Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-23
History of Maps.
BY RUFUS BLANCHARD.


Away back in the AID Olympiad, when
Kings ran foot-races with "newsboys,"
almost 600 years before the Christian
era-there dwelt at Miletus, Thales, one
of the Seven Wise Men of Greece. 1t is
cpoughto say of him that he was Grecian
philosopher Whether he ever had a
sheepskin diploma or not, don't matter.
History gives him the credit of introduc.
ing to the world the familiar theory OF
the signs of the Zodiac, and of being the
first one to calculate eclipses. This in
formation was given to the world shortly
after his return from Egypt, that famous
old seat of learning in those days. Like
other wise men of his age he gloried In
imparting instruction TO his peers, and
particularly to the youth Of his country.
Apaximander was one of his fortunate
pupils, and not only made himself mas
ter of the science of his tutor, but car
ried his researches even beyond that dis
tinguished old sage. Without the assist
ance of any corner-lot endowment or
other auxiliary that we know OF, he sec
ND a school, and probably taught philoso-
phy TO him is ascribed the honor OF
discovering the oblquity of the Zodiac.
He was famous traveller, cleaning from
every part of the then known world
materials for the development OF science;
and, the better to disseminate the infor-
nation derived from his studies and
travels, he published map of the world
as il was then known. To him, there
fore, belongs the honor OF being the first
inventor OF maps.
Two hundred years later, Socrates, by
way of reproof to Alcibiades for his pride,
told him to look on the map for his
estates; which is good testimony that the
Grecians made use of them.
Later along down the highways OF
human invention and progress we hnd
the Phpnicians making use OF maps as
guide to their commercial pursuits, In
which they well-nigh monopolized the
trade of India--that inexhaustible source
of supply. Sesostris, King of Egypt, also
caused his dominions to be mapped; and
Ptolemy Claudius, of Alexandria, issued
a map of the world, and twenty-six other
maps, on which to illustrate the sciences
of which he was master Agathodamon
was his craftsman. Says Narro, the
Romans issued maps of their conquered
countries; and, in the days OF Caesar,
Peutenger drew map of the world, So
called. 1t was twenty-one feet long, and
only one foot wide. Its object appears
to have been to map the military routes
to Roman colonies; to which purpose
Europe, Northern Africa, and Western
Asia were distorted out of proportion
worse than some of the circular railroad
maps of our present day distort the States
through which they pass, to make their
own route appear the most direct.
The Arabian scholars made use OF the
maps of Ptolemy, and perhaps issued
others. But hiatus in map-literature of
several centuries succeeds the decline
and fall of the colossal power of Rome,
in which little but the germ-cells OF art
and science were preserved from de-
struction. These began to show them
selves in Venice, Germany, England,
France and Spain in the fifteenth CEN
fury; and maps, with other literature,
made their temperance from these IA
vored places OF the early specimens of
English maps the writer has many in his
possession, some of which are venerable
with the dust of two centuries. One OF
these is an atlas of the world. The en-
craving is respectable and the coloring
delicate; in which respect it is more
artistic than some of the maps OF the
present day, in which an excess of color
serves to conceal imperfections in en-
craving. Thanks are due to Iebina
Eastman, who procured these maps Tor
me during his eight years Consulship In
Bristol These early English maps were
engra d On copper--the use OF litho-
graphic utone being then unknown; but
the commercial age fastened along, when
common people began to discard coarse
blouse shirts for immaculate linen,
washed and starched with glossiness.
Alois Senfelder was one of these dey-
otees to clearly habitudes, and en-
ployed a washwoman. He was also sys-
tematic in the method of doing business,
and invoiced his list of soiled linen as he
gave i out
On one occasion he happened to do this
ON the smooth surface Of apolished stone
In his possession. The facility with
which it took the impression suggested to
him the idea that printing could be done
on it. He tried his new plan and success
was the result This invention, achieved
In 1875, was Immediately put In practice.
Rome and London introduced the new
art in 1907, Paris In 1914, and the United