Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-10-02
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Surveyor.
d Being of Remarkable Importanc
and Royal SelfPossession-


suppose, without doubt. that good many
of them canl will. with little difficulty, recall
the awe in which the magicians of the olden
time were held by their fellow mortals. This
awe and veneration has parable, in modern
life iu the general respect aud consideration
with which the surveyor is treated on the
occasion of q professional visit TO one of the
hemlats in his territory.
Enoch and solon McGill got into q wranglc
over new line fence that must be built, each
wanting toslroye it over toward his neighbor
a little. Although the land in dispute amount
ed to but little, they could reach no settlement
of the difficulty without the lines being 80 run"
So the surveyor is called in, and 1t is then
that his Importance is manifested and his van
ity gets Wholesale tickling.
Augustus Bings is not man you would pick
out iu g crowd as being ono to whom the
world at large would look up with any re-
markabie degree of veneration nor does he
seem to expect it, as he walks among his fellow
men in the populous county seat. But when
he reaches the little town of Punkinyille his
dignity and Importance have grown to cnor-
nous proportions. Possibly it is the ozone of
the country air that has remarkable ef-
feet.
On this trip he is accompanied by youth
who carries the chain and holds the rod with
intention of ultimately learning the mysteries
of the profession, and at last shining forth
himself. This youth is the cynosure of all
eyes, US far as the juvenile portion of the vii
lage is concerned, and Is envied as being the
happy possessor of enormous brain qualihca-
tions, thus to enable him to act in the impor-
tant capacity in which he does. All the slang
phrases which he drops are easily snapped up
by his young admirers, and the chestnuts that
he incidentally relates pass current as the lat
est and best wit for many day.
1t is only the assistant thai jcsts, however.
The surveyor himself is self-constrained, and
scorns such frivolities, as being unseemingly in
n man SO far advanced in science as he is
His utterances are brief and contentious, and
confined mostly to sundry and dark hints as to
the capacity of the individual who run the
lines before.
Deliberation and lack Of hurry are marked
characteristics of our surveyor on these trips,
and 1t being so near noon he does not under
take his work until he has refreshed himself
with dinner. The smiling and gracious land
lord escorts his guests to their seats the cook
holds the kitchen door open a crack and in
serts a toused head to steal a glance at the
great man the young lady that waits on the
table adjusts her bangs and looks pleasant at
the assistant; the regular boarders file In and
seat themselves and turn their conversation 10
as important subjects as possible so not TO
be considered too ostentatiously fippant-
Dinner over, our surveyor and his assistant
are rejoined by the contending parties and an
augmented audience. They proceed 70 the
seat of war the assistant spreads the three
sticks so they will stand alone the surveyor
motions the boy who carries the box TO come
forward He steps forth with his precious
burden with the proud step of a soldier called
from the ranks to receive u decoration for
bravery The eyes of the public are turned to-
ward the box, each eager to catch the first
glimpse of its contents. The surveyor takes q
key from his pocket, stoops down and deiibef-
ately opens the cover 4 stiffness fails upon
the group. as he lifts from its resting place the
transit and puts it in position on the tripod
Each move he makes locating, leyeiing and all
the various maneuyerings watched care
fully, and no motion escapes notice. His as
sistant walks away from the instrument, bear
ing the figured rod and pulling the wire chain.
He pauses at q certain distance; holds up the
rod, the surveyor places his eye to the instru-
ment and waves his hand to the right the as
sistaut moves the rod to the right; he waves
his arm again; the assistant moves again he
gazes long and earnestly. then stands erect
and the surveyor produces little red book in
which he makes q few figures He stops
to talk with Jiuason and then with Nc
gill. The postmaster sidles mp, holds one eye
shut with his finger, squints into the instru-
meut with the other and sees-nothing. The
cobbler, the next best politician, who is also
deacon in the church and school committee
man. follows the postmaster with the same
success. One or two more of the more :nfu-