I went back and looked at my file on the Texas & St. Louis Railway Co. Blocks 147, 148, and 149 that L.W. Durrell originally located in October, 1881 in what is now Terrell County. I concluded both from work on the gound and from reading Durrell's later correspondence with the GLO in 1903 that his calls for "stk & md" and "earth md" were invariably fictitious. The few corners that he did mark were rock mounds with some means of identifying them.
One of the corners that he made in 1903 during his resurvey of the East tier of Block 147 was described variously as "Rock set on end mkd X" and "Rk Mound set in ground mkd X". What was actually there was a rather small rock (perhaps 8 x 8 x 10in.) that was just resting on the ground. as a part of a very small rock mound, the "X" having weathered away long ago, apparently since there wasn't any question but that it was Durrell's monument.
So many questions pop into my head, having no experience in the south: Is it common in that area to leave set pipes so far up? Why wouldn't they drive them down closer to the ground? Can you be sure the pipes are even intended to represent corners? The concrete around the one is flared out, like some of the soil has eroded around it after it was poured - that seems like a lot of erosion, but is it possible in that area?
Nice stones, the pipes and stuff must be there so you can find them in the snow:whistle:
Allen Wrench, post: 377589, member: 6172 wrote: So many questions pop into my head, having no experience in the south: Is it common in that area to leave set pipes so far up?
Sure, that was fairly typical of surveying in the desert lands of West Texas in the early 20th century up to perhaps about 1950. The object was to leave a marker that someone else would be able to find easily if rough measurements put them in the vicinity.
Why wouldn't they drive them down closer to the ground?
The object was to make a corner that could be spotted through the low brush when you were within, say, 50 ft. of it.
Can you be sure the pipes are even intended to represent corners?
It's ordinarily a safe bet that something that is too short for a fence post and otherwise looks like something a surveyor would set was in fact set by a surveyor.
The concrete around the one is flared out, like some of the soil has eroded around it after it was poured - that seems like a lot of erosion, but is it possible in that area?
The desert areas have some vary sparse grasses that, when overgrazed, do leave a surface that, in erosible soils, will slowly wash away just from surface runoff.
Just like the federal GLO surveyors; they probably weren't all that concerned about 1/2' in 1/2 a mile, the GLO often set a BC next to the set stone.
It isn't till later that surveyors got all bent out of shape about that .5'.
I would say this didn't really come up till surveyors started traversing with t2's and distance meters. Then the black boxes showed up and boy, you would think the sky was falling, lol.
Andy Nold, post: 377229, member: 7 wrote:
West Texas pin cushion. Go large or go home.
FOUND 2Û IRON PIPE, FOUND 60 NAIL, FOUND STONE SET ON EDGE MARKED ÛÏ+Û AND FOUND 1-1/2Û GALVANIZED IRON PIPE IN CONCRETE.
Not sure why the other markers were needed when the original, called for stone is extant.
And hereÛªs a few more finds from today and yesterday.
Closeup of ÛÏ+Û
FOUND A STONE MARKED ÛÏ+Û
FOUND SET STONE
FOUND AXLE
FOUND STONE MARKED ÛÏSE6Û
A lot of the 1å? or 1å? GIP's in Conc. were set by Bucy in the 1930's, not sure exactly where you are though.
Block 119, GC&SF Ry Co Sur., Pecos Co. Tx.
A few miles north of Fort Stockton.
I think I have arrived at a reasonable boundary reconstruction but will look for a couple more senior corners and some of those Durrell set stones to confirm the block has substantial excess.
It's just good soil. Nice crop of monuments coming in this year, lol.
