The term 'marking iron' to mark government corners goes back to at least 1831. They are mentioned in the 1851 Iowa and Wisconsin Manual and also subsequent manuals.
I read some early testimony in Nebraska where a settler testified that he observed the GLO stakes were marked with 'marking irons' to put figures on the stakes in 1881. He didn't specifically say it was a branding iron, but I can envision the crew sitting around the campfire and marking the stakes ahead of time for the next days work.
Has anyone ever seen a 'marking iron'? I assume they might have been Roman Numerals. So, if you ever come across a very small I, V, X, L, C, D, or M branding iron, it might have been used by a surveyor.
They still might have had the letters T, R, N, S, E and W.
TXXVN RXVIIW
T25N R17W
Could that just be another name for a timber scribe tool? The one that works a little like a drawing compass with a cutter instead of a pencil for making arcs, plus another cutter on the side for straight lines.
From Berntsen:
I think you are probably correct in what we now call a timber scribe was formerly called a marking iron.
Consider antiquated conversational English
Back in the day we had shootin' irons, cookin' irons, markin' irons...:pinch:
Consider antiquated conversational English
tire iron, clothes iron, branding iron...
Timber Scribes (AKA gaugers; marking iron...
Good call Bill:
" A. Sellens Dictionary of American Hand Tools states: Timber Scribes: (also called gaugers; marking iron; race knife and timber groover). A tool used to cut an identification mark in the end of a log or plank."
I found the above in this 5/24/2003 post "Re: Race Knives/Timber Scribes" in this "OldTools Archive" web page:
http://swingleydev.com/archive/get.php?message_id=117979&submit_thread=1
Scroll down to the post numbered 118002.
It appears Alvin Sellens' "Dictionary of American Handtools" can be purchased on the web. Maybe even downloaded for free.