The Red Cloud chief., 1888-08-03
THE COUNTY SURVEYOR.


oNS
Royal Self-Possession.
Those Of my dear readers who can
read land l suppose. without a doubt.
that a good many of them can] will,
with little difficulty. recall the awe in
which the magicians of the olden time
wereh held by their fellow mortals. This
awe and generation has a parallel in
modern life in the general respect and
consideration with which the county
surveyor is treated on the occasion of a
professional visit to one Of the hemlats
in his territory.
EnOch Unison and Scion Mc(;ill got
into a wrangle over IA new line fence
that must be built, each wanting to
shove it over toward his neighbOr a
little. Although the land in dispute
amounted TO but little. they could reach
no settlement of the difficulty without
the lines being ''run." So the county
surveyor is called in. and it is her that
his Importance is manifested and his
vanity gets "a wholesale tickling.
Augustus Bings Is not a man You
would pick out in IA crowd As being one
to whom the world at large would look
up with any remarkable degree of VEN
Grafton: nor does he SEEN to expect it,
rs he walks among his fellow men in
the populOus county seat. But when
he reaches the little town of Punkin-
Vile his dignity and Importance have
grown to enormous proportions. Pos
sibly it is the ozone of the country air
that has so remarkable an effect.
On this trip he is accompanied by a
youth who carries the chain and holds
the rod with intention Of ultimately
learning the mysteries of the profess
sion, and at last shining forth himself.
This youth is the cynOsure of all eyes.
As far as the juvenile portion Of the
village is concerned, and is envicd as
being the happy p~ossessOr of enormous
brain qualifications, thus to enable him
to act in the important capacity In
which he does. All the slang phrases
which he drops are eagerly snapped
up by his young admirers. and the
chestnuts that he incidentally relates
pass current as the latest and best wit
for many "A day.
1t is only the assistant that jests.
however. The surveyor himself is
self-contained. and scOrns such frivOl-
tiles. ~ being unseemly in a man so
far advanced in science as he is. His
utterances are brief and sententiOus.
and confined mostly to sundry and dark
hints as to the capacity OF the indi-
vidual who the lines before.
Deliberation and lack Of hurry are
marked characteristics of u surveyor
on these trips. and it being SO near
noon he does not undertake his work
until he has refreshed himself with
dinner. The smiling and gracious
landlord escorts his guests to their
seats; the cook holds the kitchen door
open q crack and inserts a tousled head
to steal a glance at the great man; the
young lady that waits ON the table I'D
justs her bangs and looks pleasant at
the assistant; the regular boarders
file in and seat themselves and turn
their conversation to rs important sub
jects as possible so as not to be cOnsid-
cred too OstentatiOusly lippant-
Dinner over. our surveyor and his
assistant are rejoined by the contend
ing parties and an augmented audi.
ence. They proceed to the seat of war;
the assistant spreads the three sticks
so they will stand alone; the surveyor
motions the boy who carried 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 a decoration for bravery.
The eyes of the public r turned
toward the box. each eager to catch
the first glimpse of its contents. The
surveyor takes a key from his pocket,
stoops down and deliberately opens the
cover. A stiffness falls 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,
leveling and all the various maneuve
ings are watched carefully. and no mo.
ton escapes notice. His assistant
walks away from the instrument. bear.
ing the figured rod and pulling the
wire chain. He pauses at 4 certain
distance: holds up the rod: the sur.
veyOr places his eye to the instrument
and waves his hand to the right; the
assistant moves the rod to the
right: he wave. his arm again; the
assistant moves again; he gazcH long
and earnestly. then stands erect and
the surveyor produces a little red book
in which he makes a few figures. He
stops TO talk with Jimson and then
with McCill. The postmaster sides up,
holds one eye shut with his fin ger,
sQuints into the instrument with the
other and sees-nOthing. The cobbler
the next best politician. who is alst
deacon in the church and school com
mitteeman. follows the postmaster witt
the same success One Or two more o.
the more influential and important in