Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 May 1939 — Page 9

Vagabond

From Indiana—Ernie Pyle

Some Freight Trucks Have From 8 to I5 Forward Speeds and It's a Trick to Change Cen

ATON, N. M,, May 9.—It was around 3 | o'clock in the morning when we went | through Trinidad, Colo. Elmer Rook was driving, and we didn’t stop. From Trinidad it is only 25 miles to Raton. But it’s 25 hard miles, because you have to go up over that winding road to the top of T7000-foot Raton pass, and then down the other side. As you know, a truck has to go into low gears on the slightest grade. And on a mountain, you get down to really low gears. The lower you get, the louder the gears scream. When you're finally right down there pulling, you can hardly talk in the cabin for the noise. Gear shifting is one of the most fascinating things about trucking and one of the most important too. This truck, for instance, has two gear shift levers, and eight forward speeds. On the Western division of | the Los Angeles-Albuquerque EX- | press line the trucks have as high as 15 forward speeds. In certain combinations. both levers have to be shifted at once. The driver works the throttle with his right foot, “double clutches” with his left. sticks one arm through the steering wheel, and simultaneously shifts a lever with each hand. It is not only complicated, but it's so hard to do that many drivers never learn it properly. Driver Elmer Rook says that seven out of 10 good auto drivers can't learn to be satisfactory truck drivers. | And there are other men who simply can't “take” | the physical wear of driving a truck Just before we reached the New Mexican line, we came to a Colorado Port of Entry station. The inspector was out to signal us down with a flashlight. We drove our front wheels onto scales and stopped. | | In a minute the inspector rang a bell and we drove | slowly forward. When our hind wheels hit the scale | another bell rang, and we stopped. Elmer got out all | his manifest papers, and went inside. Truckers pay so much a mile on every pound carried. When he came out he laughed and said, pounds over tonight.” “Over what?” I asked. “Over what we're getting paid for,” he said. Then he explained that the company, when it | picks up things around the city for shipment, does | not weigh the stuff, but takes shippers’ word for it.

12,000 Pounds of Freight

These scheduled daily trucks usually carry an as- | load. We have aboard such things as machin- | ery parts, cigarets, movie film, electrical supplies. Our | 12,000 pounds is in scores of cartons, boxes and sacks. It came from 50 different shippers. A little later, we came to New Mexico's Port of atry, set high in the mountains above Raton. The nspector was in his little house, sitting before the fireplace, sound asleep. We had to wake him. They don't weigh the trucks in New Mexico. Just take the shippers’ manifest for it. From the inspection station we dropped down that steep, winding road onto the flat plains of New Mexico. Our truck does not have air brakes, so Elmer | took no chances, and dropped down from one gear to another, until we were runn.ng in the same low gear we used coming up, and the great load barely moved | against the compression of the engine. As we wound around the curves, Elmer pointed out where truck after truck had gone off into the night out of control. I don't see how any trucker can sleep through the weaving and rocking and gear-screaming that it takes to go down Raton pass. But when we pulled up in the vacant streets of Raton at 4 a. m., we had to pound and shout for a long time before we could get Ernie Ayer ers up. to have his coffee.

My Day

By Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt

Urges Poll on Whether Public | Opposes Women in Symphonies.

EW YORK, Monday.—This morning I was pre- | sented with my piece of blue material from England. My chief interest was to make sure that | it was very thin, for one can never tell what the | weather may be like on the 8th of June in Wash- | ington, D. C.! I meant to tell you the other day that I had a | talk with Miss Antonio Brico, the one woman orches- | tra leader I know. She came to tell me of a curious | situation. Our music schools take in women and train them until they are as good artists as men in the same field, but those who plan the personnel of | orchestras tell her that the public has an aversion to women conductors and women members of symphony orchestras, and it is almost impossible for a young worzan to be chosen on merit. This seems to be a particular occupation in which | sex counts primarily I was rather interested, for I had alway S thought where the arts were coned, tl was less of this particular kind of | judice to overcome. I wonder if Dr. Gallup could these young artists by taking a poll as to | the public has a desire to choose its musi- | according to their ability or according to their | We de ide so many things today on poils, this | be a rather useful bit of information.

Mr, Pyle

“We're 600

sorted

that

1ere

help whether clans sex?

Foreign f Relations Machinery

reading quite a little the last few days about the machinery through which we deal with foreign relations. One gentleman, who is very well informed. feels there is a serious lack in | his machinery because, in theory, our Government | in both the legislative and executive branch must work closely together on these questions Some are by law the duty of Congress These things, of course, were arranged as checks on the executive power, us gentleman feels that all the members of Congress should have access to all the information which is in the hands of officials in the executive branch who deal with foreign affairs. He states that this is so in England and France. I think the gentleman must be mistaken, for it would be “agin” human nature for so many people to know a secret and keep itt There was an eminent diplomat who once remarked that if you had to ask anyone not to repeat a thing, you had better not tell it. Much of the information which comes to officials dealing with foreign affairs is uncorroborated, but valuable as background material. The sources of this information would soon dry up if it became the property of too many people.

I have been

11y Ou}

Day-by-Day Science

TE: the chemical industries depend on mineral resources for their raw materials is well known, but it is little realized that the great bulk of the most | important chemicals are made from a relatively few | minerals. Give a chemist water, air, coal, sulphur, mineral salt, limestone, sulphide ores, brines, petroleum and natural gas and he can make an amazing host of | basic and important chemical materials. This list, in | fact, represents the “first 10” of the raw material re- | sources of chemistry according to a new survey reported in the current issue of Economic Geology by | Prof. T. T. Quirke and R. N. Keller of the University of Illinois { Out of a total list of only 34 mineral sources chem- | 1stty can fashion literally thousands of chemicals and, most important, a basic list of 150 bulk chemicals, such as ammonia, glycerin, carbon, chlorine, aniline and so on. In making the basic 150 important bulk chemical Products, it was found. by the Illinois study that Water, air and coal were needed mast frequently. Thus water had a relative frequency of use given by an index number 99. Air followed with an index yd 96 and coal was a close third yh a rating

| of the U. S. Army.

The Toots Times

Second Section

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 1939

Entered ss Second-Class Matter Indianapolis,

at Postoffice,

lison Plant Began as Hobby

ow

Tyndall Allison Engineering founded here 26 “plaything”

By Sam HE Co.; years ago as a for an Indianapolis millionaire, is moving into production of 800 of the powerful liquid-cooled warplane motors which have attracted international attention. It was the Allison engine which brought Col. Charles A. Lindbergh here recently as a representative On it military officials pin their hopes of matching the advanced liquid-cooled power plants of European air forces. The new motor which will replace many of the air-cooled motors now used in Army planes is the product of nine years’ research by General Motors Co. engineers under a partial War Department subsidy, but the seeds of its origin and development were sown by James A. Allison, who died 11 vears ago Mr, Allison was one of the founders of the Prest-O-Lite Co. and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was in the Prest-O-Lite Co. that he made his fortune. He is said to have received seven million dollars for his share of the interests in the plant when he and Carl G. Fisher sold out. “Jim” Allison, called a “mechanical nut” by his friends, built the original Allison engineering plant in 1913 at a cost of approximately $250,000. This was after he had sold out his Prest-O-Lite interests. He intended to use the Allison plant as a hobby. n zn 5 H. TROTTER, local real + estate dealer, business associate and a lifelong friend of Mr. Allison, said that “Jim didn't know what he was going to do with it.” Mr. Trotter helped Mr. Allison choose the site for the plant. Money was no barrier. Mr. Allison bought the latest mechanical precision machinery, constructed a large office for himself—with a shower bath-—and hired the best engineering brains in the country. According to Mr. Trotter, “Jim” Allison never received any formal mechanical training, and, as a matter of fact, never had received any formal schooling beyond the primary grades. The plant machinery was first used to tinker with and repair race car motors, most of them used in cars that raced on the Speedway track. From this Mr. Allison began to build his own motors. His first experiment was with seven experimental marine engines. These motors were to have ex-tra-fine gears and bearings and to be of a radical design. But parts broke, new gears didn't fit and by the time the motors had been completed to Mr. Allison's satisfaction, they had cost him more than half a million dollars

Its Motor May Help Bring Air Supremacy to

America

\ SF

4

1. James A. Allison, Indianapolis Prest-O-Lite millionaire, who died 11 years ago, founded the Allison Engineering Co. in 1913 as a hobby. 2. The original Allison plant in Speedway City where Mr. Allison and his staff of highly-paid engineers tinkered with race car, boat and airplane motors. 3. The new streamlined experimental plant constructed by the General Motors Co. after that company purchased the equipment in 1930. 4. The “shed” where engineers put the 12 and 24-cylinder liquid_cooled engines through rigid tests. Shortly after they were placed in boats one blew up. The experiment ended there. = ” n HE Allison staff then turned its attention to reworking old airplane engines, putting new gears in them—experimenting. This was during the early Twenties and Mr. Allison “was going to the plant early and staying late,” Mr. Trotter recalls. The Government became interested in the Allison experiments and the plant soon was reconditioning old Liberty airplane motors left over from th= war. During the period when the plant carried on more or less uncorrelated experiments with motors, gears and machinery, engineers had developed two new high-speed bearings. The Allison plant began making experimental airplane motors and were making them in August, 1928, when Mr. Allison died. These motors were water and air-cooled and contained many departures in engineering from other motors which were being used successfui., at that time in military planes. The Allison plant purely experimental in nature through the years. Mr. Allison was shooting at a nigh-speed powerful motor for NP

remained

Side Glances=By Galbraith

——

\

mT YT. M. REG. U. Yaron. "I know without looking; 'registered, return receipt requested’ means he needs easy & before the college prom."

59

In 1930 Mr. Allison's heirs sold the building, machinery and the two bearing patents to General Motors for a reported price of $600,000. ” ” » ENERAL MOTORS construct- ¥ ed a new streamlined plant across the street from the original building and quietly and secretly carried on with the airplane motor experiments. During this time the War De-

partment was pouring millions in the plant without knowledge of the public. This was revealed last week by Assistant Secretary of War Louis Johnson, who declared the Allison plant is “owned and contro” by the War De-

TEST YO U R KNOWLEDGE

1—Name the city situated on the last of the chain of Florida Keys, 2—Who commanded the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg? 3—On which continent gorillas native? 4—Which birthday did Adolf Hitler recently celebrate? 5—Where is Alcatraz Island Penitentiary? 6—What is the correct pronunciation of the word cryprogamous? 7—What large observatory is located on Mt. Hamilton, California? » » 5 Answers 1—Key West, 2—Gen. Meade, 3—Africa. 4—Fiftieth. 5—On an island in the Bay of San Francisco. 6—Krip-tog’'-a-mus: o-gam-us. 7—Lick Observatory.

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 ded research be

are

not kript-

partment and its motor is “the

Army motor.” This motor recently powered a sleek Army pursuit plane across the country at speeds better than 400 miles an hour. Col. Lindbergh's visit climaxed the growing interest of the nation's aviation experts in the motor. Col. Lindbergh pored over the blueprints and expressed himself as being “in accord” with the whole plan of procedure. It is reported that the expansion plans call for construction of several windowless, air conditioned buildings at cost of approximately six million dollars, and that when the projected program is completed the i will

turn out 12 motors a day on a 24hour basis. A 24-cylinder motor, considered the “most powerful in the worla” which may be used bombers faster than ever before, has been develeped and is on display at the World's Fair General Motors exhibit. It is believed that quantity production of this motor, if used at all, will be secondary to immediately increasing the speed of Army pursuit planes with the smaller engine So important to the national defense do Army officials consider the engine, that the Allison plant is guarded 24 hours a day. They believe that the motor may very well be the key to our national defense,

| Everyday Movies—By Wortman

PAGE 9

Ind.

Our Town

By Anton Scherrer

Tragic Story of Indianapolis Girl Who Married a Chinese and What Happened to Her on Visit to Orient,

WISH I knew more about Miss Osborne —her first name, for instance, the school

she went to, and how she got to know Pang Yim, a Chinese merchant who flourished around here 50 y&ars ago. All I seem to remember is that the two got married. It was good for a lot of talk, for it was the first ine stance of a Chinese marrying an Indianapolis girl After the birth of their baby boy, Pang Yim

talked of nothing else. He had all kinds of fancy dreams, and among them, I remember, was a trip back home in order to show off his new wife and baby. In a couple of years

| he had enough money saved up to

start the great adventure.

As near as I recall, they went

| straight to Hongkong, the home of | Pang’s parents.

It was one round

| of parties, teas and receptions, for

besides having a pair of parents

. Scherr Pang also had a long line of rela- My. Scherrer

| tives, all of which according to Chinese etiquet had

to be looked up. It all went off surprisingly well, So well, indeed, that Mrs. Pang Yim (nee Osborne) congratulated herself on having married into such a nice family. Then one day when the Indianapolis branch of the Pang Yims was strolling along the wharves of Hong= kong, the little boy suddenly disappeared. They couldn't find him anywhere, but of one thing the mother was certain—he hadn't fallen into the water, Nor could she be persuaded that the child was stolen, The search continued for more than a week, bub nothing turned up. After which there wasn’t anye thing to do but continue the round of Chinese pleas« ures.

Her Suspicions Confirmed

This time, however, only Mr. Pang participated.

| Mrs. Pang stayed away not only because of her great

| sorrow, but because of a suspicion that,

maybe, her

| husband had another wife living somewhere in China. | Seems that a couple of Pang's old-time pals had let

| something drop.

| Sure,

| one day

| day

The truth of the matter was that while Mr. Pang Yim was attending the teas given in his honor, his Indianapolis wife was out doing some investigating of her own. She found enough to confirm her suspicions. And then a curious thing happened—one of those strange things optimists make the most of when they want to prove that love makes the world go round. In the course of her investigations in Hong= kong, Mrs. Pang Yim ran across an Englishman who was emploved as a bartender in a big English hotel in the city. She told him her troubles; he told her his, and gradually they came to care for each other, they took the first boat for America to begin a new life. In the course of time, Pang Yim, too, re= turned to America and resumed his work in Indianapolis. Nothing happened for a dozen years or more. Then around the turn of the century Pang Yim appeared at the Court House and asked what he had to do to bring his son to Indianapolis. Seems that all this time the boy was safe in China cared for by some distant relatives. As for what happened the the three walked the wharves of Hongkong, I'll Not because I don't want to, but be= told.

never tell you. cause Pang never

nett

Jane Jordan—

| who is a perfect gentleman. | band’s whereabouts,

Realities Must Be Faced, No Matter How Unpleasant, Critic Is Told.

EAR JANE JORDAN-— (This letter refers to ane other in which a woman asked whether or not she should tell a friend that her husband was cheats ing, and was advised not to tell.) My husband called my attention to a letter in your column. We know a man to whom this letter might refer. While it is true that there may be scores of people whom this situation might fit, it was no doubt meant to cause trouble in some Lome, for it will raise a doubt and suspicion in the minds of people in like circumstances. My husband is in the same business as this man, I never question my hus= but this man’s wife questions every move he makes. I do not know whether a man or woman writes your column, but I do know that you are neither a

| lady nor a gentleman or you would not print such trash,

| dress. to power |

| | | |

The Times will let vou get by with your

| subtle vou are!

| critical letters

You are a coward not to print your real name or ade You tell the woman not to tell her friend, yet you put it into print and send it into her home. How Of course you will not dare print this but will reword it to your own satisfaction. Why tricks is bee

letter,

yond a decent woman's way of thinking DISGUSTED. n n 5 I often have noted that received contain the taunt, “of course you will not print this.” Opposing opinions are often quite interesting

the majority of rather childish Why not? I do

Answer

| not reword letters except to cut the length to fit tha

space. I think if is true that the problems which appear

| in this column are apt to stir up severe anxieties in

| other souvenirs of foreign lands. Ages, and for centuries after,

the minds of people who have, or fear they might have, similar situations to confront. This is true not only of my column, but of many news stories printed in all newspapers; it is true of books, movies, plays, and for that matter, life itself I know of no way to shut out reality for those who are afraid to cope with it. Sooner or later they are

| bound to find out that life is no fairy tale and that

dire problems do exist whether they appear in this paper or not. I wonder if you would mind asking yourself why this particular letter has stirred you to the point of attacking me, particularly since you agree with the answer? Are vou sure that I am the one you really want to attack? I am a woman and I live in Indianapolis. I do not broadcast my address, although plenty of people know it, because I have not the time to see people persons ally. I readily confess that I have not the inclina< tion to argue with any group of women, although I am glad to print their dissenting opinions. JANE JORDAN.

Put vour problems in a letter to dhe Jordan who wil} answer your questions in this column da

New Books Today

Public Library Presents—

HAT picturesque swashbuckler of romantic legend, the smuggler, has long since vanished with his spiritual brethren, the pirate and the highwayman, Smuggling today is a prosaic offense indulged in, chiefly, by returned travelers with a disinclination to pay customs duty on jewels, silks, furs, liquor, and But in the Middle smuggling was a crime parallel with murder and treason and punishable by death. The men who smuggled liquor and tea, sugar and spices, silks and wool, in those times, helped res duce the cost of living for millions of poor people, who, therefore, supported and aided them. Jefferson Farjeon, popular novelist of mystery and adventure, turns to historical facts for THE COM« PLEAT SMUGGLER (Bobbs-Merrill)., In the pages of this account of lawlessness, ingenious rascality, perverted courage and bravery, through centuries KH changing laws and customs, swagger such colorful i Sebastian, Daniel Coppinger, Daniel the Amtiitun, Jean : Lali, »

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