Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 May 1938 — Page 9

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. Vagabon

From Indiana = Ernie Pyle

From Rags to Riches Went the Abbe Family, Which Now Lives the Sort Of Life You or Ernie Would Prefer.

ARKSPUR, Colo.,, May 7.—There are a few families in this world like the Abbe family, but not many. There are five Abbes. The three children, whose books made the family famous, and Papa and Mama Abbe. Jimmy (Papa) is a roving photographer by profession. Polly (Mama) is a former showgirl. So far as I know, the Abbes have always been poor. That is, fundamentally poor. Now and then they'd have money, but they'd spend it right away. For years they lived that way, in Europe and America, a freelancing happy-go-lucky existence. And then came the children’s books—and money. I don't know how much, maybe $30,000 or so. Then the Abbes did what a lot of us dream of doing whenever our ship comes in. They bought a ranch—320 acres—down here abou? 50 miles south of Denver. Last winter they put up a very elegant house. And now I'm getting to the point I like most about the Abbes. They've reversed the tables on the world, but their “home-consciousness” is just as loose-leaf as it always was. Thev bounce an expensive car over the rough range. They forget to buy anything to eat. They run an open house for friends. as though their funds were limitless. They don't have “guests"—the guests become a part of the family. The Abbes picked an idyllic spot for their ranch. 1t is in the foothills of the Rockies. about 6000 feet high, and there are scrubby fir trees that give a feeling of altitude The house is about a quarter mile off the road. on a_ hillside. It is three stories high, and made of logs. There are three bathrooms, a bedroom for every one of the family and several guest rooms.

They Eat in the Kitchen Everybody eats in the kitchen unless there's a regiment. And for that, there's a big dining room with long table and benches, as in a mining-camp grub-

house. The little farm land on the ranch is rented out. Rut the Abbes milk four cows Mrs. Abbe milks, too); they have a couple of calves, four horses and a colt, four dogs and two cats. Jimmy wears an immense 10-gallon hat, very old and turned up at the sides. You will hear people say that the Abbe children are brats—that they are spoiled, neurotic and stuckup. That is not true. I've romped around with them a good deal, and I found them swell kids to get along with, full of life and sharp senses of humor. Patty, being the eldest (nearly 14 now), is more sophisticated than the boys. She'd probably upset a few traditions in an old ladies’ home. But I don't believe any of the children are impertinent. They are all growing up, of course. The boys wear overalls. love the ranch life, and are furiously healthy. Patty is extremely thin and pale, but is rambunctious by nature. She says she'd reaily rather live in the city where it's noisy, because she can’t go to sleep out in the country where it's so deathly quiet. The boys go to a country school near the ranch. Patty did go there, but a few weeks ago started to a private girls’ school in Colorado Springs. I drove her back to school, and we stopped to buy some candy. What do you suppose Patty goi? A pound of licorice!

My Diary

By Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt

Dogwood Sunday Expected to Draw Many Motorists Into Connecticut.

YDE PARK, N. Y., Friday.—I hardly know where to begin in telling you about our trip into Connecticut yesterday. I think I will just record the fact that I saw an old book containing the minutes of what, I suppose, was a meeting of a woman's Village Improvement Society. The book states that they were addressed bv a woman landscape architect and that she advised them on the beautification of the town. She later became a famous landscape architect

of the neighborhood. I imagine she was a pioneer and these ladies felt they were very bold in having her talk to them. The result of her work, some 40 years later, is an avenue of pink and white dogwood on Greenfield Hill such as I have never seen anywhere else in this country. They tell me next Sunday will be Dogwood Sunday and every road will be blocked with cars bringing people from far and near to enjoy the beauty of the road and of others near the hill. Our hosts, Mr. and Mrs. George Waldo, have inherited a house which belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Shackelton, who were among the first collectors of American antiques and whose books have guided many others along that pleasant path. The house is charming and what the Waldos have added is in keeping with the old part of it. There are extremely beautiful and valuable old pieces of furniture. Where they have had to supplement it, they have done so with reproductions made in Connecticut by a craftsman whose designs are beautiful.

Speaks at Poughkeepsie

The garden is charming, too. At lunch, I could hardly take my eves off the old fruit trees, which were shedding their blossoms on the grass below and making it look like a snowstorm surrounded with spring green. The ‘tulips were gay on the terrace and a most gorgeous old tulip tree shaded the house. Mr. and Mrs. Waldo are just the people to live here, for it is a place which should be loved—and they love it and have imparted their appreciation to both of their daughters, who seem really to have a sense of th beauty they have in their keeping. Mrs. Scheider and I drove to Hyde Park from there, dined with my sister-in-law and went down to a meeting in a Poughkeepsie High School. where I spoke on peace for the benefit of Bard College.

Mr. Pyle

New Books Today Public Library Presents—

URING the years 1914-1918, when Germany was engaged in an increasingly desperate battle against her many ellied enemies, an additional and persistent irritation was presented her by the famous and elusive little paper. “La Libre Belgique.” The exciting adventures of this paper and its editors. are told by Oscar E. Millard in UNDERGROUND NEWS (MeBride). Printed in defiance of the strict censorship imposed by Germany upon that part of Belgium occupied by her troops, it grew to be a taunt to the efficiency of the secret police, and a strong support of the morale of the subject Belgians. The career of this paper, and of the men who took malicious delight in annoying the German officials with it, was precarious. Time after time the information of spies led to the arrest of one—a dozen—50 men connected with the paper. And yet the publication continued. The daring enterprise of these men makes as good reading as the most thrilling penny dreadful. = 5 ” LET'S GO TO THE WEST INDIES (PrenticeHall). Himself a lecturer on cruise trips to the lands of the Caribbean Sea, George W. Seaton writes his book for passengers on such a cruise, who can spend

only a short time at each port of call and are inter- | ested primarily in what to see. where to amuse them- |

selves, and what souvenirs to buy. ASSIGNED TO ADVENTURE (Lippincott).

spots connote in the international newspaper game with an efficient performance as wife and mother, This biography is the story of the “whole crazy, glorious, mad adventure.”

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The Indianapolis Times

NISL

Second Section

By David Dietz

Times Science Editor

grandparents.

to do likewise.

made about long life.

the same.

and other accidents, for

cancer and kidney disease. Long life may be due to a constitutional resistance to disease, thus making it possible to live out the full span of life. But it may also be due, many authorities think, to an actual longevity factor in the heredity. Some people apparently age more slowly than others. It may be that they enter life with a greater store of energy for living than to other people. Dr. Raymond Pearl, famous biologist of Johns Hopkins University, thinks that the length of life of an individual depends upon two things—his store of life energy and the rate at which he uses it up. As soon as we speak of the rate of living, we are speaking of environment.

” ” ” HE importance of environment is, of course, obvious. For environment means adequate sheiter or its lack, adequate food or a shortage of some vitamin, the presence or absence of viru-

lent bacteria, and such other factors as drunken automobile drivers with the pecwer of cutting short the most promising span of life. Granting for the sake of argument that the world may some day have so fine a control of environment that no one will be

SATURDAY, MAY 7, 1938

(Fifth and Last of a Series)

HE way to have good teeth, a medical wit once said, is to start with your What he meant was that heredity appeared to play a tremendous role in the susceptibility to tooth decay. If your grandparents went through life untroubled by frequent bills for dental services, the chances are that you will be able

Much the same statement might be If both your grandfathers and both your grandmothers lived past 80, the chances are that you will do This is assuming that vou will succeed in dodging the hazards of traffic accidents rank fourth in the cause of death in America, being exceeded only by heart disease,

now

struck down by a pneumonia germ or a careless motorist, will people still continue to die between the ages of 70 and 100? Or will it some day be possible to keep people alive to the age of 150 or 250? The answer depends upon how rapidly we can develop certain fields of biochemistry, the branch of science which unites chemistry and biology. Some authorities would say that it depended entirely upon how rapidly we can advance our knowledge of enzymes. Our bodies, from one point of view, are chemical machines. The constant chemical activity extends to each and every one of the billions of cells making up the human body. Old age, as we have seen, represents a subtle change in the chemistry of the cells. So far it has been an irreversible sort of change, a change that, once accomplished, could not be undone. What we seek, therefore, is greater control over the chemistry of the body. The more we study the body chemistry, the more we are astounded by it. Modern chemistry has yet to attain the amazing efficiency of the chemical processes that go on in the human body.

2 x »

HE chemist, for example, must often employ intense heat, high pressure or powerful electrical currents to obtain results equivalent to the highly complex reactions of digestion which take

Three Score and Ten

Scientists Believe Enzymes Hold Clue to Longer Life Span

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place under the conditions of temperature and pressure that normally exist within the digestive system, The chemical reactions within the digestive system are made possible by the presence of certain substances in the digestive juices known as enzymes. The enzymes are complex proteins and there still is much to be learned about them. But it is known that they belong to the class of chemical substances called catalysts. They make possible a chemical reaction which otherwise would not occur. Just how the catalyst is itself involved in bringing about the desired reaction is not yet completely understood. It is only a little over a decade since the first enzyme was isolated in pure crystalline form. In 1926 Dr. James B. Sumner succeeded in isolating the enzyme known as urease. This is an enzyme which appears in certain diseases and is not a digestive enzyme. Digestive enzymes have only been isolated recently. Dr. John H. Northrop of the Rockefeller In= stitute has prepared pure pepsin and trypsin, while Dr. Henry C. Sherman of Columbia University has prepared pure amylase, an enzyme concerned with the digestion of starch. But to prolong the span of life, biochemists must concern themselves with the class of enzymes known as intracellular enzymes. These are enzymes which exist and perform their functions with-

living cells.

R. HANS SPEMANN, the famous European embryologist, has shown that certain chemical substances control the development of the embryo from the fer= tilized egg-cell. These chemical substances, which are called “or=ganizers” or “inductors,” are now

thought to be either enzymes or closely related substances. A year ago, Dr. W. M. Stanley of the Rockefeller Institute established the fact that the virus dis= ease of the tobacco plant, known as the tobacco mosaic, was caused by a gigantic protein molecule. Since then a number of other plant virus diseases and one animal virus disease have been shown to be due to similar proteins. These proteins are in some ways similar to enzymes. In fact, it may eventually be found wise to classify them as enzymes. When one of these giant protein mole= cules is introduced into a living cell, it alters the chemistry of the living cell and utilizes the atoms of the cell to build additional molecules like itself. This is an important clew to the behavior of protein molecules. New methods of approach to the problems of these proteins have been opened up by the invention of the ultra-centrifuge by the famous Swedish scientist and Nobel prize winner, Prof. The Svedberg. This machine is built upon the general principle of the dairy cream separator. The substance to be studied is placed in a quartz tube and whirled around at speeds

At the left is Dr. Hans embryologist whose studies are giving scientists new information ‘about the importance of enzymes.

Entered as BSecond-Class Matter Indianapolis. Ind.

at Postoffice,

Spemann, the famous

At the right is pictured a basal metabolism experiment at the Carnegie Institute of Washington. Such experiments are clues to the chemical behavior of

Below is shown an infant incubator at Maternity Hospital, Cleveland. through the opening stages of the span of life. success gives promise of new medical miracles in the decades to come.

Its use carries many babies Its

as high as 75,000 revolutions per minute. At such high speeds, centrifugal forces 500,000 times as great as the pull of gravity are developed. These forces become so great that there is sometimes danger of the quartz tube exploding. If a complex colloidal solution is placed in the machine, centrifugal force will have its greatest effect upon the heaviest particles. These will be driven to the bottom of the tube. The ultra-centrifuge can be used, therefore, to separate the heavy protein molecules from complex solutions or even from living cells. ” ” ” HESE protein molecules are exceedingly complex, some of them containing more than several thousand atoms. By compar= ison, remember that a molecule of water consists of three atoms. Only a few kinds of atoms go to make these protein molecules. They are mostly carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen, with sometimes the addition of sulphur, phosphorus, iron or magnesium. The important thing is the arrangement or configuration of the atoms. Thus, for example, pepsin exists in the secreting glands of the stomach wall as an inactive substance calied pepsinogen. Contact with the hyarochloric acid of the stomach immediately changes it into the active form of pz2psin. Perhaps the onset of old age is due to gradual changes in the enzymes of the cells. This is only a guess at present, but it is one of the guesses which scientists regard as sufficiently interesting to deserve investigation. Out of the whirling ultra-cen-trifuge, therefore, may come the knowledge needed to increase the span of life, New discoveries about the enzymes and their behavior may give scientists the data needed to keep the invisible timeclock that controls the span of life from running down. Decidedly, these discoveries are not around the corner. They will not come before the end of this year, one may feel entirely certain. They probably will not even come within the next decade or two. But it seems to me that the man who insists that they will never come is taking too conservative a stand. Enough medical miracles have been accomplished in the 20th Century to justify an optimistic outlook.

PAGE 9

Our Town

By Anton Scherrer

There's a Quite Definite Reason Why Mrs. Rosamond VanCamp Hill Is Backing the Equestrian Event,

OON as 1 heard that Mrs. Rosamond Vane Camp Hill had charge of the Army Champion Jumpers Meet, scheduled for toe morrow night at the Coliseum, I made it my business, you bet, to learn the reason why, I expected to find, of course, that Mrs. Hill was picked for her executive ability and her big drag with the horsey set. And just as I expected, it , did have something to do with it. That's only the

half of it, though. The real reason is a sentimental one, and it just goes to show what a good reporter can dig up when he starts probing a woman's heart. The real reason Mrs. Hill is backing the big event is because she wants to carry on the traditions left by her father. Seems that her father, Raymond P. VanCamp, was the first one to make Indianapolis horse-minded. He did it with the help of Joseph A. Milburn, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church at the time,

Parson Milburn, it turns out. was a born and bred Englishman who had a way with horses. Ona day (circa 1890) he saw Mr. VanCamp perched on a saddle horse and right then and there, he took him in hand. For one thing, he showed Mr. vVanCamp how to dress for the occasion, and ever since that day, nobody—not even the Strauss people—has dared to depart by as much as a button from the costume the Presbyterian parson prescribed for Mr. VanCamn, Well, after that, Mr, VanCamp was never without 8 horse and the proper getup. When the Spanish « American War turned up, he took his horse with him, On his return, Governor Durbin made him his mili« tary aid and it was during this period that Mr. Vane Camp rode Bob, one of the grandest saddlehorscs Indianapolis ever had. He was a gray bob-tailed-— the first bob-tail anywhere around here. At one

Mr. Scherrer

See This Page Monday for Training G-Men.'

in the individual cells themselves.

| Jasper—By Frank Owen

EE —

From | the springboard of an $!8 reporter's job, Irene Kuhn | took New York, Paris, Shanghai, Hawaii, and points | therefrom in her stride, mixing all that those strategic |

COPR. 1938 BY NEA SERVIC

Side Glances—By Clark

"It's the last time | come along. When you're not out with a cus. tomer we re sitting in a hotel room juggling that expense account," -

Copr. 1038 by United Feature Syndieate, Ine.

Ginko

"I didn't mind your Papa kibitzing—but this is going too far"

4 -

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

1—-Of which body of water is the Ionian Sea a part? 2—What is the geographical definition of an island? 3—Under which department of the Government is the U. 8. Coast Guard? 4—Does ice contain heat? 5—What are cameos? 6—Do retired Presidents of the U. S. receive pensions? 7—What is a caribou?

” ” ” Answers

1—The Mediterranean. 2—A relatively small body of land entirely surrounded by water. 3—Treasury Department. 4—Yes. 5—Gems cut in relief. 6—No. 7—French-Canadian name for the American forms of the reindeer, ” ” n

ASK THE TIMES

Inclose a 3-cent stamp for reply when addressing any question of fact or information to The Indianapolis Times Washington Service Bureau, 1013 13th St, N. W,, Washington, D. C. Legal and medical advice cannot be given, nor can extended research be undertaken,

time, too, Mr. VanCamp was a Captain of the National Guard.

A Judge in the Garden

By this time, Mr. VanCamp was known all over the country. He judged the horse shows at Madison Square Garden,.New York, St. Louis and Pasadena, At St. Louis he taught Adolphus Busch, the brewer, how to stay on a horse. His greatest feat, however, was when he drove Charmion, a horse belonging to Will White, the Yucatan Chewing Gum man. He drove against Dan Hanna (Mark's boy) and Charlie Otis (Elevators), and won hands down.

The old VanCamp stable is still standing in the rear of the old home at 1854 N. Delaware St. When it was going good it had four box stalls, a compalte ment for a cow, and space for goats. Also a duvee cote. On top of the roof was the prettiest weather vane in town. A couple of years ago some of the Traders Point crowd wanted to buy it, but the Vane Camps wouldn't sell. To be on the safe side, the VanCamps had the weather-vane removed, and for all I know it's now in some safety-deposit box Mrs. Hill wants everybody to be in his seat not later than 8 o'clock tomorrow night.

Jane Jordan—

Jane Tells Woman She Must Have Definite Life Goal to Be Happy.

EAR JANE JORDAN-I am 31 vears old and cone sidered very attractive, almost too much so for my nature. I was married to a man very dome inating who almost submerged my personality, We had three children, All our married life he drank and in the last two years I began to drink, too. Finally things became so bad we broke up. When he found 1 was really serious, he had the children taken from me by the court. They have a lovely home and wone derful care. I support them all except for their board, which the court pays. He doesn't contribute a penny, Now what I want to know is this: I'm dissatisfied and can't understand what is causing it. I left town last winter for a few months and got along splendidly so far as finances are concerned, but I had to come back. I even thought I might be unhappy because of my husband and gave him another trial of two weeks, I was very unhappy and got away from him again, Now I have a job and I believe I am in love with my boss. Can you tell me how I can be sure? By the way he is married. He divorced his wife once, but re married her. He says I am the only woman he ever thought he could love forever, but he wants to be sure. How can I tell if he means it or if it's just sympathy? ¥ 4 % Answer—I don't see how you can expect to be happy when you're leading a completely frustrated life. Your home is gone, you're separated from your husband and children and you see no chance of re-establishing yourself in the immediate future, Many a woman who is unhappy in her marriage thinks she would lead a happy life if only she were free. Many times she isn't a bit happier after her escape than before. Your life lacks purpose and a definite goal. You're just drifting along, faced with a job of reconstrucs tion which you hardly know how to attack, and you aren't a very patient person You've made the first step in building a new life, You have a job and you're working to help your children. I do not believe that a love affair with a married man is going to yield you anyihing but more frustration. It would be wiser for vou to look for something more dependable than the affection of a married man His record doesn't indicate that he is blessed with the emotional stability which you need, Wouldn't it be better for you to look toward ese tablishing a home for your children? I have no doubt but that you would be happier married to a good husband, but it is just a waste of time to pin your hopes on a man who is married. JANE JORDAN. Put your problems in a letter {o Jane Jordan, who will answer your questions in this column daily,

Bob Burns Says en

OLLYWOOD, May 17.—It seems like the longer I write the shorter I make my articles I remember my first newspaper job was on the PressArgus down home. One day one of our Senators was in town and the editor sent me over to intere view him. When I got back to the office, the editor says, “Well did you interview the Senator?” I says, “Yos.” He says, “What did he have to say? I said, “Nothin’.” The editor said, “Well, go ahead and write up the interview but try to hold it down to a

column and a half." (Copyright,

Walter O'Keefe —

OLLYWOOD, May 7.—For years people have been singing “I Wonder What's Become of Sally," and now the newspapers report Miss Rand as an orator before a group of Harvard boys. This is a very practical solution of the educational problem of our young blades. If they must see La Belle Rand it's cheaper to pay a boy's tuition for four vears than to pay the check if he goes to a Broadway night club to see her. Rumors from Boston say that a lot of fathers decided to drop in on the old campus during her visit to see how the boys were getting along with their studies.

1938)