that these guys were. A whole township subdivided in 8 days, crossing the river at least 12 times and ground so rough it's hard to walk.
Wonder where the nearest saloon was?
Yes, I am often amazed by these old notes. Even the county surveyor notes from only 100 years ago can be enlightening. Saw some the other day that read, "took the train to Bates...", I can drive there now in 15 minutes and never give it a thought. He then walked miles to the job. 😀
So, I should stop crying about the snow?
Those who tell lies professionally should do it well at the very least. I've seen entire townships done in three days in the dead of winter. Bluffs, creeks, a river, rocky prairie, marshy lowland......all in three days while doing it per the Manual. We couldn't do it today with roads along many of the section lines.
> ... A whole township subdivided in 8 days....
Very common time frame for townships in Oklahoma. If you check further, you will likely see that the survey party consisted of multiple teams of surveyors.
I have little doubt that certain corners were cut. No doubt the chaining was done at a trot, at least. Teams probably didn't cross the creeks, but rather stayed to there own side and picked up where the other left off. I don't see this time frame as certain evidence of fraud.
Three days
This is a rough area in northwestern Nebraska that was supposedly subdivided in three days. Needless to say, there are some problems in this area.
I don't understand the incentive to say that they did the survey in just a few days if they made it up in a bar. I mean if they were lying, why wouldn't they claim to have done it over the course of say, a month.
I remember also working in the mountains in January once and bringing along the original notes. We were digging in feet of snow to set up on the ground and the original field notes were also the same time of year. This was an area that was high up and often covered with snow throughout the winter. Why wouldn't they have done the survey contract in the summer if they were going to trek way up there? Wouldn't you be able to move much faster in the summertime and get that same contract money for much less time put in?
I guess I understand a little bit that they may have set monuments a lot faster when there were no adjacent owners and were on all open government land; but sometimes those old notes appear impossible by anyone other than TDD and Chuck Norris working together.
Three days
I'm sure it was completed using GPS and RTK network solutions. That makes sense to me.
Around here (in Oklahoma) I don't think there was any incentive to prevaricate the dates. They were paid by the chain; the tally is usually at the bottom of the record plat.
Mark is pretty much right about the procedures. Multiple crews and a lot of go, go, go. I really think it's hilarious that 140 years later we spend so much time digging holes and sniffing tree bark trying to find evidence of folks that didn't spent 5 minutes at any corner location, references and all!
I have a personal opinion I've developed over the years however. I think the "crap bird" crew was the fellas with the two mules and a load of suitable stones. I think they "followed up" behind the chaining crews with their duties of placing the stones in the appropriate "kick mark" that was left by the chaining crew. AND I think sometimes they slacked a bit...I bet they were the last ones into camp at dark.
Even though nowadays we may not have the intestinal fiber it took to chain all day and sleep on the ground...they were surveyors, just like us. We still gripe about the same things and still look at the world through the same eyes. B-)
>but sometimes those old notes appear impossible by anyone other than TDD and Chuck Norris working together.
That is a good one!!:-D 😀 😀
:hi5:
I can see that out there in the flatland. Here in the mountains however and especially on this township you might be able to cover it all on a good mule in 8 days. My original post wasn't intended to imply they didn't do it, more like they were way tougher men than I.
If multiple crews worked the township, the GLO field notes should reflect that by the surveyor certifications and chainmen's oaths.
> If multiple crews worked the township, the GLO field notes should reflect that by the surveyor certifications and chainmen's oaths.
Notes show a crew of four. But that isn't necessarily accurate.
There is no doubt that it was done. Of the eight stones looked for so far I have found six. The notes indicate four men accomplished this survey in 8 days. It appears that the 8 days is the only thing I can doubt at this point.