PLSO The Oregon Surveyor May June 2020

Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon |  www.plso.org 21 Featured Article Surveyors in the News Surveyors Say the Funniest Things in Court! By Pat Gaylord, PLS In my research of Jesse Applegate, I discovered an article originally published in the Eugene City Guard newspaper, Saturday June 9, 1900, which I transcribed. What He Would Have Said In a complicated criminal case an old land surveyor was subpoenaed to give his professional opinion in the matter. As the proceedings were about to begin he asked permission to say a few words, but was called to order sternly by the judge, who told him to wait till he was questioned. The case then proceeded. A host of witnesses were examined and even the prisoner frequently was called upon to make a statement. After a couple of hours the judge said to the old surveyor, “Now, sir, we shall be glad to hear what you have to say on the whole case.” The witness stood up and replied: “I only wished to remark a while ago that I am quite deaf in my left ear and rather hard of hearing in the right. I was merely go- ing to ask if I might be allowed to sit immediately in the front of the witness- es and the prisoner. Up to now I have not heard a single word of the proceedings.” – London Telegraph x