The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-20

becomes necessary to keep also in touch
with railroad maps, and railroad builders
and their Intentions, so that, IN addition TO
all the features shown on the government
surveys, the map may be thoroughly up to
date In this great department OF travel.
THE EDITORS WORK.
Having assembled al: OF these authorita-
tive maps and charts before him, it be-
comes the work of the editor TO harmonize
them. to discover every point wherein they
differ. ascertain from u%ndoubted authori-
ties which of them are correct and which
not so, and thus, by combining the best
features of each. produce. as far as may
be possible in this ever-changing world, a
map that is thoroughly accurate at the
time of it's appearance. This TO the reader
may sound like a not very difficult under
taking. and in the more settled portions of
this country it is, perhaps, nothing more
than a task requiring infinite pains and a
conscientious grasp of details. But in new
er territory, where at first names are d.
Versely spelled and frequently of very OBJ
scure origin, where even the greater feat
ures Of the map are all too frequently care
lessly surveyed. and where every month
marks new developments that require here
a correction, there an erasure, and beyond
an addition, the work requires a degree of
editorial capacity of no mean sort.
When. however. we leave our own coun-
try and depart for the more civilized por-
tons of other lands, taking up the maps of
such areas as those OF China, India or in
terror Africa, for xample where every
traveller returns with a new system of
spelling. and the maps of no two nation
alities agree I'm this regard, the work
passes beyond that of the mere car
tographer and patient compiler of easily
ascertained data, and bristles with ques-
lions only to be decided by the linguist or
by continual reference TO such published
authorities as may be regarded as being
courts of last resort.
MANY WAYS OF SPELLING.
Working on the map OF China, for
example, with various books at his right
hand. selected because of their authors
standing in matters of this sort. the
editor must choose between Much
wang. Newchwang. Niew-chwang. or Mutt
schuan, and having decided upon one of
these. after finding out that our own Ma
tional Board on Geographic Names. the
Royal Geographical Society and the French
Geographical Society each choose a differ
ent spelling. he is still face TO face with
the fact that this interesting and unpro-
nOuncedble town Is a treaty port of the
province OF Liaotung. LeaO-tOnG, or Leu
tong, as he may select. The editor need not
so so far afeld, however. 10 find quite
sufficient troubles OF this sort. Coming back
toward home as far as Russia. he will
reach the town OF Nizhni NovgOrod. and
II 1T ANEo AN ~ NAA0 HHEAAAlAEr lie has
the choice in the first part Of the name OF
Mimi. Mimi. Nijniy. Nischnii. or Nizhnee.
all used by more or less excellent authOri-
ties, and If there Is not sufficient confusion
for him. he may find authority for chang
ing the spelling of the last name OF this
MuscoVite bOrO in VIC or three other WAYS.
Coming still n little nearer home and reach
ing the principal city of Saxony. Germany.
he Will find the German authorities. the
Royal Geographical Society, and our own
official board instructing him 10 spell the
name of that town Leipzig, and not Leip-
sic. although the Standard Dictionary,
which seems TO have a fondness for going
wrong on place names. will give him the
latter spelling, but in DanZig. not so very
far away. viii retain the final zig. in one
of those fine displays OF illogicality for
which dictionaries are particularly fam
perhaps, Just as well 10 return to look at
our own fOibles and weak points. and 70
discover that the long famous Mississippi
Light Is not MuScaVedder. as We long
fought. but Muscovalley. that both -Os-
horn. H.. and Osborn. Kan. must drop
their final >. while that of Minnesota must
Nave II added. and that OF Maryland must
hereafter be called Townshend: and so IL
viii go column after column and page after
page. correction plliug upon correction.
and the distressed and worried editor feels
like breaking away 20 the inner wilder
discovers that II Is not quite certain
whether his favorite lake is TO he spelled
PemadumcOOk PamedemCOOk. Pamadum-
cook. Pamedomcook or Pomedumcook.
MECHANICAL PROCESSES.
To leave our editor deeply enthralled IN
the mysteries OF his particularly difficult
work and return TO the mechanical and
more interesting side Of the art OF map