American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-12-20
FOR 9HE WA lehman.

| Foh IHE WATCHMAN.
Late Removal from, and appointment to the office
Of S'trreyor General Of !SusSec County,
Mr.. John Burton, surveyor general for the county
of Sussex, was by an immulabe law of our natures,
removed from this subiunary sphere in the month
of February, A. D. 1922 1t then devolved ON The
governor Mr. Collins) to fill, by appointment. the
vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. Burton,
| which he did by appointing Mr.. Thomas Jacobs, of
/ N. w. Fork Hundred, as Mr. Burton's successor.
Mr.. Burton had filled the office with much credit.
Being skilful mathematician, and careful practi-
TONER of surveying, he always used the most APP
proved methods of tabular calculation, in finding
the area of his surveys and in laying out and divi
| ding land he used trigonsmetrical rules MIR. Bur-
Ton had continued in Office, more than year. after
Mr.. Collins came into office, and l can confidently
affirm, that had he lived TO see this day he would
not have been removed by the governor then in Of
lice.
| Mr.. Jacobs is exemplary in his morals, and it is
well known that his abilities are equal to those Of
his predecessor for a proper discharge OF all the
duties OF county surveyor But he is removed
from office; not On account of his incompetency 8
nor indeed by any law of our natures, but by the
governor in Office; and Mr.. L. Riley is appointed
his successor.
| will now pay some attention to Mr. RS super
eminent qualifications He has been practitioner
! OF surveying, twenty years or more, and the only
method that he has ever made use OF, for calcula-
ting the of his surveys, u.s. that Of throwing
them into rianges or into triangle equal to the
\ whole He cannot solve single case in plain tri-
4 gonometry, by any other method than that of his
scale and divders the incorrectness of which is OBJ
i vious to every man who has carefully studied the
/ principles of surveying. Ii is an incontrovertible
truth that Mr.. RS mathematical studies have been
i confined 10 a few geometrcal problems; and these
i he applies in all cases whether in finding the area
or division Of land; therefore his whole practice has
been a tumble OF errors, with nothing certain but
its lncorrectness. His other literary requirement.
are equally superficial His photography is such,
that in writing, one third of his words at least OF
more than one syllable, are misspelt. Nor do I
4 think his intellectual endowments deserve very
high encomum The only instance that can give
o his intellectual sagacty is that he is the iniatua
ted patron and stupid advocate of his demoniac ma
jesty, the great conluror Tilotson, (near Eikton
|, Maryland whose Internal influence, (the strocous
evils of which incalculable) is co-equal and CO.
extensive with all the grossly ignorant and obstl-
nately supersttlous within the circle of his infamy
hence infer that Mr.. R. is not phosophlcay wise
A These are Mr.. RS endowments; and is he vel
qualified to be a. the head of the surveyors depart
ment, where there are several young men, that are
skiul both in the theory and practice of surveying
Il What could induce Mr.. r. to solicit the appoint
ment? was it that he might increase his practice
in his old age, (or he is nearly threescore) and un
. dergo all the fatigue, and unavoidable exposure o
y the practice, for the small compensation, that sur
al veyor generally receives for his services? This il
= rather improbable; and the emoluments of the Of
Il fee (other than the pracce scarcely worth es
!. ttmatng. Was it the vanity Of having Esq. an
:. nexed to his name? This is more probable. Ant
:, is such an appointment all honor to such abilities a
;, MIR. r. possesses Let US suppose whicl
would be pa ael to that in question. Suppose on
e of your neighbos, say an industrious farmer who's
10 literary requirements very superficial, shou
have read something phlebotomy, and of the sur
gerry of setting broken bone thence to profess to
a surgeon, and impose on the ignorance and credul
w ity of his patrons for twenty years, or more thong
in three fourths Of the cases, where he had opera
ted as surgeon, the member still remained Writhe
:. or crooked, yet he had the peculiar address, t
:, make them believe, that he had acted as skilfl
10 surgeon should have done, and that he was the gre;
10 test surgeon of his vcinltysuppose that he is theI
y flor his reputed surgical skilD chosen as membe
of the medical board of his state, or elected 10
professorship in the college; would he be likely
~ fill either place with honor to hmsell or to the hor
or of young practitioners in the one, or graduate
o. in the other? Would not men of talents and nfol
nation say that his elevation to such places was
Imposition on good sense; that he was quack a
impairment preender a FL. In my estimatio
man must do honor to an office, before 1t can
an honor to him to hold it; the poet justly observe
NJ "Act well your part there all the honor lies"
on Would this supposed member Of the medical ooal
CHI be able to 'sact we'll his part in either OF the ST
p .ions to which he was rsisedF ! answer--lust