I haven't posted any pictures for awhile, but I'm still out there recovering stones. This one recovered yesterday is a little unique where there are three hash marks that were made and then obliterated. The 1/4 Corner marking is correct. Imagine a wide-open area of no fences, road intersections, or anything else to let you know you are at the half mile instead of the full mile except keeping track in your head or piece of paper as you lagged behind the chainmen, flagman and instrumentman.
Recovered about 3' deep due to silt from a nearby stream. There was an iron pipe from 1934 over the stone, so not too hard to locate. After cleaning, measurements, and pictures, I set a lower iron monument, then reset the stone. Then placed a MAG nail in top of the stone and then a new 1"x24" pipe with aluminum cap for the surface monument.
J. Penry, post: 456128, member: 321 wrote: I haven't posted any pictures for awhile, but I'm still out there recovering stones. This one recovered yesterday is a little unique where there are three hash marks that were made and then obliterated. The 1/4 Corner marking is correct. Imagine a wide-open area of no fences, road intersections, or anything else to let you know you are at the half mile instead of the full mile except keeping track in your head or piece of paper as you lagged behind the chainmen, flagman and instrumentman.
Recovered about 3' deep due to silt from a nearby stream. There was an iron pipe from 1934 over the stone, so not too hard to locate. After cleaning, measurements, and pictures, I set a lower iron monument, then reset the stone. Then placed a MAG nail in top of the stone and then a new 1"x24" pipe with aluminum cap for the surface monument.
Nice, the 3 notches do they make sense? Are you 3 miles north of the south township line, or 3 miles west of the east range line. I'm curious cause I always wonder if they marked stones at camp or they are just finding them and marked them onsite. Probably did both I would imagine.
MightyMoe, post: 456131, member: 700 wrote: Nice, the 3 notches do they make sense? Are you 3 miles north of the south township line, or 3 miles west of the east range line. I'm curious cause I always wonder if they marked stones at camp or they are just finding them and marked them onsite. Probably did both I would imagine.
The next corner coming up would be the NE of 35, so notches would be 1 - 1 - 5 - 5. He might have been in the process of making 5 notches when the error was realized. I tend to believe they did this marking in camp and everyone on the crew was involved so that the moundsmen did not lag too far behind. I might note that I have probably seen more markings on the hard stones made with a series of center punch marks and not with a chisel. Probably safer and easier.
The one I found on Tuesday the 4 looks scribed, not chiseled.
Set in 1870 on the M.D.M.
Here is one I found yesterday. Can you see the 4?
I'll post later with the 4 penciled in.
LRDay, post: 456217, member: 571 wrote:
I'll post later with the 4 penciled in.
Yup!
Dat be one of those HARD Quartzite Cobbles that are harder than some surveyor's heads.
😎
Loyal
Loyal, post: 456218, member: 228 wrote: Yup!
Dat be one of those HARD Quartzite Cobbles that are harder than some surveyor's heads.
😎
Loyal
Yeah, and its cracked due to fire 5 years ago. The notes call it a sandstone. Right size but not a sandstone.
Here is another from yesterday, not hard to see. Client had never noticed it, just said there is a pile of rock near the fence corner.
No need to pencil in that one Leon, nice stone, easy to see. 🙂
MightyMoe, post: 456220, member: 700 wrote: No need to pencil in that one Leon, nice stone, easy to see. 🙂
Its on the rounded nose instead of the flat side of stone. Not standard around here.
I probably missed a few of these in the past, so hard not grooved much, more of an etching.
Couple of CC's from yesterday also.
Loyal, post: 456218, member: 228 wrote: Yup!
Dat be one of those HARD Quartzite Cobbles that are harder than some surveyor's heads.
😎
Loyal
LRDay, post: 456219, member: 571 wrote: Yeah, and its cracked due to fire 5 years ago. The notes call it a sandstone. Right size but not a sandstone.
Whoa, there! Just because it is hard does not make it a quartzite. While most sandstones have calcite as the cement, there are times when silica is the cement. There are numerous examples of silica-cemented sandstones and those sandstones can be as hard as quartzite. Quartzite is a metamorphic rock where the quartz grains in the source rock (i.e. sandstone) have recrystallized due to high temperature and pressure.
A hand lens is the proper tool for determining whether it is a sandstone or a quartzite!
Not being an expert I'll go with you Gene. I don't have a hand lens, wonder if the GLO moundsman did in 1895. I see quite a few I don't think they got right, but still like to find them.
This stuff makes me want to talk dirty.
I love me some sex stones.
Did I guess right?
paden cash, post: 456240, member: 20 wrote:
Did I guess right?
That's it!
Leon,
I brought up the identification of old GLO stones in part because of a story Jerry Penry wrote in the first issue of American Surveyor magazine. It dealt with the distinction between a quartzite and sandstone. It was the opposite of your situation. The GLO surveyor described it as a red flint. Fifty years later, the Nebraska state surveyor described it as a sandstone. Some took the state surveyor to task for not finding the original corner.
How do you guys find these without calibrating?:)
J. Penry, post: 456140, member: 321 wrote: The next corner coming up would be the NE of 35, so notches would be 1 - 1 - 5 - 5. He might have been in the process of making 5 notches when the error was realized. I tend to believe they did this marking in camp and everyone on the crew was involved so that the moundsmen did not lag too far behind. I might note that I have probably seen more markings on the hard stones made with a series of center punch marks and not with a chisel. Probably safer and easier.
The NE of Section 35 should only have one 1 notch on the South side and 1 notch on the East side to delineate 1 mile from the south Township Line and 1 mile from the East Range Line.
All of the GLO section corner stones I have recovered in Southeast Nebraska are notched on all four sides. The 1855 Manual (page 9) says to notch the four sides. In the 1864 Manual (page 10), it says to notch only the south and east edges.
Found a good one a couple weeks ago. Buried by wind right to the top, 2 of 4 pits still clear as day, landowners have no idea it's there, they built fence 6 feet away. I laid a piece of rebar next to it, referenced it and buried it. Still can't figure how it got buried, 2 pits gone but 2 still remain?