Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-07-08
UNCLE SAM As MAP MAKER
Most Reliable Party Engaged in
the Business.
ThouAsnds of Citizens Never Realize
That They Are Buying n Govern
ment- Made Article through
Ordinary Trade Channels.

In a manufacturing enterprise that Is
open to all comers-the making and pub
| fishing of maps-Uncle Sam, through his
geological survey, completes with such
success that lie is pretty generally recog-
nized to he the only producer of truly
accurate maps in the country, says the
Washington Star As a natural result
he practically monopolizes the business
In so far as it relates to land areas
within his own national boundaries.
The government maps are brought in
LARGE quantities by dealers every year.
and, being resold in shops. find their way
into the hands of thousands of citizens
who seldom realize that they are purchas-
Ing goyernment-made article. But so
firmly has the government established
itself "a mapmaker in the minds of
persons who know the fundamentals Of
good maps that the geological survey
product is specified in many Of the calls
for bids on big map orders.
This fact is brought ont and the i'm
portance of the surveys work in an
educational way ia emphasized by an item
In the specifications for equippng a Buff
falo high school submitted to contractors
for bids a few days ago. The item is n
geological survey maps, which will he
used by the pupils for studying geogra-
phical conditions in all parts of the coun-
try. The comprehensveness Of the sur
vey's map work is indicated at the same
time by the fact that dozen Of these
maps alone cover areas of such widely
different location and character as
Niagara gorge. Delaware Water Cap
of ri
Boston. Duluth, New York and Washing
ton and portions of the coast, including
the rock-bound shore of Maine. the sandy
and mud deposits Of the Mississippi delta
Altogether, over half million maps
and map folios are distributed each year
b. the geological survey, the majority
Of them being sold approximately at
cost and the remainder being given away
This business is growing constantly. and
its educational value in one field alone
is indicated by the estimate Of officials
of the survey that fully % per cent. Of
the maps distributed find their way into
the educational institutions of the coun-
try. In addition the majority Of the
maps used In school biographies are
compiled by commercial publishers from
maps made by the survey.
The usefulness Of the geological sur
vey as maker of topographic maps 10
the various branches Of the government
and to the public is practically unlimited.
OF great value in connection with the
boundary matters to the state depart
ment and in connection with delivery
routes to the post-offce department
scrupulouslv accurate maps are obviously
man clf, ha
To the marine crops of the navy in work
ing out the national defense They are
found to he of great value too. in the
various activities Of the commerce.
treasury and agricultural departments.
and play prominent parts in the work
of the general land office the reclama-
ton service and in the purely geological
eXplora tons of the survey itself States
OF the union are also heavy consumers
of the government maps. engineers. in
the location Of railways and big construc-
ton nroi1rts. save much time and la Dor by
their use, and finally they are used cx-
tensivcly these DAYS by automobile
tourists, hoy scouts and other members
of the general public for private pur-
poses
When the geological survey was created
prepare map Of the whole country. and |
1t has been engaged on this vast under |
taking ever since. To date about ~ per !
cent Of the continertal United States
proper has been covered-actually cover |
ed. for the originals Of the maps are |
drawn on the rrauond after careful meas |
urements. Estimates and guesswork.
which play prominent parts in most map
making. are not entering into Uncle |
Sans big undertaking in the slightest |
degree.
Because the area being mapped is so ,
grea t-approximately 3,oco,O00 square
mlles-the maps are made separately of |
'quadrangles,' the areas between merid- |
lans OF longitude and parallels Of lati- |
fude The scales vary from one TO four |
miles to the inch. depending on whether |
the area is important and thickly settled. |
or is mountain or desert wilderness !.
the map of the United States, on COM !
pletlon. were printed as a unit on a one
inch scale, it would cover nearly an acre !
Of paper