surveyor? transit level? Here are antiques on ebay but the boxes are shaped different and are padded or the piece has a way of being secured. Years ago we built a house. We borrowed a friend and his equipment - he wouldn't let anybody touch his stuff... LOL He was retired from working on the express ways. He was a supervisor in Ohio - he had one to double and triple check the work. Back in the day you couldn't touch one for what they go on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Tele...item35df74381c similar for sure but some how I'm thinking that is not this box. I haven't seen one with the tray around the top or a drawer in the bottom. It may have had some piece of equipment originally. Even more fascinating isn't it?

I forgot to mention - when we were driving to pick up the box the GPS (Matilda) thought we already got the box and was taking us through parts of Dayton better left alone.... Wilbur and Miss L. LOVED it - in parts of Dayton someone has made the most amazing murals on sides of buildings and in big old windows. It is almost worth getting lost - I'm not sure I could ever find that area again but it really was very cool.

I figured out it was vintage masking tape all over the front of the cabinet. It was work but I got it off. It still has some residue and some paint spatters. It is waiting on some paint thinner to go over it again.

I got the box cleaned up and DH fixed the hinges. Sweet. I still need to load it up - I need it for organizing.