Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 8 September 1938 — Page 14

Page PDF (10.71 MB)

Back to issue view

gabond

From Indiana = Ernie Pyle

Ernie Looks at Eye-Glass Factory And Discovers

And Chinese Are Back of It All

voluminous history of historic New England

great Describer Pyle stubbed his toe.

The Great Pyle has run onto something he can't

describe. Is he ashamed! The stumbling block is an eye-glass factory. The trouble is not with the describer’s eyes, but with his head. He somehow can't get an eye-glass factory through his head. The locale of my eye-glasses investigations was the immense plant of the American Optical Co. It is the biggest one in the world. I don’t believe I've been in a factory that goes to as much trouble to get things just right. They have inspectors and lightmachines and strength-machines and gadgets of various kinds behind every post. The most astonishing thing to me about the lens factory is the profound research they go through to achieve better glasses. They have one whole building full of scientists—chemists, physicists, metallurgists, and worst of all, mathematicians, What they do, or how they do it, I haven't the slightest idea. But here's an example of how far eve-glasses have come in the last few thousand years. ACT 1—-(Time—Middle Ages)—Glasses were worn largely as a badge of distinction. The bigger the glasses, the greater the distinction.

Mr. Pyle

your hat. ACT 2—(Time-—Present)—There is an eye trouble known as Aniseikonia. It means that if you're looking at a baseball, for instance, the ball will be one size in one eye, and a different size in the other eve.

It is very hard to fit glasses to eyes like that. You have to get mathematical angles, power units, refractory quotients and so on. These are called “informations,” and one man may have as many as eight “informations” in his eyes. To translate these “informations” into a lens of the proper corrective angle, you have to get way up in higher mathematics. It would take one matheician a week to figure up how to grind one pair of such glasses. out a chart. It took five years to make the chart.

It is of can-

vas, is about four feet wide, and 3000 feet long! It |

is wrapped around two huge rollers, and it takes two motors to turn it.

Has His Work Gone for Nothing?

The whole 3000 feet of this chart is filled with crazy lines and figures. From them, the experts can work out mathematical combinations into infinity. You could knock over the answer to eight “informations” in no more time than it takes you to drop your glasses Is that clear? the days when they tipped their spectacles instead of heir hats? If you don’t, then the American Optical Co. and I have labored in vain. Seems as if it's almost impossible to bring up any subject without finding either Benjamin Franklin or the Chinese mixed up in it. Take gunpowder, electricity, printing presses, poetry—what have you got? You've got either Benjamin Franklin or the Chinese. And take eye-glasses. What have you got? got both of them Eve-glasses were invented by the Chinese And what did Benjamin Franklin do? invented bifocals. Franklin had two pairs of glasses. nne for looking at scenery.

to see a cow in a pasture, he'd have to change glasses.

Often the cow would be gone before he could get his other glasses on. That made him sore, so he had

of specs.

That's all bifocals are. way today.

They're still doing it that

tte em————————

My Dia ry

By Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt

First Lady's Dress Shrinks When | She Is Overtaken by Thunderstorm. |

OCHESTER, Minn, Wednesday. — Yesterday afternoon, after the preliminaries of checking up

on James were over, we walked out to the hospital |

where he spent so many weeks and called on the sisters who had been kindness itself to him. must be busy every moment and yet they had time to sit down with us and chat inconsequentially on the kind of a summer we had had and how James was feeling and who was the present occupant of the room we had had. I watched their faces with interest. Something does write itself into the faces of people who live very

largely with the object of alleviating other people's suffering.

to think about it and a certain calmness appears in their expression. On the way back we were overtaken by a thunderstorm.

two blocks away from the hotel and only about a

block from the clinic in which we took refuge, but in i My dress began |

that block both of us were soaked. » shrink and I was glad there was an underground passage to the elevator so that I could keep pulling it down, otherwise I think the skirt would have been well above my knees before I reached my room. I sent t to the cleaners and haven't seen it yet, but I have

an idea that it will have to go to someone smaller

than I am if it ever can be worn again. Attend Movies With Mayos

Dr. and Mrs. Will Mayo took us to the movies last night and we saw a most exciting picture on Alaska and the salmon fishing industry.

of adventure about the crooks picture.

him in his invitation. that he was very glad to have a chance to see some acquaintances, for he was beginning to be a (rifie lonely, though he considered this place a most interesting spot. The working of the clinic was so fascinating to him that he forgot his personal concern in his interest in this wonderful machinery designed to help sick people back to health We may leave tonight and we may not. There is always a certain amount of uncertainty about life. I was reading a story by Ursula Parrott this morning in a magazine, and came across a sentence which

may be somewhat cynical but is good philosophy |

which most of us acquire as we grow older, namely,

that in this world it is well to want only those things |

which we can have.

Bob Burns Says—

HC kEwoon, Sept. 8.—I suppose the reason they have a judge of domestic relations is because domestic quarrels are a whole lot like a checker game. The onlooker can always see moves and mistakes quicker than the contestants. Uncle Hod met grandpa one mornin’ and says, “I can’t understand why my wife walked out on me.” He said, “We had a little argument, of course, and she threw a flat iron at me and then I threw a vase

at her and then she threw the coffee at me and I |

threw a cup and a saucer at her.”

Grandpa says, “Well, that's what made her mad— |

you shouldn't have thrown the saucer. When you

| threw the cup, it was her turn, then.” .

(Copyright, 1938)

That Ben Franklin Ch ® | + th St ¥ F ir SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 8.—Let it | ampions a e | a e a : here and now be added to the already | Horses, Cattle, Dresses and Tall Corn Draw the Honors that in this town of Southbridge, on this | : latiibite eighth day of September, MCMXXXVIII, the The | ae : 5 hr"

On meeting a | fair lady, you took off your glasses instead of tipping |

That's too wasteful, so they worked |!

| Do you see any progress there over

The Indianapolis

Imes

Second Section

BENS

You've i

Well, he |

One for reading, | If he were riding along | the countryside reading a book, and suddenly wanted |

his glasses cut in half and combined them in one pair

They

I doubt if it means that they suffer any $he | less themselves, but they haven't quite so much time |

The rain began to fall when we were barely |

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER g&, 1938

1. King and Duke show the power that won for them the championship in the heavy weight horse pulling contest at the Indiana State Fair. The team, owned by the Cedardelle Farms of Plano, Ill, was driven by Pliny Baird. King and Duke are Grade Belgians weighing 4295 pounds. They are 9 and 11 years old. The horses are tugging at a truck specially built at Purdue to test their pulling power.

2. This Holstein heifer, shown with its owner, Ray Bottema, R. R. 9, Indianapolis, won the breed championship in the 4-H Club livestock show at the State Fair. 3. Here are the purple ribbon winners in the annual Indiana 4-H Club Dress Revue held in connection with the State Fair. The winners, named for their handiwork in making attractive and serviceable dresses, were selected from 86 girls representing as many Indiana counties. These 86 girls originally had been selected from a group of 5000 4-H Club girls throughout the state. On the right is the grand champion, Cath-

erine Leirer of Cass County, who is wearing her prize-winning party dress. Others, left to right, are Margaret Stockhuetter of Decatur County, winner in the silk dress division; Martha McCullock of Scott County, wearing the winter wool dress she made, and Mary Beck of Carroll County, reserve champion of the revue, in her wool sports dress. 4. Another 4-H winner of the Fair is George Howey of West Point. He is shown with his champion and grand champion Angus steer, Shine, a junior yearling. The State Fair this year has been predominantly an affair of youth. Youth exhibitors outnumber considerably the adults and the Hoosier youngsters are carrying off a large share of the prizes and premiums. Young Howey is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Howey and is a member of the Jackson Township, Tippecanoe County, 4-H Club. He has shown steers at the State Fair for three years. The grand champion steer weighed 1170 pounds. George had fed his entry shelled corn, oats, barley, clover and timothy hay. The steer

Entered as Seeond-Class Matter

PAGE 13

at Postoffice, Indianapolis, Ind.

recently was awarded grand champion honors at the Tippecanoe County 4-H Show. 5. Here is the crowning of Indiana's tallcorn king. John A. Penney of Bloomingdale is shown third from left with his prize-winning stalk. It measured 17 feet 1 inch. He is being presented with a cup by Lieut. Gov. Schricker. The presentation was made on the large stage facing the Fair Grounds grandstand. In awarding the prize Mr. Schricker chided Governor Horner, who previously had challenged Indiana to beat the tall-corn record set in Illinois. “We not only cleaned up on Illinois,” Mr. Schricker said, “but we cleaned up on the world with these examples of the kind of corn we grow in Indiana.” The runnerup in the contest, Mitchell Sanderson of Flora, is shown at the right. Beside him is his stalk of corn which measured 16 feet 814 inches. At the left in the photo is William Renshaw of Indianapolis. Others in the picture are staff members of radio station WLS.

TEST YOUR

Side Glances—By Clark

C.. VT: M. REC. U. 8. PAT. © "The other guests got regular bedrooms. invited us out here just to insult us?"

Everyday Movies—By Wortman

KNOWLEDGE

1—In which European country is the Isere River? 2—What is faro? 3—Which state in’ the United States is named after the brother of Charles II? 4—With what sport is the name of Kay Stammers associated? 5—On what river is the city of Memphis, Tenn.? 6—How often is a population

taken? 7—Name the mythological creature, half man and half horse. 8—In which city Square Garden? on » »

Answers

1—¥France. 2—A gambling game, 3—New York, named for the Duke of York. 4—Tennis. 5—Mississippi. 6—Every 10 years. T—Centaur. 8—New York.

is Madison

» »

ASK THE TIMES

Inclose a 3-cent stamp for reply when addressing any question of fact or information to The Indianapolis Times

Do you suppose they

Washington Service Bureau, 1013 13th St. N. W., Washington, D. C. Legal and medical advice cannot be given nor can extended research be ' under

a keng - ied NO a i Hn

Sg AA

I a

census of the United States

| impels," and_so

cay

Washington

By Raymond Clapper

Roosevelt's Fight Isn't to Keep The Democratic Party Liberal, but To Make It So, Clapper Declares.

VW ASHINGTON, Sept. 8.—It is the nate ural political answer for Senator Tydings and other targets of President Roosevelt to pump up a cry about “Federal invasion’ and dictatorship. That, however, 1s no reason why an intelligent voter should take this hokum seriously. Even Senator Tydings’ own lieutenants will in some instances privately admit that Mr. Roosevelt is entitled to try to defeat this Senator who has voted against the Administration on more major issues than some leading Republicans, and who had to be dragooned info making a ‘seconding speech for Mr. Roosevelt at the Philadelphia convention, which he did in one long sentence. They don’t think Mr. Roosevelt has gone about the job in a very workman-like way and for that they are truly grateful. In Maryland, if Mr. Roosevelt ignored the situation, he would be letting the New Deal go down by default in the November elzction. For with Senator Tydings nominated by the Demo= crats, voters in November would have no choice as to principles. They would have to vote either for the reactionary Tydings or for the reactionary Re=publican candidates. Mr. Roosevelt let exactly that situation develop in Idaho. The Administration neglected to make a fight for Senator Pope, a loyal supporter. Consequently, with the aid of Republicans who slipped over into the Democratic primary, a conservative Democrat, Rep. D. Worth Clark, was nominated. Mr. Roosevelt talks about “keeping” the Democratic Party liberal. That is premature. His real fight is to “make” it liberal. Up to now, the Democratic Party has consisted of an aggregation of political machines, conservative at the core, and the New Deal has been a Roosevelt facade. Only Mr. Roosevelt's great personal popularity has enabled him to push his program along. These political machines followed Mr. Roosevelt because of his popularity. Take Mr. Roosevelt away and the party will snap back into the same organization that it was when John Davis ran against Mr. Coolidge, when you couldn’t tell one party from the other except by the name.

Machine Politicians Alarmed

For years the Democratic Party was a loose fede eration of local machines—Hague in New Jersey, Tammany in New York, Pendergast in Missouri, the late George Brennan in Illinois, and lesser ones buil§ on the same model in other states. Often, as in New York, they traded with Republicans to whom they gave the electoral vote in return for a local monopoly of their own. These machines are normally dominant in party primaries. They have a direct vital interest in keeping control of the local party organization. Mr. Roosevelt’s- attack on the favorites of these machines in Georgia, South Carolina and Maryland has alarmed every machine politician and made him conscious that his local power is threatened. They didn't mind cheer= ing for the New Deal as long as Mr. Roosevelt left; them alone. But he is now stepping on their toes. That's something different and they are out to get him. It's the toughest fight he has ever been up against.

Mr. Clapper

Jane Jordan

Girl Who Accepts Responsibilities Would Make Good Wife, She Says.

EAR JANE JORDAN-—While on a vacation ree cently in one of the Northern states I met a beautiful girl of 22. She has had a tough break and I admire her for her courage. She is an unmarried mother. Through a very complicated deal she has fought to prevent the baby from being adopted. She works in a doctor's office to support herself and baby. The baby, a gir], is five months old and is as cute and sweet a child as anyone ever saw. I made the trip with her sister and brother-in-law and through them I met her. She knew that I had heard all about her private life and didn’t really want to see me. We went to a little night club to dance and had a deep conversation concerning our lives. I am 29 and have been divorced for five years. My wife has married again. I have been lonesome and dissatisfied, I have made my own living for 20 years and have always had a great deal of responsibility. This girl has all the qualities I want in a wife. She would be a very fine person to trust and put a lot of faith in even though she has no great background to offer. I fell in love with her and can hardly wait till I can get back to her. I have asked her to marry me in the spring and she has accepted my offer. My folks are rather old-fashioned and I don’t think they approve of my marrying this girl but after all it is no one’s business but my own. I have already made up my mind as to what I am going to do but would like to know what you think of the whole affair, A.B. C, ” ” ” Answer—It doesn’t take long to figure out that you would do an excellent thing to marry this girl if you both love each other as you appear to do. She has many things to recommend her. The greatest of these is her steadfast refusal to shift her responsibility to somebody else. Neither did she run downhill be=cause of her catastrophe nor resort to sob stuff in order to gain sympathy. In other words her approach to life is an attack, not a retreat. I agree with you, This girl has character, I like your attitude. You do not speak as if you were doing her a favor by establishing her ina socially, acceptable position. On the contrary you feel thaf the gain is all yours. By her handling of disaster she has won your admiration and respect. Under these circumstances I believe she will be an asset to you. Conceal her story if you can. Since the girl lives out of town you can say that she is a widow with a child. These precautions may not be necessary for you or for her, but they will be a protection to the baby. Since your mind is already made up, I can’t help wondering why you wrote your letter. Is it that the doubts of your parents make you feel the need of outside support and a little praise instead of blame? If they do not become reconciled to your marriage in time, try to move your wife and child to some other locality. JANE JORDAN.

Put your problems in a letter to Jane Jordan, whe wily | answer your questions in this column daily. P|

New Books Today

Public Library Presents—

I" was all a mistake that Lord Copper, owner of the Beast, great London newspaper and rival of the Brute, sent William Boot to Africa to report the incipient war, or revolution, or conquest, or whatever it should turn out to be. But the surprised William went, accompanied by a collapsible canoe, a Christe mas hamper designed to furnish Christmas dinner to four children or six adults, six cleft sticks for carrying messages, a camp operating table and set of surgical instruments, and a hand pump and sterilizing plant. How Providence, which looks after innocents, senfi the other newspaper correspondents into the interiog looking for Laku (which didn’t exist) and dropped a scoop into the lap of this guileless representative of the Beast, is told in the hilarious yet scathing, novel

A Re A I AAA IA WAS

LR BR AAA

—