Union soldiers, to constitute a Soldiers' Relief Commission. After the first appointment on this commission, the term of office is three years, and one is to be chosen each year. The commission is required to examine and determine the needs of soldiers and their families in the county and to certify to the supervisors the amount necessary to meet their wants. It then becomes the duty

of the supervisors to levy for this purpose a tax, not exceeding three-tenths of a mill, upon the taxable property of the county. The commission superintends the expending of the relief fund.

CHAPTER VII.

COUNTY CLERK.

THE names of officers who keep records are liable to confusion. The record of the proceedings of a board of school directors is kept by a secretary; of a board of township trustees by a clerk; of a town council by a recorder; of a county board of supervisors by an auditor. The county has also a recorder who records deeds, and a "clerk of the district court" held in the county, who is usually called the county clerk.

The justice of the peace, as we have seen, is elected by the township, but is regarded as a county officer. The justice is his own clerk. He must keep in a book a record of all official business which he transacts.

If John Doe sues Richard Roe and gets judgment against him in a justice's court for seventy-five dollars,

and if Richard Roe will not pay the sum, and has no property which the justice can lawfully order the constable to seize and sell to pay the judgment at the time, John Doe may have the justice send a copy of his record in the case to the clerk of the district court, and he must enter the record in a book kept for that purpose. If this is done, then any time within ten years, if Richard Roe becomes the owner of any property which may be lawfully seized, the clerk may order the execution of the judgment upon the property. In this way the more important records of the justice's court may be found in the county clerk's office.

The clerk of the court has an office at the county seat. All official business transacted by the district court held in the county is recorded by him. In his office may be found a record of all suits entered in the court, all notices given, all witnesses subpoenaed, all juries impanelled, all decisions rendered, all judgments made, and all executions issued. Many of these judgments affect the title to real estate. In all cases the party losing the suit is required to pay the costs. If he refuses, his land may be seized for this purpose. Unsatisfied judgments are a lien upon any real estate which the party may own or acquire. One buying land of a person against whom there are records of obligation in the courts, may be compelled to satisfy these claims.

It is the business of the court to appoint executors, administrators, and guardians. But, if there is need of the officers during the time the court is not holding session in the county, the clerk appoints these officers and they hold till the next term of court, and permanently if not changed by the judge.

The clerk issues marriage licenses and makes a record of the same, and must also make a record of the accomplishment of the marriage. He keeps a record of births and deaths in the county.

CHAPTER VIII.

LAND SURVEYS.

OUR lands were first surveyed by the United States government. The system of surveys adopted is most simple and convenient. First, the land is all marked off into squares by meridians and parallels six miles apart. These squares are called townships, and, as we have seen, they serve the double purpose of locating lands and furnishing boundaries for local governments. As civil governments the townships receive proper names, as Madison or Jefferson township, but for purposes of locating land they are designated by numbers.

The sur

The Principal Meridian and Base Line. veyors begin by establishing a true meridian, run with great care, and marks are made every half-mile along its entire length. Across this true meridian a true parallel is run as a base line, and marked in like manner. The lands in Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, and a part of Dakota are all included in one survey. The Fifth Principal Meridian starts at the mouth of the Arkansas River and runs north to the northern line of Minnesota. A base line crossing this meridian runs near Little Rock, Arkansas. From these two lines the lands in these states are located.

Townships. Having established the Principal Meridian and the Base Line, the surveyors begin the work of locating townships at the point where the lines cross. They follow the Base Line six miles west. From this point they measure due north six miles and establish the corner of the first township. This township is Range 1 West of Principal Meridian, and No. 1 North. They measure on six miles farther and establish the corner of township No. 2 North, and so on as far as the survey is extended. The tiers of townships running north and south are called Ranges. Range 1 is next to the Meridian. Range 2 is six miles from the Meridian; Range 11 is sixty miles. The townships are numbered from the Base Line, north or south. Range 4 West, Township 9 North, means that the township is eighteen miles west from the Principal Meridian, and is forty-eight miles north of the Base Line. A township on the south line of Iowa is No. 67 North from the Base Line. This means that the southern line of our state is about three hundred and ninety-six miles north of Little Rock, Arkansas. A township on the north line of Iowa is No. 100. The north line of Iowa is, therefore, six hundred miles north of the Base Line, or of Little Rock. The width of our state, according to this computation, is two hundred and four miles. A township in the extreme eastern part of our state is in Range 6 East; that is, its east side is thirty-six miles east of the Principal Meridian, which runs not far from Muscatine. A township in the extreme west is in Range 48 West, or two hundred and eighty-eight miles west from the Meridian. The length of our state, therefore, is three hundred and twenty-four miles.

Correction Lines.

In running north from the Base Line the surveyors simply follow the true meridian as determined by their instruments. True meridians converge toward the poles of the earth's axis. In latitude forty-two degrees two lines, starting six miles apart and running due north six miles, will be three rods nearer together than they were at the starting-point. At the distance of thirty miles they are fifteen rods nearer together. The townships are square only in theory. As a matter of fact they are all narrower on the north side than they are on the south, and none of them are full six miles on the south except those which are started on a base line. But to prevent this narrowing process from spoiling the system, the surveyors make what they call "correction lines."

This is done by measuring out from the Principal Meridian and starting a new base line. The townships on the north of this line are all full six miles in width; on the south of it they are less than six miles. This makes a jog in the lines running north. Near the south line of Iowa there is a correction line. From this line

north, and This line runs

the surveys were made twelve townships another correction line was established. near Iowa City and Des Moines. Ten townships farther a third correction line is established, running from near Dubuque to Sioux City. From this line the townships grow narrower till they come to the north line of the

state.

Section Lines. This first United States survey divides the land into townships. But a township contains 23,040 acres, more land than an ordinary purchaser can buy. To divide the township into lots convenient