The readings were on the same day. One thing a good surveyor did was adjust his bearing on the next north-south line depending upon hist last distance on the east-west line. This would theoretically get him closer to 80.00 chains on the next east-west line. That's why there can typically be a deflection at the section corners in the interior of the townships.
One of the things I enjoy doing is researching the personal lives of the surveyors in order to get a profile on their lifestyle and truthfulness. This spring I will be retracing Horace J. Austin and Edwin VanAntwerp in South Dakota. You can learn a lot from their obituaries and especially what others said about them. Both seem to be of good moral character and their notes are overly descriptive. VanAntwerp admits making the wrong bearing in his notes and is the one who made the triangular-shaped pits. I'm chomping at the bit to get up there! this is undisturbed range land with just native grass, prairie dogs and rattlesnakes.
RE: " You can learn a lot from their obituaries and especially what others said about them." No body is going to say bad things about a person in his obituaries. They might have peace to say in the paper if he is a gun fighter.
When I go and do surveys I like finding evidence others have thought to be lost. Then when it turns to a mess I ask myself why I did that.
I lost money on many of my projects because I have that need to find all evidence I can.
