Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-03-14
Chron logy Of the Atlas.

Chron lOgy of the Atlas.
II any reliance can be placed in pro-
fame histor,, chronology is response
bic for the fact that almost 2. 500 years
have elapsed since Greek scientist,
Anaximander by name, who lived in
Miletus, invented the first geographic
cal chart.
Nine centuries prior to that time.
however-if the records of the Pen
tateuch are to be depended upon-the
principles of elementary geography
had been established by Joshua, who,
after conquering Goshen and laying
waste his heighbor's landmarks. with
up-to-date disregard for the laws of
meum and tuum, undertook to de-
scribe, with almost land-office phrase
ology, the physical features of Canaan
This accomplished, he proceeded, ac-
cording to the biblical story. to sub
divide the land of milk and wild hon
ey amongst his military followers.
Thirteen centuries then rolled by be-
fore any attempt was made to reduce
geography to a mathematical science.
Hipparchus essayed the task, an un-
dertaking he left unfinished, only to
be revived by Strabo, another Greek,
seventy years later. From this time
on, interest ia geography and the
phenomena of this whirligig world
languished, until the researches ofthe
Italian Amalfi, in the thirteenth cen
fury, led to the discovery of the mag
net and the invention of the compass,
that revolutionary prince of naviga-
ton.
The investigations of astronomer
and geographer were now renewed
with medieval energy, but with the
advancement of the doctrine of the
sphericity of the earth, further re-
searches tell under the ban of the
church. Then came the exploits of
Columbus and the exhibition by his
brother of the great navigdtor's sea
charts in England in f44o, notwith-
standing which the discarded Honeric
idea of a sea-surrounded disk was
once more accepted Bat the six
teenth century. however, witnessed
the birth of Mercator, the first of the
army of photographic reformers who
were soon to follow. With his theory
and application of the science of lati-
tude aud longitude, principle was
destined to create radi-
cal change of front i'll the methods of
the tnap-maker Mercators solution,
after standing the test of adverse criti-
cism, was finally accepted and paved
the way for the magnificent speci-
mems of the American photographers
handiwork. which to-day astonishes
the world.
If the crude attempts of these an
Gent fathers of technical learning
were for decades regarded as rare evil
dence of scientific perfection. what
can be said of the artistic triumphs Of
the experts of the present time, before
whose finished specimens of mechani-
cal skill the primitive accomplish
ments of our forefathers pale into in
Particularly is this true
in regard to the science of nap-mak
ing in the United States. The study
of geography, which formerly was at
best but the irksome perusal of dry
physical facts, tiresolue and unembel-
lished, has now, thanks to the Ameri
can gift of invention and the culture
of the book maker. been lifted out of
the dead level of uninteresting litera-
ture into the regions of scholastic
romance.
No better exempli6cation of this
fact can be found than in the last edu-
cational work issued from the famous
Rand McNally press. This new Atlas
OF the World is very masterpiece of
modern map-making-an up-to-date
lexicon of the physical and govern
mental features of the world as they
exist to-day. No excuse is needed
therefore for directing the attention
of our readers to the elaborate descrip-
ton of its contents and the terms up
on which it can be secured, full par
tieulars in regard to which appear up
on another page. Indeed the value
of the publication as an educational
factor is SO undeniably great that it
is our intention to make further ref
erence to its contents and its special
features in succeeding issues OF the
Herald.
Tariff Bill Wilson will run for Con-
gress again when he gets through
Postmaster Generating the Cleveland