The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-09-22
HOW MAPS ARE MADE.
Dots and Linss and Crooked Marks That
Eequire month";. Of Labor.


Require Months Of Labor.
The story Of IA dot-a fortune IN a
hair-line-is the making of map.
Dot stories I'll row Of walnut cases;
the "reminiscences Of dotted lines occu-
py thousands Of pigeonholes; library
Of crooked marks is piled TO the cell
ing OF ive-story block on Monroe
street. II Il tho largest map house In
the world, and for twelve years has
printed l.000,0 900 maps "a week--G24,-
600, 900 pieces Of linen paper covered
with dots. lines and crooked marks.
Fortune lies In the accuracy Of the
lines and stories In the locations Of the
dots. Maps are as necessary 70 real
estate men az title deeds, and nearly
a. much depends on their accuracy.
a map Is IA plain, simple thing that
tells its vanished tale at "a glance.
How is 1t madc2 Until about the time
Of the great fire maps were engraved
on stone, copper or steel. The process
was very slow, tedious and expensive,
The plates soon wore out and maps
cost about as much as a sheet Of gold.
About 1870 Buffalo man invented tho
process Of making maps on wax. II
rcvOlutionized map-making. and now
maps are as common and nearly as
cheap IA newspapers.
The map-maker works In room
whose temperature can not run below
ninety degrees. Few men work at IL
longer than four years, though years
apprenticeship are required 10 make
them expert The heat becomes un-
endurable In the end and they 20 into
some other employment
Preparatory 10 making tho original
plate melted becswax and some hard
cning Ingredient are poured on II
highly polished metal table. For ilno
work the wax IL rs thin as piece OF
paper, but for the coarser kind the
thick. Rough pen and Ink drawings
of the work TO be done are given the
operators. They draw tho hair-lines
with sharp-pointed instruments by the
aid OF straight-edges. The dotted lines
Indicate county or township boundaries
narrow edge aro cut tho peculiarly de-
designed lines. All crooked lines are
made by hand and require an artists
eye Tho names Of towns, rivers,
countries and the like are impressed
I'm tho wax In type letter by letter.
Every impression must cut through
tho wax 10 tho polished steel plato
beneath, for tho map Is made face
down. When all the lines and letters
uro In. the wax IL placed under cooler
temperature, which hardcns IT, The
wax Is then covered with black lead
and the steel plate, with its waxen
coat, Is suspended In an olectrotyping
solution. Tho copper In tho solution
covers the black lead and forms "a hard
plato which is called the original. Tho
wax is then peeled of and the printing
surface is presented. The thin copper
plate is backed up with typo metal
and the plato Is ready for use. 1t Is
usually preserved, however for the
making of stereotype plates from
which the actual printing il done
In the preparation of the ctching5
great care is required to keep the wax
~ the proper temperature, as do
gree too low would make it hard TO
work and IA degree too high would
melt and probably destroy It. Often
many hundred thousand maps OF thu
Same pattern are ordered and from
twenty TO forty plates are made from
q IA, .f,rip Ia,
SO many Of these plates rs can be used
conveniently are placed side by side
on the presses and sheet of maps Is
printed at each impression. The or
dinary advertising rcal-cstatc map Is
finished when 1t leaves tho press. Tho
better maps are sized and vanished
The larger ones are mounted on roll
crs and wooden strips. This COM
plctcs the mechanical process of tho
making Of IA map.
But this il the smallest part OF "A
map. The unseen work, the prCpara-
tion OF the original draft, represents
the time. labor and money expended
The story of the dot IL not woven In o
day POst~Dtficc towns are located by
copies OF papers In the Post-oilicc De-
partmcnt at Washington; the chief en-
ginccrs of the railroads send proiiles
of their lines; county surveyors make
maps of their localities. Where the
Government has made surveys the To-
cation OF section. township or coun-
" line l. easily made. But the six
mile township system was not thought
of until the Western reserve of Ohio
was surveyed In the older States,
whcrc "a boundary line begins at "a
stone and runs TO n white-oak tree,
the trouble begins. Good local maps
arc used In these States. But in
countries where no Government sur
vcys have been made the greatest
difficulties are encountered. e Chicago
NCUs.
Mr.. Jonesby Departed.