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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 6, Issue 1 (May 1, 1931)

The Lighter Side of the Subject

The Lighter Side of the Subject.

Surveying has its humorous incidents, and I give one or two of my experiences in an endeavour to detract from the heaviness of this subject.

I once sent a man down a high embankment to measure the size of a large square culvert and gave him a three foot rule to do so. He returned and said it was as high as the rule and three widths of his hand. On investigating personally I found it 4 feet high. He had overlooked the using of the rule for the additional measurement beyond its length!

After placing a number of pegs to the exact level with considerable care I instructed the ganger to see they were not disturbed. He met me later looking very pleased with himself and informed me he had knocked them all in to level with the ground so they would not be disturbed!

When surveying a water catchment area on the Bluff Hill I was unable to page 45 pick up an observation on to a white flag at a peg on an adjoining ridge owing to the blooming of white clematis on the scrub surrounding the peg. I told my amateur chainman to proceed to the ridge and stand alongside the flag so I could take a shot at it. I went on with other observations and on again looking at the adjoining ridge was surprised at the ease with which the flag could be seen and to observe also my chainman sitting alongside, having a smoke. I took an observation and on plotting the survey found it hopelessly wrong. It later transpired that the chainman had lifted the flag from alongside the peg, walked with it to an adjacent knob where he could plainly see me, stuck the flag in the ground and sat down alongside it. He said he thought I wanted to have a look at the flag!

When on grade easement surveys near Auckland I was camped near Paerata. A cadet in the camp was going into Auckland for the week-end and dressed in his best. I instructed him to pick up a peg dump left near Paerata Station as it was required, elsewhere, on the Monday. A peg dump is a round iron bar about three feet long, one inch thick, with a flattened head and used for making a hole in the
Organisers of a Successful Railway Picnic. (Photo. V. A. Stapleton.) Members of the Wanganui (North Island) Railway Picnic Committee, who were responsible for the arrangements for the annual picnic in February last.

Organisers of a Successful Railway Picnic.
(Photo. V. A. Stapleton.)
Members of the Wanganui (North Island) Railway Picnic Committee, who were responsible for the arrangements for the annual picnic in February last.

ground and then driving the peg with the flattened end. The cadet was very indignant on his return as he overheard a lady on the Paerata Station remark that he must be a “professional strongman” because he walked about with an iron walking stick!

When transferring camp from Turakina to Otahuhu on grade easement surveys I wrote the Auckland Office to engage for me a chainman-cook for the camp. I intended a man capable of either work. My request was evidently only casually read as they replied, “What did I want a Chinaman cook for? Was not a white man good enough?”

In conclusion I may state that surveying is a very satisfactory following as there is no guess work, all work automatically checks itself and one knows definitely the margin of error. In this respect the final computations give as much satisfaction as solving a problem does to a mathematician, or a balance to an accountant.

I trust that my explanations have been sufficiently lucid to be followed by an attentive reader and that some may have found interest in this subject which is an important branch of railway work.

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