Two very strange monuments

[LS 4722]

Today, we found a lead/nail that was stamped in the lead "RE 1798". I read that number a few times and also had my chainman read it to make sure I was not missing a number. It was and is "RE 1798".

It seemed so out of place in a 1957 subdivision.

Anyway, the survey moves along and in a crowded tight area, while marking shots to take, I spot a new 1 1/2" dia Iron Pipe a few tenths up. It has a tag in it. It was too close to a chainlink and wood fence to get to it for a shot, so we set a closer control to shoot it later if we could not get better access.

The day goes on and towards the end of the job we set a control in the backyard where we could shoot the tagged pipe.

My chainman hops the short wood fence and starts brushing the tag with a wire brush. I could not believe that the new , let me say that again, NEW stamped brass tag read... "RE 1798"

Now I have been around long enough to tell if a pipe is new or old, and in surveying years this pipe and TAG could not have been more than 10 years old.

The owner of the house I was surveying told me that the next door neighbor had a slippage problem in 2005. This pipe was on the top of the slope. Probably set while doing some topography..that's my best guess.

Now this RE 1798 must be superman, or have some kind of exotic vitamins.. or... someone is using his tag number to do land surveying.

RE 1798 is the number that was assigned to Marion B. Riffo. I did a bit of Google on the name and could not find a good match with the name and a California Registered Engineer... I believe the registration years of the boards list of registered engineers starts in 1931, with an RE number of around 5000.

Something is really strange about these two RE 1798 monuments.

[Sunburned_Surveyor]

...to find out who might have set the pipe and tags?

Smells funny.

Landon

[LS 4722]

I may get a chance to speak to the neighbor today. Stranger things have happened though and the possibility does exist that RE 1798 was still active in 2005...

[Ric7308]

Was born in Pennsylvania 1901, moved to California 1923, licensed as a Civil Engineer in California 6/19/1930, and according to experience statements on his application worked in Montana before working in the Los Angeles area.

If he is alive today, he would have celebrated his 112 birthday just two months ago.

[RAM]

by chance that it is an out of state RE?