The times., 1899-06-25
THE LIBRARY MAP ROOM
Valuable CartosrnphicaI Treasure.
of the Nation

Variable CartogrnphicaI Treasure.
of the Nation.
One OF the most Interesting divisions of
the new National, Library is the hall Of
maps and charts, and there has been
but little written concerning il. The chief
OF the department. Mr. p. Lee Philips
became interested in the specialization of
maps when Mr.. Spofford was Librarian of
congress, anu has since then spent his time
| collecting and arranging them. and now not
only is the Library furnished with MANY
curious and valuable charts, but these ase
within reach OF the student and can he
referred TO with ease and despatch. With
out including those in books, which are
catalogued separately. there are 5O195
maps and charts, encased in manila paper,
with date, subject and author convenient
ly' to hand These are ranged on long
| tables IN such a manner that any one of
them can be reached at a moments notice.
The catalogues are made by typewrit sr
upon cards, OF which there are twenty
thousand, besides book record, which has
been compiled and is to be publishei
| shortly.
These results will be better appreciated
When II is understood that no record of
| the past has suffered more from the wear
| and tear of time than maps In Mr.. Phil
lips words, They are hard to collect. be-
cause when published separately they gen.
orally hnd their way into the waste
basket, the old ones constantly being sup
planted by new editions. Many volumes
OF great rarity in our library would be
doubly valuable If the maps missing from
them could be found. Literary lobbyists
are responsible for much OF this vandal-
ism, Tor In their anxiety to collect all in
particular line they will slash and de-
stroy everything else. and some in pre-
serving maps alone have made it difficult
to identify their past history
There are various curiosities in the co.,
lection, and to this class most of the old
est maps OF this country belong because
many years elapsed before a trustworthy
survey was made OF land SO distant as
America. Meantime the imaginations of
the old photographers ran riot, and they
made charts of this continent resemble
pictures OF Noah's ark, consisting mainly
OF water, dotted here and there with quaint
animals and birds
In one OF his books Mr.. Phillips has
published an anecdote illustrative of the
Ignorance and carelessness which then
prevailed. 1t was given as tod by Sir
Walter Raleigh:
l remember pretty Jest of Don Pedro de
sarIniente, who had been employed by his king
Ian, for when l asked him some question about
an island in those straits which might. me
thought, have done either benefit or dispieas,,re
to his enterprise, he told me merrily that it was
called the Painters Wife's lsland'' saving while
the fellow drew that map, his wife sitting by. de-
sired him to put in country for her that
she, in imagination, might have one island of her
own.
Among the rare old maps in the collec
tion are Samuel Langdon's Accurate Maps
OF His Majesty's Province OF New Hamp-
shire, dated 1855 "Cantonment of the
Forces OF North America, 11th of October.
1865, plan of Quebec, showing Encamp-
ment OF Wolfe and Montcalm. 1853" New
Mexico" by Escalante, 1878, and ,.Ro-
mans Map of Florida, 1774," which is SO
rare that doubt of its existence has been
expressed by photographers
Ihe only map ever known 10 have been
made by woman is in possession of the
department 1t is supposed to represent
virginia and is curious combination of
fact and fiction, showing the Ignorance of
the mother country in regard to the geo.
graphical position OF the new colony in
connection with 1.-The Sea of China and
the Indies which are placed west of "Ould
virginia and New" The Potomac is call
ed Maryland River, and the Carolipas.
Rawliana. There are Interesting marginal
notes as to the peculiarities of the new
country and the rivers are further mem
toned as being very beautiful streams and
flowing of necessity into the Indian
Ocean. Eirt
Four choice maps, encased in a hand
some bamboo frame, stand at one end of
the hall. These were presented by the
Japanese Government, as samples of ma
tive cartography at different epochs. be-
ginning as far back as $50 years ago. AL
some distance hangs an old map Of China.
showing the Celestial idea of the art.
Another class of maps which Will. in
time, have considerable historical value.
are the insurance maps. These are charts
OF all the larger cities by means of which,
when fire takes place, its exact loca-
ton and the name of the property's owner
can be ascertained. These are published
by one firm, of course, for the benefit of
the underwriters, but their value in other
directions is obvious
To scientific mind, perhaps. the
most curious item in the collection is a
relic of the French-Indan war of 1851. This
is chart of the country between New
York city and Lake Ontario. burned in
powder upon powder horn, such as all
the soldiers were compelled to carry in
that campaign This powder horn map is
to make part OF the exhibit that the de-
partment will soon place before the public
the furniture for which is being now manu-
factured
Mr.. Phillips has written a good deal for
the American Historical Association and
has published a number of books which
are standard in his own line. His latest
work on the Alaskan boundary and the
northern part of America has been of
much value TO the Joint High Commission
in its consideration OF the boundary ques-
tion.
The honor recently bestowed upon Mr..
Phillips in making him Fellow of the
Royal Geographical Society is not the first
recognition he has received OF his services
as a photographer. He was decorated some
time since with the Venezuelan Order of
Bolivar, of which there are five classes,
the first given only to sovereigns, the Sec
ond confined to diplomats. and the third,
with which Mr.. Phillips was presented,
given for high attainments in fields of
science and art. or for meritorious service.
A Ministry of Peace.
(From the New York Tribune)
NJ Waldeck Rousseau is a patriot but not n