Had one of those things happen this morning that doesn't happen very often.
The section was created in 1865. Northwest corner was marked with a stake and pits. In 1872, the County Surveyor is called upon to subdivide the northwest quarter of the section. He places a stone at the northwest corner. Fast forward to 1957. The County is doing a bit of road improvement along a stretch of road that does not run along the section line, but nearby. The 1957 surveyor finds the 1872 stone in place and exposed six inches. He places iron bars at the north and south ends of the stone and provides five references. "on line with fence north" refers to a fence across the road as there never was a north-south fence where the stone is located. "N 28 feet to fence line west" refers to the former location of a fence running NE/SW that is gone. "NW 34.8' to center of corner post to be removed" refers to something that was "removed" as there in no corner post of any kind for over 100 feet in any direction. "W of S 11.6' to center of 12" walnut" (that's a mighty big walnut in my book that would require a mighty big squirrel to haul it off) refers to what is now a rotting stump cut off many years ago. "E 19.3' to center of 6" walnut at top of creek bank" refers to a nice walnut tree now about 15" DBH standing on the top of the highest creek bank, not the low bank.
Did not have the metal detector or a tape measure with me. Spent about 15 minutes considering a number of alternative interpretations to the references mentioned in 1957. Was somewhat concerned because the fence across the road is less than 10 years old and the pre-existing fence and tree line were dozed out. Finally, began to kick aside a bunch of smallish rotting tree limbs that formed sort of a pile of limbs, leaves and assorted biological materials. Discovered why the pile seemed bigger than it should be. It had to start about six inches above ground level in the center due to the limestone I was seeking.
I think it had something to do with the Holy Cow avatar!
Many years ago, when I first started surveying, I went out with the boss to walk a piece of property before the survey was to begin. Basically I held the back end of a 100 foot cloth tape. We found most of the pins but needed one in particular. We searched and searched (no Schonstedt then only a dip needle) in an area about 100 feet in diameter. He just about gave up but wanted to look at the plat ONE MORE TIME. He sat down under a nice shady tree right on top of the 1 inch pipe we were looking for.
Andy
Okay, not so great of a story, but I remember being out years ago. I was acting instrument man, and working with another guy. We went out and found a bunch of pins and flagged them up. I went back go the gun and the other guy went out to shoot the corner-pins we had found.
He was wondering around out there for a little while and finally turned to me and shouted Hey Tom, I can't find any of those pins anywh......" just as he finished his sentence he tripped over one of them. (He was a great pin-hound too. Just having a bad day I guess)
"Did not have the metal detector or a tape measure with me. Spent about 15 minutes considering a number of alternative interpretations to the references mentioned in 1957. Was somewhat concerned because the fence across the road is less than 10 years old and the pre-existing fence and tree line were dozed out. Finally, began to kick aside a bunch of smallish rotting tree limbs that formed sort of a pile of limbs, leaves and assorted biological materials. Discovered why the pile seemed bigger than it should be. It had to start about six inches above ground level in the center due to the limestone I was seeking."
Exactly the type of Land Surveying one will never learn in a book.
B-)
FL/GA PLS., post: 341581, member: 379 wrote:
Exactly the type of Land Surveying one will never learn in a book.
B-)
Are there not books out there with these methods? Perhaps the lot of old timers on this site should amass the book of those methods not taught in the traditional texts... Then the bookwormish youngins would have no excuse to not realize the methods.
I have found that determination, relentlessness and fact searching is more of a per person ability that is taught by doing rather than by reading.:gammon:
"Perhaps the lot of old timers on this site should amass the book of those methods not taught in the traditional texts..."
BEERLEG - The ONLINE BOOK OF METHODS NOT TAUGHT IN THE TRADITIONAL WAY.
DDSM:beer:
Geonerd's tag line is (something like) "A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way". I think that applies here.
ÛÏAre there not books out there with these methods?Û
I read a book once that taught you how to properly hold a nail prior to striking it with a hammer.
After you whack your thumb 3 or 4 times you will then realize how to do it.
Have a great weekend! B-)
I've always called this "Zen Surveying". I've managed to do it a couple of times out in the field. There was one monument, a 1" iron pipe marking the front lot corner. I was looking around, standing on the side of the road about where the fence that separated the two properties terminated. I had my Schoenstedt, but it wasn't making any noise as I swung it around the end of the fence and slowly widened my search.
I was ready to give up, I shut off the "beeper", and I went to kick at a rock right at my feet... The "rock" was the top of the pipe, set flush, right where it should be. No idea why I couldn't get a tone on it, but I found it anyway!
Similar story. We were having little luck finding concrete monuments set in the 30's bordering this subdivision and a parcel that we were assigned to stake. We extended our traverse along an unopened road right-of-way that the plat stated had been monumented but several adjacent surveys didn't note finding any of them but rather relied on several set in the 70's for an adjacent subdivision. I had about given up the search when my partner noted a boulder that seemed out of place and started scratching at the base of it. I have a photo somewhere of a monument at the base of it about a foot down! We paced off from that one and found another boulder with the same result. And again three more times. Needless to say that was a good day. I filed my survey and sent copies to several of the surveyors who were impacted by these results.