"I am bound to put my scales in according to the length of the lever, and if tracks are already there and are standard distance apart I have a uniform and standard distance from the tracks.

"We have side tracks at most places on each side of the scales. The tracks in this yard are standard guage apart, and where ground is scarce we have to economize in space, but where ground is plenty the tracks can be farther apart."

The evidence for the company also showed that the scales in question had been erected a number of years prior to the happening of the accident and after tracks Nos. 1 and 2 were built. The superintendent of terminals of the defendant company testified that "south of track No. 4 there is a space left for four or five more tracks." The same witness also stated that the customary position of a switchman while riding on a car and ladder "is to swing out from the car with his body," and that "a well-developed man cannot safely pass by the scale box on track No. 2, while riding on a side of a car on the ladder, if he hangs out from the car."

There was evidence that at other yards than the one in question the distances from the side of a standard box car to adjoining scale boxes varied from sixteen inches to one hundred and sixty-eight inches.

Testimony was introduced tending to show that the plaintiff, before he was hurt, knew of the proximity of the scale box to track No. 2. Concerning his employment and knowledge of the location of the scales, plaintiff testified that he had made one trip as extra brakeman in the service of the railway company in January, 1900; that in December, 1901, as brakeman, he made about one trip between El Paso and Toyah; that he had worked in the El Paso yards, as extra switchman, two nights and three days in January, 1902, and went to work there regularly as switchman on February 1, 1902. He denied any recollection of ever having worked on track No. 2 during his employment in January, 1902, and, referring to his employment in the early days of February, 1902, plaintiff says:

"During the seven days I worked for defendant we never used this No. 2 track at the west end, or near the scales, and I never saw a car on track No. 2, opposite the scales, and never had my attention called to the distance between the track and scale box. I never measured or approximated the distance to it. Nothing ever occurred to attract my attention to it.

"I knew we had to pass the scale box at the time I was hurt, so as to get to the switch beyond, but I was not thinking about it, and I did not see it when we passed it going in after these

cars.

"The switch engine had a headlight lighted at both ends, and I was on the footboard at the rear of the engine, which put me in front while we were backing into track No. 2 after the cars, but the headlights were not very clean or bright.

"There was nothing to hide the scale box from my view; it was perfectly open and apparent."

Plaintiff further testified:

"I knew the location of the scale before I was hurt. I knew it was between tracks Nos. 1 and 2, but I did not know anything with reference to its proximity to track No. 2, and did not know it was dangerously close to track No. 2. "At the time I was hurt I had no knowledge of the distance between the scale box and No. 2 track.

"I set cars on the scale on track No. 1 to be weighed, but I would be on the north side of the cars on track No. 1, and as the scale box is on the south side I could not see it. I had nothing to do with the scale box and had no business around it.

"I first learned the exact distance between the scale box and the nearest rail of track No. 2 a few days ago, when I went down and measured it at your (referring to plaintiff's attorney) recommendation.

"I was never warned about the danger of getting knocked off of cars by this scale box, and at the time I was hurt I

was attending to my work, and thinking about my duties, and looking for a signal from the yardmaster, and was not thinking about the box. I did not see it immediately prior to the time I struck it.

"The scale box was at the same place, when I struck it, as it was when I first went to work for defendant."

The evidence was closed by the offer on behalf of the company of portions of a written application by plaintiff for employment as brakeman, dated February 22, 1900. After stating that the plaintiff identified the application, the bill of exceptions recites as follows:

"Defendant then offered in evidence the following portions of said application, consisting of questions and the answers thereto written by the plaintiff, for the purpose of showing that plaintiff had notice of the location of said track scale box, and that he was in danger of being knocked off of a car when passing the same:

"Question. Do you make this application for employment in train service, realizing the hazardous nature of such employment, understanding that it is necessary in operating this railway for the company to have overhead and truss bridges at certain points on the line; also coal chutes, track scale boxes, water tanks, coal houses, platforms, sheds, roofs and other overhead and side structures, and that in performance of the duties for which you are employed you are liable to receive injuries by being knocked off the side or top of cars, unless you use due care to avoid injury thereby?'

Question. Do you agree to acquaint yourself with the location of all overhead and truss bridges, as well as the location of all other structures along the line of the road?'

"Answer. 'Yes.'

"Question. 'Do you understand that no officer or employé of this company is authorized to request or require you to use defective tracks, ears, machinery or appliances of any kind, and that when you do so you assume all risk of injury therefrom?'

"Question. 'Do you understand that this company desires to employ only experienced men in the service, and does not undertake to educate inexperienced men?'

"Answer. 'Yes.'

"Counsel for plaintiff objected to the said testimony for the reason that it was irrelevant and immaterial, and that plaintiff had made this application and entered the employ of defendant, and afterwards resigned, and again entered the employ of the defendant some two years later, without making another application, and also because it was an effort on the part of defendant to limit its liability for its own negligence, and void as against public policy, and because the particular location of this track scale box is not given; and the court having sustained plaintiff's objections and excluded said testimony, the defendant then and there excepted to the action of the court in excluding said evidence, and tenders this, its bill of exceptions, which is allowed, signed and sealed by the court."

The first assignment of error assails the affirmance by the Court of Appeals of the action of the trial court in refusing to receive in evidence the matter just referred to.

These excerpts were offered in evidence, as stated in the bill of exceptions, "for the purpose of showing that plaintiff had notice of the location of said track scale box, and that he was in danger of being knocked off a car when passing the same."

The application was made in February, 1900, and was for employment, not as switchman, but as brakeman. The employment of the plaintiff with the defendant company following the application was in December, 1901, when the plaintiff as a brakeman made about a dozen trips between El Paso and a place called Toyah. His subsequent employment as switchman commenced but a short time before the happening in February, 1902, of the accident complained of.

We think the trial court rightly excluded the offered evidence. In the first place, the defendant had testified that

before the accident he had knowledge of the existence of the scale box. In the next place, while undoubtedly the statements in the application tended to show that the plaintiff was aware of the generally hazardous nature of the employment and the necessity of the exercise of care in working with and about the instrumentalities employed by the company in the operation of its railroad, the recognition of these facts by the plaintiff and his agreement to acquaint himself with the location of bridges and other structures on the line of the road did not tend to establish notice, communicated to the plaintiff, that the defendant company had not exercised due care in placing scales or scale boxes on its tracks, or that the company had by its negligence increased the ordinary hazards to be expected from the use of such structures, and that by the exercise of ordinary care on his part plaintiff could not escape injury. The evidence was, therefore, immaterial in the light of the issue upon which the jury had to pass.

At the close of all the evidence the defendant company requested the court to charge the jury to return a verdict for the defendant, and to the overruling of such motion the defendant company duly excepted. The second assignment alleges error in the affirmance by the Court of Appeals of the action of the trial court denying this motion.

The right to have the jury instructed to find for the company was based upon the following contentions:

"a. Because the undisputed evidence established that said track scale box erected in the defendant's yard, and under the circumstances in a reasonably safe place, and at a reasonably safe distance and location from track No. 2, on which track plaintiff was riding at the time he was injured.

"b. Because plaintiff testified he knew of the location of the track scale box and the location of track No. 2, with reference to said track scale box, on which track No. 2 he was riding at the time he was hurt, and because the undisputed evidence shows that the track scale box and the danger of the same was open and obvious to the view of plaintiff, and that neither