Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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McCORMICK MESSENGER. McCORMICK. SOUTH CAROLINA Thursday, July 8,1937 fety Glass Tests Insure Resistance To appeared in the sandwich and these ultimately rendered such glass useless. Today plastics which resist such TT^O* rVkl/I ■Roxrc! disccloratioifl over lon S periods are J neat, Cold, sun Kays employedi but constant te sts are j conducted to make sure that every Safety glass used in windshields piece of safety glass used is of and windows of motor cars today proper quality. Such a test corn- must be as perfect as human in- prises exposure of a safety glass genuity and scientific knowledge sample to rays of a quartz mercury South Carolina Wildcat Veterans To Meet In Florence can make it, in the view of labora tory chiefs of the Ford Motor Com pany. vapor tube for 1,000 hours. This is known as the “Uviarc” test. The emanations from this tube are so For this reason, tests as exact- rich in ultra violet rays that such ing as those which control the an exposure is the equivalent of fashioning of a fine scientific in- 20 years in Michigan climate or 15 stnunent are employed in the; years in Florida or California. The manufacture of safety glass at the light of the tube is so powerful a Ford Rouge plant at Dearborn, 1 man could obtain a fine sun tan Mich. The glass plant is one of the by standing six feet away for three most modern as well as one of the or four minutes, largest of the units of the Rouge J Parallelisni of the glass surface plant. Recently new grinding and is checked by use of a laboratory polishing mills costing $3,000,000 instrument resembling a surveyor’s were installed. ! transit. A laboratory attendant ' Safety glass is a “sandwich” of sights through the instrument to two sheets of glass cemented to a a glass sample against a target of middle sheet of transparent plas- j hair-fine lines. The slightest di- tic. Such a safety glass “sandwich” vergence from parallelism is shown must resist the destructive effects of weather and the actinic rays of sunlight and must be suitably strong. Its outer surface must be essentially parallel, otherwise it would fail tc transmit properly views of the road ahead. The tests employed to control all these factors are intended to in sure that every sheet of safety up by this test. Most spectacular is the “steel- ball drop” test. A half pound steel ball is dropped on a specimen from various heights. Safety glass usual ly resists breaking until the ball ^s dropped from 16 feet. It strikes at a speed of 21.8 miles per hour, with a blow of eight foot pounds. Plate glass of the same thickness would break when the ball is drop- €lass which goes into the manu facture of a car or truck meet the 1 ped on ^y 12 24 inches, various rigid inspection require-j Specimens also are left indefi ments. If not, the glass is rejected. The first test is to submerge a sample of safety glass in boiling water for eight hours. This is in tended to insure that no low boil ing point solvents/are present in the material cementing the two glass sheets to the plastic. If bub- nitely in a humidity cabinet with a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity of 95 to 97 per cent to determine whether the seal will resist such conditions. Another test calls for exposing specimens in a refrigerated cabinet, where they are subjected to tem- bles should appear they would in- peratures of 10 degrees above zero, dicate the presence of such un wanted solvents and cause rejec tion of the batch. In the early days of safety glass manufacture, before all the prob lems were solved, plastic sheets were used which eventually became zero and 10 degrees below zero, to check reaction to cold climates. A final test is to expose speci mens to sunlight on the roof of the glass plant, tilted at a 45-degree angle, for two years. Still other specimens are sent to discolored due to destructive ac-! Ford Branches in Florida and Cal- tion of actinic sun rays. Rainbows ifornia for testing In service cars. For the whole family PURE EFRESHMENT GREENWOOD COCA-COLA BOTTLING CO. Greenwood, S. C r Experience Service Facilities Those are the important things in measuring the worth of a funeral director, and should be borne in mind when you have occasion to choose one DISTANCE IS NO HINDRANCE TO OUR SERVICE and there is no additional charge for service oat of town J. S. STROM Main Street McCormick, 3. C. The 5,000 Sons of the Palmetto State who served with the historic 81st or “Wildcat” Division will meet in State Reunion, August 8th and 9th. The Committee headed by Major Frank Barnwell plan a splendid two days of entertainment for the Wildcatters and their ladies. Sun day, August 8, Registration will open at 10 a. m., Hotel Sanborn. At 3 p. m. an impressive memorial service will be held. At 6 p. m. a Reception to the Ladies in the Patio of the Sanborn, and at 8 p. m. a Smoker for the Vets at the Legion Hut. Monday, August 9th, at 9:30 a. m. there will be a business session. From noon until 3 p. m., entertain ment by Legion and V F W Posts, at 5 p. m. a parade, from 6:30 to 8 there will be a luncheon and Water Carnival, and the Reunion will close with a Street Dance and Carnival. Every Wildcat and his Ladies are invited to attend. Write to General Committee, Wildcat Vets Association, Hotel Sanborn, Florence, South Carolina, for full data. -xx- Creosote Bush A plant called the creosote bush is a common evergreen desert shrub of the caltrop or bean caper family. It occurs from Texas to California, attaining a height of three or four feet. It has small, olive-green leaves which emit a strong, tarry odor. Early in the season it bears a pro fusion of yellow flowers. The plant harbors a small insect which se cretes a resinous substance identi cal in composition with the lac used in making varnishes. —x- HAS TEMEb 150 MILLION LIVES Strange Tradition Belief that men a«d women born on the same day of the week should never marry is one of the strange traditions of the Paramaribo ne groes in British Guiana, according to a report of a field study issued by the Columbia University Press. “Having been born on the same weekday — Thursday, let us say — they both have ‘Thursday souls,* and this, it is believed, makes for conflict, since both derive their springs of action from the same source,” says the report, prepared by anthropologists. The two may have tried to guard against this diffi culty, yet the souls refuse to live together. -J txt Clotted Cream of Devonshire The clotted cream of Devonshire is made by allowing the milk to stand for 24 hours. It is then heat ed in a shallow pan over a slow charcoal fire for a half or three- quarters of an hour without boiling. After standing another day, the cream is skimmed off and served, sprinkled with sugar. x May Be Drafted It is possible for an American- born citizen of foreign parents to be drafted for military service on visiting his parents’ native land, un der war conditions or in the ab sence of treaty between the United States and such land. -txt- Blisiering a Horse’s Leg In certain types of lameness a horse’s leg is blistered with cantha- rides or some other medicinal ma terial. This causes him to use the leg as little as possible. The cure is due to the rest, and not the blis tering. Eat Eggs of Dragon Fly The eggs of the dragon fly are eaten by the people of Mexico. Made into croquettes, the eggs are said to tasle like shad roe. Katydids, rolled in a tortilla, form another Mexican delicacy. Game in China China, despite its large popula tion, abounds with game in many regions. It is estimated the coun try has a larger duck population than America. Introduced Potato to France A Frenchman named Crevecoeur, who came to America in 1754, and who was again in France in 1782, in troduced the culture of the potato in France at that time. Insurance Fire Insurance Ami All Other Kinds of Insurance Ex cept Life. HUGH C. BROWN, McCORMICK, S. C. West Point Key Position When Held by Washington West Point was held by Washing ton as a key position. If it had beer captured by the British, New Eng land would have been cut off from the Colonies to the southwest, such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey and part of New York. It served also as a repository of war suppl'c?— gunpowder, cannon, ammunitior and other stores, according to a writer in the Washington Star. The inventories and similar doc uments taken from Major Andre when he was returning from the tryst of treason with Benedict Ar nold are revealing along both lines. The Point had been fortified from plans of French engineers and the Polish Thaddeus Kosciuzko.who was principally responsible for actual construction of the works. There were groups of batteries and forts bristling with artillery. Only the most cunning treachery would have made it possible to seize the strong hold. Arnold had arranged for all that, even to the extent of having one of the links of the great chain removed on the pretext of getting it repaired. The newly formed federal gov ernment in 1790 bought 2,100 acres in the neighborhood of the post for a reservation. More has been ac quired since. Because of the pres ence of many foreign military en gineers at the Point, a school for young officers in engineering was established during the Revolution. Washington had favored such an in stitution even before the recom mendation made Toy General Worthington. West Point did not develop until 1817, when it was taken in charge by Col. Sylvanus Thayer, popularly known as “The Father of West Point.” The formal founding of the academy dates to 1802. Ordeal Bean Is Used to Prove Guilt, Innocence The Calabar bean is sometimes known as the Ordeal bean, because it is administered to suspected crim inals in "West Africa inithe form of a brew. These large, leathery, choco late-colored beans are boiled, and accused parties are made to drink the concoction. If the accused is unable to retain the drink he is considered innocent. If the concoc tion has a deadly effect and he is poisoned, the witch doctor judges him guilty. Scientists have found that there is a reason for both these effects, states a writer in London Tit-Bits Magazine. Ordeal beans contain an active substance known as “Phy- sostigmine,” or “Escrine,” which when used in the eyes contracts the pupils. When taken as a drug it has a strong stimulating effect upon the bladder and intestinal tract. If an accused man has a sensitive digestive tract, marked irritation is produced and he becomes violently ill. If, on the other hand, he is extraordinarily robust and has a digestion like a horse, he retains the drink, is poisoned rapidly, and even in the event of recovery is a doomed man. Duties of British Ruler The duties of the British ruler are largely ceremonial, the actual ruler being the Prime Minister supported by Parliament. He makes numerous public addresses, presides at recep tions, inspects troops, visits vari ous exhibitions, etc. He opens Par liament with a speech prepared for him by his ministers. As VHiitaker’s Almanac says: “The King has a right to veto bills passed by both Houses of Parliament, but in prac tice his veto is almost obsolete.” His refusal to sign a bill passed by Par liament would lead to a constitu tional crisis. Ship Medical Officer Busy Aboard ship the medical officer and his corps are a regular board of i health, says a writer in Hygeia, the ! Health Magazine. They inspect fresh ! food as it comes aboard; assure the sanitary preservation and prepara tion of food; check the weekly menus of the crew; verify the heat ing, ventilation and lighting of liv ing compartments; take necessary precautions against parasitic skin disease, and direct the campaign against flies, bedbugs and cock roaches. Exploring Tibet The very fact that the Tibetans denied admittance to their country whetted the appetite to explore it. At one time rumor reached the Ti betans that a white officer and 50,- 000 soldiers were approaching and v. hen a white officer showed up with o 'ly ten soldiers his reception was romewhat unpleasant until the white man’s guide assured the Ti l-tans that the rest of the soldiers \ ~re hidden away in the baggage. ’> re result was a more respectful at- l .ude towards the exploring party. Recipe; Receipt The words, recipe and receipt. ;;re derived from a Latin word r'.eaning “to take or receive.” Re- c ipt is almost always used in the nse of an acluiowledgment for • od.s or money; recipe as a formu- l.i for the preparation of a dish or compound. Receipt: received the sum of, etc. Recipe: take the yolks of three eggs, etc. The R with a stroke through it used at the head of doctors’ prescriptions, is short for Recipe, Deo volenti, “Take, God willing.” Great Tooth of Buddha Honored in Gay Pageant One of India’s most elaborate fes tivals is the pageant of the Sacred Tooth of Buddha. The “perahera” lasts for ten days, ending on the night of the “full moon.” Richly adorned chiefs, troups of masked dancers, gaily decorated elephants, brilliantly illuminated streets and colorful processions, turn the city ir/.o a festive center. On lire last night the climax is reached with one magnificent pro cession. Hundreds of elephants take part, and full-dress regalia is worn by the chiefs. In front of the ele phants, whips are cracked and tom toms and drums continually throb. Ever so often the procession halts while special dances take place. One elephant attracts more at tention than its fellows for on its back is carried the golden casket of the sacred tooth of Buddha. This sacred tooth is said to have been taken from the pyre, and is held in reverence by one-third of the world’s total population. The tooth is paraded around the streets and then taken back to the temple. Sur rounded by a moat the temple dates back to the Thirteenth century. The library contains ancient manu scripts, written with an iron stylus on talipot leaves. Black Widow Spider Is More Deadly Than Snake Old Mother Nature indulges in a grim joke sometimes, and she j must have been in one of her j “humorous” moods when she creat- ! ed the Black Widow spider. This : merry widow of the insect world is one of the nastiest of all the, creepy-crawlies—a murderous and dangerous female. Not only does she kill and eat her husband when she has no further use for him, but she can kill a man —in fact, she has sent many to their graves, asserts a writer in Pearson’s London Weekly. The Black Widow is as tough as a gangster, too, and if you ever meet her, the only sure method of putting her out of action is to smash her with something hard, like a swatter or the back of a shovel. ; Drop for drop, the Black Widow’s venom is more deadly than that of the rattlesnake. Owing to its larger size, the rattle snake injects much more poison than the Black Widow w’hen it strikes, and, therefore, its death rate is higher—it kills about one in three. The Black Widow kills about one in twenty, but she is more com mon, and bites more people, so that, in the course of a year, the Black Widow causes more human deaths than does the rattlesnake. Meaning of Astrology Astrology is the “science” of reading the fate of human beings in the stars. Astrology has a very long history; the first attempts to read the future by this means were made by the Babylonians, and thence spread to India and China. It reached Europe in the Middle ages, and became so prevalent that, in the Fifteenth century, no court was complete without its astrologer. Most of the monarchs of those days had the stars read before they start ed upon any plan or fight, says Lon don Answers Magazine. Astrology must not be confused with astrono my, which is the science and study of the heavenly bodies and their re lation to the earth. This also was a subject studied by the ancient ! races, and as early as the Seventh century B. C., students began to J separate the true science of astron omy from the pseudo-science of as trology. “Four-Footed Toe Dancers’* African antelopes, known as klip- j springers, are also called “four- ! foe ted toe dancers,” because of the characteristic habit they have of I poising themselves on the rocks in a position in which their feet re semble those of a ballerina. They rank among the smallest and most interesting of antelopes, standing less than two feet at the shoulder. Extremely nimble, they climb up ward in the mountains with great speed, agility and sureness of foot, while in downward leaps they safe ly negotiate gaps of thirty feet from one rocky ledge to another, stead ied upon landing by their cup shaped “non-skid” hoofs. How Custer’s Expedition Was Defeated by Indians In the spring of 1867, George Arm strong Custer, with his regiment,, the Seventh cavalry, was in Gen eral Hancock’s expedition against the Cheyenne Indians on the west ern plains. There he gained his first experience fighting Indians, ob serves a writer in the Indianapolis News. This Indian war being pro tracted until the following year, Custer closed it in the fall of 1868 (November 27) by the battle of Wa- chila river, in which he surprised and attacked a large Indian village. His command killed 103 warriors and took as prisoners 53 squaws and children, besides a great quan tity of supplies, thus almost totally annihilating the band. In March, 1873, the regiment was ordered to Dakota to guard the con struction of the Northern Pacific railroad, where it came for the first time in collision with hostile Sioux. In July, 1874, Custer headed a sue* cessful expedition to the Black Hills region in Montana territory. In the spring of 1876, it was found that a large number of Sioux had confed erated against the United States government, and Custer’s regiment formed a part of the expedition sent against them. On June 25, 1876; it had crossed a divide between the Rosebud and Little Horn rivers. Ih- dians had been seen and no sur prise was now possible; therefore it was determined by Custer to move at once to the attack. He divided his forces into three commands, and with five companies, he himself moved up the right 1 bank of the Little Big Horn riven Striking the Indian village, which was three and. a half miles long, in its middle, he was at once engaged in a fierce battle with a force of Sioux which outnumbered his own. The encoun ter lasted three hours, resulting in’ the total extinction of the United' States troops engaged. Custer i& buried in the United States ceme tery at West Point, N. Y. i Ancient Prayer Praised Work of Agriculturists “It is only agriculture which helps a man not to be a beggar, and it iff only through agriculture that a man’ , can be famous in the world by be ing called a king. Even persons who possess gold, silver, jewels, and clothing beg from agriculturists. It is food which is life; it is food which is strength, and it is food that is the source of all life. Agriculture is the life of all animals.” This quotation is taken from a Sanscrit manuscript of B. C. 1300 in a prayer to “The Glory of Para- sara,” a Hindu saint, revered for centuries as the prototype of agri cultural science. More than 1,000 years, however, before the advent of Parasara, the farm as the source of food, cloth ing, and the other necessaries for feasting and rejoicing at the various national festivals, particularly at the coming of spring, was empha sized and recorded in the statutes of China by the Emperors Fu-hi in B. C. 2852 and Shounung in B. C. 2800, the latter being known as “the divine labourer and inventor of ag ricultural implements.”' Unjustified Attack on Indians Probably the most atrocious of all the unjustified attacks on Indians by America’s sanguinary “Indian fighters” was the Sand Creek (Colo rado) massacre on November 29, 1864, in which 900 soldiers swept into this peaceful village of Chey enne and Arapaho Indians and mur dered and scalped 300 men, women and children. The tragedy was later condemned by a congressional in vestigating committee. — Collier’s Weekly. The Name Gabai The name cabal is used to in dicate a Ismail party formed tt> further personal or party ends. Usu ally employed in a political sense, it/ is often used otherwise—in busi ness, etc. It is a “coined” word, and has a very interesting history, notes a writer in London Answers Maga- j zine. The cabinet of Charles II was composed of the following: Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale. These men had many ; enemies, who took their initials— < C. A. B. A. L.—and strung them into a name for the cabinet. There is another theory, however, that | this use served to popularize the word, which was in use in England long before the time of Charles Hi. It is said to be derived from the : Hebrew, “qabbalah,” meaning ac- j cepted tradition. ^ i Influence of Nast’s Cartoons Thomas Nast (1840-1902) remains the dominant figure in the history of American caricature because the in fluence of his cartoons has never been surp assed. Not only were they an important recruiting factor for the North in the Civil war and also responsible for the overthrow of the Tweed Ring, says Collier’s Weekly, but they introduced the donkey to typify the Democratic party, the elephant to represent the Republi can party and the tiger to symbol ize Tammany Hall. Morro Castle Morro castle is a fort at the entrance to the harbor of Havana, Cuba. It was erected late in the Sixteenth century to protect the city from English, French and Dutch buccaneers. I( is an impres sive landmark of interest to tour ists. The fort was also used as a prison. Morro castle was captured by the British under Pocock in 1762: The fort at the entrance to the har bor of Santiago de Cuba is also called Morro castle and was built shortly after the Morro castle of Havana. It was taken by the Amer ican forces in the Spanish-American war (1898). Morro castle on the har bor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, is also a picturesque old Spanish fort. Shingling for Men Shingling is an ancient British in dustry, and is practiced only in one place in the world—the rolling mills of the G. W. R. at Swindcn, says a: writer in Tit-Eits Magazine. It is the old art cf hammering white-hot iron. The shingler dons a queer form of protection from flying ‘ mrks and chips of burning metal. ll : s wire - gauze face - guard, * Vile smock, and immense iron 1 roc-boots make him loo. 1 : like a knight in armour. Armed With a t oee pair of tongs which most men aid find it difficult to handle, he lifts white-hot billets of metal and p’aces each rccuratoly ur.-lcr the’, face of a rising and failing drop hammer.