Jefferson County Online
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Surveyors' Measure

The following is a chapter from "The History of Jefferson County, Iowa", Page 288, published by the Western Historical Company of Chicago in 1879.

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SURVEYORS' MEASURE.

7 92-100 inches................................................................. make 1 link.
25 links................................................................................ make 1 rod.
4 rods.................................................................................. make 1 chain.
80 chains............................................................................. make 1 mile.

Note.--A chain is 100 links, equal to 4 rods or 66 feet.

Shoemakers formerly used a subdivision of the inch called a barley-corn; three of which make an inch.

Horses are measured directly over the fore feet, and the standard of measure is four inches -- called a hand.

In Biblical and other old measurements, the term span is sometimes used, which is a length of nine inches.

The sacred cubit of the Jews was 24.024 inches in length.

The common cubit of the Jews was 21.704 inches in length.

A pace is equal to a yard or 36 inches.

A fathom is equal to 6 feet.

A league is three miles, but its length is variable, for it is strictly speaking a nautical term, and should be three geographical miles, equal to 3.45 statute miles, but when used on land, three statute miles are said to be a league.

In cloth measure an aune is equal to 1¼ yards, or 45 inches.

An Amsterdam ell is equal to 26.796 inches.

A Trieste ell is equal to 25.284 inches.

A Brabant ell is equal to 27.116 inches.

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