Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-13

line, or, let US say, the hair-lne busi.
of the map 10 be made.
Now come into play many diverse
| and delicate engraver's tools. of vdri-
\ Gus widths. with which to cut through
: this plastic coating. coast and othe,
/ boundaries, rivers railroads. mountain
| contours, etc. Much depends upon the
skill with which this compound is
placed upon the copper surface ana up
on its thickness, which Will vary from
! one-sixteenth to one-hundredth part u
an inch, according to the sort of en-
craving that is to be made. After the
transfeTrence of all these details to the
plate. the various place names. river
names. mountain names, etc. all OF the
lettering in fact. are set up in different
and appropriate types. according to the
original drawing passed upon by the
editor. and the plate then goes to the
hands Of the stanpers.
The stamper hasa t4blc.7in thts cen
ter Of which is stone from two or
| three inches thick, under which i gas
light burns to keep II atC0ns eve1 tenn
perature. On this stone the plate il
piaced, ana upon this surface the IN
verted types ale -caI'efully. stamped IN
I their proper positions. Every name
having been placed upon the map as
Indicated in The original drawing, the
plate and this drawing nov go to the
ptoofreader, who carefully compares
one With the other, the lettering of the
Original or editorial copy with the cut
ting on the copper plate, painstakingiy
going over the spelling Of each word.
observing that il is properly placed and
in proper type, and any mistakes. IL
.such are discovered, are marked to be
ebliterated and restamped by the en-
graVer and stamper who did the work.
|, Now the plate goes to n special ar
tisan who builds UP" the thin layers
Eyof the compound, so that it will be of
the right thickness Tor an electrotyne
seld then the plate is carefully gone
Ter and picked up" as il is called.
fthat is, in such places as the builder
Efnay have melted over a river line or
town or mountain name.s the building
having been done by a heated iron and
some more Of the compound already
ased on the plate. these must be re-
stored as at first.
This picking up. or correcting OBJ
Hterations in the compound having
| peen completed. the plate is now cover.
4 y
ed with a layer OF lead of perhaps
three sixteenths or more of an inch in
| thickness. and the top on printing mast
! IS discovered TO be a thin shell of hard
| copper, scarcely Of a hairs thickness.
backed by this layer of lead.
| This metal plate now goes TO the fin
isher, who touches UP such minor inn
PROJECTIONS rs may have occurred in
! tie electrotypipg process: here a
| slightly roughened ssHrfaoe 10 be
smoothed, or there a minute protuber-
ance 10 be shaved down and then IL is
| mounted on one Of the ordinary cherry
wood blocks, such as are used under all
| electrotypes- or metal. Illustration sur
| faces and which bring the printing sur
/ face up to the proper height for use on
| the bed Of a press.
Proofs Of this map are then, taken, and
| one, or these p-6ofs is' then transferred
to each Of as many copper plates as
1 there are 10 be different primary colors
used on this particular man. the color ~
I tint lines of these being fri.fde BY 4 ruiz
ling machine and each block I'm turn be-
fling buff Up and electrotyped az already
/ described in the first block, which is to
be printed in black ink.
Now. If editor engravef. stamr.er
tbuilder-up and proof reader have all done
i tfeir work as they should we have 4 I'm
ished map plate or set Of plates, which