The Washington herald., 1917-05-28
DOUBT RIVER TO ADORN
PAN-AMERICAN MAP
Engineer Court Will Work to Replace
Chicago Fair Relic.
. xg,dtcateS

Col Roosevelt IL 20 be vtndicated
me RIVER or Doubt is TO pe placed on
the big relief map OF South America at
the Pan-American Building.
In the early eighties. Emil z. Court,
a German. who had fought through the
F'ranco-Prussian war and won an Iron
Cross in IL, decided he would be an Amer
lean and came to this country and set
tied in Washington
Court was skilled engineer, surveyor
and mapmaker, and he quickly found en-
ployment in government service.
In 1891, the managers Of the world .
falr' that was held In Chicago In 1898,
wanted large map OF South America
preferably a relief map, and asked the
government to have one made.
II At that time the making Of relief maps
I was a new art, and only known in Europe.
There wasn't a relief map OF South Amer
lea In the world. and. worse even. many
sections of South America had not been
explored. The great Amazon plain, al
most as large as the United States, was
practically unknown.
Amazon Valley Then Une1pIOred.
Court had learned TO make relief maps
in Germany and he was selected by the
government to make one for the fair II
WAS a tremendous job. He had to get
| casts OF all the countries he could, and
then match them down to the same
scale. The great Amazon valley he had
10 leave fiat on the map because its topo-
graphy was unknown.
The map. 10 by 16 feet in size, attracted
much attention at the fair. and l<terward
! It was brought back TO Washington and
! put away in a cellar.
t, Several years ago hen officials were
| looking high and lUS for suitable things
| TO put in the Pan-AmeTIcln Building
! someone dug up the relief map. John
II =
he busted IL on, put on coat Of paint,
stuck some flags on the South American
! capitals and put It in the place OF honor
in the building, with a shiny brass rail
| all around.
A few weeks ago, Emil r. Court. who
! had retired from government service long
ago and settled down in a little apart
ment house he had built Up Thirteenth
street strolled into the building and
. twenty-six years ago.
My map" he shouted. in his excite
ment. and Capt. II. r. Mitchell. the Eu-
perintendent, came running out Of breath.
I've been trying for years 10 fnd CIt
who made that map said Capt Mitchell
Everyone asks about il. Even today IL
is one Of the finest relief maps in the
. country"
l. Barretrs Consent Given.
. court ana NdNl. MllCncA stunned over
the map a long time. especially tracing
the course Of the All-Amercan Railway
from Boston to Buonos Ayres. which
Court had painted on his map wh,+ the
project was called the silIest idea OF
the times, and winch today is almost
( completed.
Suddenly Court pounCed Upon a little
depression in the Ereot Amazon Valley.
Here's where tho River O. D0uet that
.
he said. 1T must be put on the rnap.
1t is tremendously important"
Court went TO Director General John
Barrett with his story AMI told him the
history Of the map and how it should be
| changed
ed ike To make a new map for your
building" said Court. "I'd make Il my
masterpiece II woCLl BE- the finest *
hibition OF the ar: OF relief map making
in the world"
II suited John Barre.t-and so the River
. OF Doubt will come into its own