St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-04-27
HOW GLOBES ARE MADE.
Something to Think About the Next Time
You Look At One.

Something to Think About the Next Time
You Look At One.
The first process in making a globe
is to cover the model all over with
thick layer Of pasfeboard IN a moist
state. When it has dried a sharp
knifeis passed around itso as. tossep-
arate the pasteboard coat into two
hemispherieal shells, which are then
taken off 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 with
a coating Of white enamel abouto one-
eighth Of an inch in thickness, COM
posed Of whiting, oil, turpentine and
glue. When this is done the balls
turned to a perfect roundness with q
machine, the operation of which is
too sacred to be exhibited to the cas-
ual visitor. At the conclusion Of the
process it looks like nothing so much
as highly-ma gnified white marble,
such as q giant might play lSnuelle-
down with.
The iron rod running through the
center Of the original model and pro-
jecting at both ends through the sur
face has left holes in the new globes
which serve very well for the north
and south poles, and through these
metal axis is run to represent the
axis of the earth.
To be perfect the globe must re-
VolFe evenly upon its axis when the
latter is held horizontally, without
exhibiting any disposition to stop
with one side up rather than another.
# it does not do so it must be bal
anced by boring a hole in the lighter
side, and fastening within a little bag
containing as many shot as may be
requisite. Then the hole is plugged
up and the surface made even again.
The next thing is to mark the sur
face of with pencil lines into math-
ematical segments corresponding
precisely in shape with the sections
Of map that are to be pasted on.
These map sections are made from
copper plates ID just the sizes and
shapes required to fit the globes they
are made for, one set, ofeourse cover
ing the entire surface Of a sphere.
They are printed-nany Of them
together, like dress patterns on
sheets Of the finest linen paper, and
are cut out carefully with sharp
pointed knife.
1o paste them o. properly, 50 that
they will meet perfectly at the edges
and not show the lines of joining re-
quires great pains and skill.
When this is accomplished the diff
ferent countries, and 50 forth, are
tinted by hand with water colors.
THERE'S no especial rule forthis, save
that contrasts are sought to help the
eye.
Finally the whole is oyerlaid with
an astonishingly brilliant white var
nlsh, which is of such almost metallic
hardness that it viii wear Indefinitely
without scratching, preserving al
ways its brightness.
Now the globe is done and ready
for mounting A beautiful thing it
IS, too-its. printing as clear as cop
per-plate can make il, the eolors
vivid, and, above all, correct IN every
detail according to the very latest
geographical information. And yet
the man who executed the plates en-
ployed to-day has been dead many
years.
Ills name was W. B. Amin. and it
Is said that his equal at map engray-
ing does not exist in the world at
present. That is the reason Why the
plates he made are still in 1lse-be-
cause they are better than any new
ones that can be obtained Golden
Days.