2 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 47, No. 5 From the PLSO Chair M ost, if not all of us have been told something by someone we trusted only later to find that what was told is not the truth. I am not talking about malicious lies and propaganda, but instead more like an “urban legend” along with perhaps some delusional thinking. Some examples are the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, George Washington chopping down a cherry tree, and the frog in the proverbial pot. Let’s consider the last two mentioned. In the summer 2024 edition of Trend & Tradition Magazine, the magazine of Colonial Williamsburg, is an article titled “George Washington and the Cherry Tree” by Paul Aron who found that the story was written by Mason Locke Weems in the 5th edition of Weem’s book originally published as Life and Memorable Actions of George Washington. Weem’s first book was issued in 1800, one year after George Washington's death. The fifth edition was titled The Life of George Washington the Great, published in 1806, in which the cherry tree story first appeared. Weems claimed he had heard the story from an unnamed and distant relative of the family who had spent much time with the Washingtons. As soon as the 5th edition hit the shelves, there was much skepticism about the tale. Also, three prominent 19th century George Washington biographers made no mention of the cherry tree story. Moving forward to 1922, biographer William Roscoe Thayer wrote, “Only those who willfully prefer to deceive themselves need waste time over an imaginary Father of His Country amusing himself with a fictitious cherry tree and hatchet.” The parable of the frog in the pot is the one where the water is gradually heated while the frog is happy and content until it reaches the critical temperature, and then it is too late. The frog croaks. Pun intended! All the while that the pot was heating up, the frog could have left at any time but didn’t. This myth is told as a warning to stay away from harmful things that could destroy a person and sound plausible. That is, until the television series MythBusters proved it wrong. Shifting gears but in a similar vein, let’s consider the image of Mount Rushmore National Memorial labeled as “Three Surveyors and some other guy.” That “other guy” who never surveyed professionally did get some surveying experience along with his son Kermit while Scott Freshwaters, PLS Chair of the Board Myths and Truths Be careful out there and if you must be a myth buster do it with grace and professionalism.
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