Hartwell to William Henry Sturdevant on October 25, 1890. This letter seems to be about the implementation of a pipeline which is being installed by Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania coal companies.
There is a bookplate of Sturdevant’s daughter, Jesse Thomas Sturdevant, item 20.117, in another of Wilkes’ collections, the Bookplates series from the Gilbert Stuart McClintock collection.
The name Horsefield has some record in the area prior to the manuscript. The Joseph Horsefield in the manuscript may be related to Joseph Horsefield, 1750-1834, who dies before the date of the manuscript.
The manuscript contains numerous field notations from a survey conducted on the line between Pittston and Exeter. These notations appear as directional tools for the person laying and the secondary surveyor following the line being measured to ensure that it is level. The process follows a similar practice surveyors utilized before the invention of a particular tool, the Gunter’s Chain in the seventeenth century, where the process of surveying the tract would include two people. The first would survey the land, walking the proposed tract and establish its boundaries and create its corners. They would typically identify “significant landmarks—often trees or large rocks” for multiple purposes (American Philosophical Society). A first reason would be to create those intended corners of the tract, but another was to lead the second surveyor through the path to ensure that the determined lines were level. These directions and identifiers were provided by a log of field notes.
With the invention of the Gunter’s Chain, the process became more efficient. A researcher on the American Philosophical Society’s website explained the process, where the surveyors work in tandem. “The two chain carriers would take hold of either end while the surveyor used a compass or theodolite to mark the distance along a particular line of latitude. As they moved along, the leader marked the ground with an “arrow,” or metal pin, and the follower walked in that direction. Upon reaching the leader, the follower picked up the “arrow” and replaced it with a wooden stave. Together, they would determine if their line was straight, and if not, with the help of the surveyor, they would adjust it before moving forward” (American Philosophical Society). When they had reached less than “one chain’s length” from the final corner of the tract, the links within the chain remaining were counted for an “exact measurement” (American Philosophical Society).
The practice includes specific shorthand and terminology related to the survey field, in particular the use of IB to mark the corners of the tract. This shorthand stands for Iron Bar, which is marked on three sides of the corner to maker where the boundary of the tract meets, indicating the bar be placed on the unmarked side. On the current Protect Your Boundaries’ surveying website, they explain this marker is utilized alongside other acronyms to act as physical markers indicating each tract’s perimeters. T. A. Bunker Limited’s website, they compiled a comprehensive glossary of the terminology used within the field for centuries.
Location:
Wilkes-Barre, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Transcription:
Wilkes Barre PA. Oct. 25, ‘90
Of the Lehigh Valley Coal Co.
and
The Pennsylvania Coal Co.
The undersigned have relocated the line between the certified township of Pittston and Exiter[sic] in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties from the Susquehanna River to a point the crossing of the Lackawanna River. North of Lackawanna station of the Del, Lak, Western Rail Road Co., and would report as follows:-
There are two original live trees on line between the James Scott, and John Phillips certified surveys standing affront 310 St. apart., and are such as locate the line at this point beyond all question although there are other marked lines through the timber of some age, (not original) one being about three rods northerly.
From there original line trees we projected a transit line N 83° E (near 4° 30 from age) to point 32 ft northerly from a white Pine stump distance 8481 Ft..
This Pine stump we believe to be in the “orgl.” line as to our knowledge it has been recognized as an “orgl” tree for years and we think has never been disputed. Mr. Sam’l [Samuel] Hoyt showed Mr. Sturdevant this stump, now nearly rotted away {page 2} over 20 years ago and stated it has been conceded by the older surveyors to be one orgl’ line tree.
On this data we calculated a course to run from our starting point (orgl’ oak tree to the pine stump) finding it to increase our run time 13 minutes, or to a course of N 83° 13° E, and in running on this course from the original oak we passed the several principal corner along the line as follows.
Stone heap for corner of James Scott, in line of John Phillips, is 42 1/10 feet on left.
Stone heap for corner of John Scott in line of the (Evans Farm), is 1 8/10 ft. on left.
White oak supposed corner of John Scott and Joseph Horsefield is 8 ft. on left.
But stone for corner of Feederdamn lot, and Joseph Horsefield is 7/10 ft. on our right.
Stone heap for corner of Joseph Horsefield and William Knapp is 10 ft. on right.
Stone heap for corner of William Knapp and Elizabeth Marcy is 2 ft. on left.
White Pine stumps above referred to our line. We continued this line (N 83° 13 E) on a total distance from original oak of 9476 ft to St. Johns Brook, finding no fences or hedges to indicate any line at all, are our own line neither side.
On reexamination of the line beyond {page 3} the Brook for a distance of about 1200 ft. We find on our right an old fence and hedge now with large trees growing up along the same showing an age dating back to or near the original survey, and which has been recognized at this point for many year.
To meet this line from the end of the 9476 ft. distance we tune down the branch S 7° E 41 8/10 ft. Hence following the old line on corner of N 84° 03° E at 927 ft. But stone 22 8/10 ft. on left at 1205 ft. cut stone for corner of Elisha Delany in line with Erastus Smith 34 8/10 ft. on left on corner of — line hence changed our corner (to follow road and the hedge now) to N 83° 09° E at 237 6/10 cut stone 27 6/10 left at 1750 ft. out of road and along old fence line to 3282 ft. the last distance also being along nearly the center of the wagon road and old hedge now, stone wall, & etc.
Hence jagged to the north, 39 5/10 ft. to a cut stone, hence following old hedges now and and fence, N 83° 02° E. 1688 ft. to cut stone, at side of Public Road for corner of Wm. H. Smith and Thomas Wright certified surveys.
From this cut stone on same course (N 83° 02° E) for 630 ft. the line follows a wire fence with a branch road on the right.
Hence to the Lackawanna river, there are {page 4} no indicatives of a line. We found nothing but an undergrowth of bush, the distance being about 2200 ft.
We are unable to account for the jog in this line at St. Johns Brooke, on at the road of the 3287 ft. but we believe it to have been caused by an error in the original survey.
Taking all the facts on the ground with consideration we cannot see any town, on better method of the relocation of this line than that above shown and we would recommend its adoption as so located and that cut stone be placed for corners at such points upon the line as may be deemed necessary.
A way showing our location is hereto attached.
We would further report that we rear the line between the Elisha Delany and Wm. Smith surveys on the northerly side of the Lackawanna river and by lines from deeds on the southerly side of the same crossing the main wagon road and Del., Lack. Western Rail Road to a cut stone on the southerly side of the said Rail Road.
A map showing the location as made by we is herewith annexed.
Respectfully submitted (Signed) W. H. Sturdevant
for Lehigh Valley Coal Co.
(Signed) Ira E. Hartwell
for Penna Coal Co.
Creator
- Hartwell, Ira E., 1849-1920 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu