The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-07-14

BY Frederic >. Haskin.
H--OLD MAI AND NEW

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An old. man from northern New
lHampshire came into the map division
iof the library OF Congress in Wash-
liugton q few weeks ago in search o.
| information The death OF brother
had given him the deed to some iano
IsupposAd to be located. In Southern
Texas. He knew nothing OF its loca-
ttion. and was inclined to doubt It's
IreaI existence, because the brother
had been famous for his investments
| In wild cat land schemes, some OF
which involved territory never placed
upon any map. His knowledge OF ms
newly acquired property was limited
to the description contained IN the
deed. but within a few hours he had
Located 1t perfectly upon a county
may of Texas. This indicated the
distance of his plot from the court
house and railroad, and gave him
sufficient information to warrant his
expenditure OF the time and money
to go to Texas.
The exceptional system of CLASH
lcation of the maps in the library
of Congress renders such incidents
not infrequent. Nearly half million
maps and aliases are assembled, and
their contents are readily accessible.
Ia large number Of books and mono
graphs regarding them, which are be-
ing added to each year, are published
lions of the contents of the most i'm
portant maps and aliases, which fire.
quently obviate the necessity OF re-
ferring to the map itself. The sys-
tenn of arranging the maps OF this
library. which is In some respects the
most complete and valuable collec-
ton in the world, has excited the
favorable comments OF visiting carto-
graphers from different European
countries. who have expressed the
desire to see the same system adapted
in their institutions.
To Settle Law Suits.
Either a duplicate or the original
of every important map relating to
this country and its early history is
likely to be found in the library, and
they are frequently called into ser
vice to settled law suits over boun-
daries. One old map, published in
1854, was instrumental in saving the
government a law suit involving a
million dollars, which came up In
1912. The map represents Nebraska
and Kansas as they were in those
days. The dispute about certain roads
which the map proved were not even
in existence at that time. A photo
lsaphic hopy Of the may taken into
the court room was sufficient to settle
the case for all time.
The chief OF the division OF maps.
who laughingly claims to have been
horn among maps, is known through
out the civilized world as the 'fking
of maps" though bis real name is
Philip Lee Phillips. Mr.. Phillips loves
maps separately and in volume. From
the first map of the world now IN
existence, showing, Adam and Eve
looking out over the divisions of iand
and water which confronted them
after their expulsion froro Eden, down
| to the last sheet Of the international
amillionth map" or the latest map
| of the European war, he Is thoroughly
familiar with them all. He can give,
cff-hand, the sheet likely to settle any
boundary dispute, or the location OF
any territory. He has been cabled
to from The Hague conference for
information which has always gone
out within twenty-four hours. He
has been decorated by foreign gov
ernments and received the grateful
plaudits of his own, but he continues
to pursue his effort to increase our
national map collection and to rem
der its uses more generally known.
Few people sto pto consider the
real value of maps, or the fine art
displayed in their production. Among
the most valuable maps in the world
are the old portolanos. or sea charts,
used by navigators preceding and
throughout the fifteenth century.
These were drawn by hand and em-
bellished with the ricest co1orings.
painted in after the fashion of the
Nominations upon the old missals
and prayer books They are painted
on parchment or sheepskin and show
what was known of the geography at
that period. One of the most interest
ing, dated 1874, Indicates the principal
cities of the different countries by
towers embellished with the coats OF
arms of the powers ruling them.
Maps by Washington.
MANY manuscript maps connected
with the early history of the Ameri-