The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-10-05
HOW GLOBES ARE MADE.
BOst0n,s Factory for Turning out
sphere Maps of the Earth.

The factory that turns out these won
derful geographical spheres which are
sent hence TO all parts of the civilized
world is a shabby little building up all
obscure alleywsy called Mount Vernon
avenue, writes a Boston correspon.
dent. The first process in making a
globe is to cover the model all v e
with a thick layer Of %pastebOard in
4 moist state. When il has dried a
sharp knife is passed around it SO as TO
separate the p%asteboard coat into two
nemispherical shells, which are then
AIKEN of the model and united at the
cut edges with glue. The hollow
sphere thus formed is the skeleton OF
the globe that Is to be. The next thing
is TO cover it WIFI d coatiuS VI Witt
,nn,paI about one-eighth OF all inch in
thickness, composed of whiting, oil,
turpentine, glue and other things
hen this is done the ball is turned TO
a perfect rOundness with a machine,
the operation OF which is too sacred to
,e exhibited to the casual visitor. Al
the conclusion of the process il looks
like nothing 81 much as q highly mag
Jified white marble, such as a giant
might play knuckle-down with.
The iron rod running through the
center of the original model and pro.
Getting at both ends through the surface
has left holes in the new globe which
serve very well Tor the north and south
poles, and through these a metal axis il
run to represent the axis OF the earth.
70 be perfect the globe must reVolve
evenly upon its axis when the latter is
leld horizontally, without exhibiting
my disposition to stop with one side
up rather than another. If it does not
do so II must be balanced by boring a
mole in the lighter side of and fastening
within a little bag containing as many
shot as may be requisite. Then the
pole is plugged up and the surface is
made even again. The next thing is to
mark the surface off with pencil lines
INTO mathematical segments CORES
bonding precisely III shape with the
.ectiOns of map that are to be pasted
IN.
These map sections are made from
'opper plates in just the sizes and
shapes required TO iii the globes they
are made for, one set, of course, GOV
eriDg the entire surface of a sphere.
they are printed, many of them 10.
gether, like dress patterns, on sheets
# the finest linen paper, and are cut
out carefully with u sharp pointed
knife. To paste them on properly, so
that they will meet perfectly at the
edges and not show the lines of joining,
requires great pains and skill. When
his il accomplished the different coun-
tries and so foi tn are tinted by hand
with wafer cOiors. There is no especial
rule for this, W that contrasts are
sought 10 help the eye. Finally, the
whole is Overlaid with al astOnishingly
brilliant white varnish, which is of such
almost metallic hardness that it will
wear indefinitely without scratching,
preserving always It's brightness.
Now the globe is done and ready for
mounting. A beautiful thing il is too
its printing as clear as copper-plale
can make il, the cGlors vivid and,
nc 20 the very latest geographical it,
formation. And yet the man who
executed the plates employed to-
day has been dead many years.
His name was w. b. Annim, and
and it is said that his equal in map
engraving does not exist in the world
at present. That is the reason why the
plates he made are still in use, because
hey are better than any new ones that
can be obtained. When any alteration
is necessary, owing to geographical
changes o r discoveries, they are taken
60 a certain remarkable expert here in
b. stOn, who beats the part that is to be
corrected flat aud engraves what is re-
quired Oh the new surface.