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f ? / McCORMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK. S. C., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1937 r K . i. K, ■- ft f- t- GEMS MADE FROM CARBOLIC ACID Country Newspaper Editor’s Discovery Led to Huge Industry, Af fecting Every Walk of Life in “the Plastic Age.” By WILLIAM C. UTLEY C OUNTRY newspaper editors have exerted upon Ameri can life an influence which is perhaps second to that of no other group of men. But one country editor little dreamed 65 years ago that he had started something destined to become a new and amazingly common factor in the daily life of virtu ally all Americans—indeed, in the lives of persons in every corner of the world. He simply believed he had failed to win $jL0,000. Now country newspaper editors are not wealthy as a rule, and John Wesley Hyatt, editor and printer of Starkey, N. Y., was no exception. He had ideas, though. And when a billiard ball manufacturer, discour aged by the expense of stalking African pachyderms for the raw material of which his product was made, offered $10,000 for a synthetic ivory substitute, Hyatt began some serious tinkering with test tubes, re torts and a Bunsen burner in the back of his shop. Somehow, between type cases, an bid Washington hand press and his laboratory. Editor Hyatt managed to keep from getting highly explo sive gun cotton mixed up with the local items and the legal notices, and conducted exhaustive experi ments. From this gun cotton (nitro cellulose) he failed to produce syn thetic ivory, and of course he missed out on the $10,000 prize. But he did stumble upon something of far vaster importance to the hu man race than all the ivory in the world—he found the formula for celluloid. Celluloid was the first commer cially usable plastic; it opened the pages of history to what we now think of as “the plastic ase.’' They make billiard balls, jewelry and a few fancy doo-dads out of ivory, and they still do. But today, through the magic of modern chemistry, more than 300,000 articles in gener al use are manufactured by the men who pioneered in plastics. What Plastics Are. The end is nowhere in sight; in fact the plastics industry is still in its swaddling clothes. But the ef fect it will have upon society in the days to come is not going with out recognition. The national re sources committee, in its much-pub licized report to the President, rec ommending social planning for the development of new inventions and young industries, named plastics with television, airplanes, the me chanical cotton-picker and other in novations, as one of the inventions most likely to have profound effect upon our society of the next fifteen years. Yet you cannot find one per son in fifty who can tell you much about how plastics are made, or one person in ten who can even tell you what they are. Actually, a plastic is anything that can be molded or pressed into a desired shape. In industry the term applies to a wide range of synthetic materials classified ac cording to their chemical nature and the way they are made. The most important classification in industry —and in our daily life—is phenolic resin. The utility of this plastic was accidentally discovered; in fact fortunate accidents were largely re sponsible for “the plastic age.” Ten years after Editor Hyatt stumbled upon celluloid, the mate rial was in general use; 10,000 high ly diversified articles were made from it, the most famed probably being the old celluloid collar that reached popularity in the days of handlebar moustaches. Catalin Was a War Baby. Next in the succession of plastic accidents was the discovery made by Dr. Leo Baekeland, Belgian- American scientist, forty years aft er the Hyatt incident. Experiment ing in his laboratory at Yonkers, N. Y., Dr. Baekeland was searching for a highly insulating material much in demand by the electrical industry. He inadvertently hit up on the formula for a cast phenolic resin which was non-inflammable. This was highly important. Anv Left: In test ing laboratory, a chemist puts catalin buttons through the same trials they would face in years of wear. Right: Adding color to catalin. one who can remember back three decades can recall when “the best dressed man in town” had to be mighty careful with his cigar be cause his celluloid collar, which could be wiped off with a damp cloth, could also be touched off by a tiny spark, leaving him a bit hot under the collar. The inflammabil ity of celluloid and the consequent hazard of storing it had precluded the extension of its use, but the dis covery of the new non-inflammable material gave impetus to the broad ening use of plastics. The World war set the stage for the third and most recent impor tant development in the world of plastics. European Entente chem ists worked feverishly trying to cre ate a synthetic rubber from phenol (the carbolic acid derivative of coal) and formaldehyde (a gaseous derivative of wood alcohol captivat ed in water). Desperate they were, these re searchists. With their ports block aded and supplies cut off, the En tente nations needed raw materi als. Rubber was sorely needed to soften the screech of iron-tired wheels of military equipment, which creaked and rattled, indicating their positions to the enemy just as defi nitely as if they had shouted, “Here we are.” Gas masks, footgear and other articles required the precious rubber. Synthetic rubber eluded them. But the German scientists did discover catalin, a material similar to that discovered by Dr. Baekeland, and made from the same ingredients, but so processed that it would be produced in a new aurora of color ranging from water-clear white, re sembling glass, to delicate pastels, vivid hues, black, white, ivory and many combinations of colors defi nitely divided or blended by mot tling. The Germans had too much other business on hand to spend a great deal of time in the development of catalin, so the formula, patent rights and manufacturing privileges were bought by Americans. Industry Still in Infancy. Three important plastics had now been introduced to American indus try. It was not long before 3,000 manufacturers, many of whose wheels had been idle, learned that they could make many salable items from plastic materials, using the same machinery which had for merly been used in tooling wood or soft metals and with the same craftsmen and technique. A shin ing example is a Canadian firm which made spools for thread. Its community depended upon the em ployment it offered for a living; yet its market had fallen to nearly nothing. The plant turned to the manufacture of catalin articles and now, with the same equipment and craftsmen, it produces buttons, jew elry and scores of other items that amaze the public with their brilliant beauty. The flood of plastic articles to the market has in a few years altered fashion trends in costume jewelry, made insignificant accessories an important part in the fashion pic ture, created thousands of new ver sions of useful articles—and the President’s natural resources com mittee warns that the industry is only in its infancy, that society will have to plan to adjust itself to its development. Thus is the magni tude of this “plastic age” being rec ognized by men who contemplate our future! How do the 300,000 articles now made from catalin and other plas tics affect our daily lives? We start the day with a plastic-handled tooth brush, razor and comb. At the breakfast table we may find knives forks and spoons with colorful han dles of catalin—tjie insulating han dles of the toaster and percolator are of the same material. The kitchen electric service comes i 'Way Back When By JEANNE FORMER MAYOR WAS A SONG WRITER 'T'HERE were twelve children in our family and it was necessary to have a pretty strict rule about being reasonably quiet in the house and at the dinner table. My father repeated so often, “Children are to be seen and not heard” or “Silence is golden” that just to think of those old adages brings back the echo of his voice. I can’t agree with the principle of those sayings. Chil dren who are encouraged to join in the conversation are likely to have more self-confidence and to be more social minded. In some cases, their very talkativeness may be golden. Take Jimmy Walker for instance: James John Walker, who later be came mayor of New York City and was one of the most popular men ever to hold that office, was born in New York’s Greenwich Village in 1881. When still a very small boy, he was nick-named “Jimmy Talker” because he could not be c* f through a plastic switch, plate and fittings, and in all probability serves a table lamp with a plastic shade. (For lamp shades are now being made of paper, glazed with liquid phenolic resin, as the most commonly used plastic is called, commercially. Dials for clocks, ra dios and speedometers are similar ly treated, providing an attractive, efficient and economical substitute for previous processes.) This is just a fair morning start. Driving to business, we use a plas tic steering wheel, gear shift lever handle and all sorts of gadgets on the instrument panel. At the of fice the telephone instrument is made of plastic, and it is an “odds- on” bet that so are the inkwell, pen and ashtray on the desk. Veneer surface woods in the furniture are cemented in place with a liquid plastic adhesive. How Catalin Is Made. Almost no matter what you do, you encounter plastic products. Col orful wall panels in modern thea ters, dwellings and ocean liners are made of them. So are jewelry, toilet articles, cosmetic containers, buckles, umbrella handles, bag and golf club fittings and game fish lures. Even “store teeth” are made of plastics, as are the dental plates to which they are affixed. For those who like to quaff the flowing bowl, the advent of catalin dental plates was a welcome boon, for the old type plates were deteriorated by al cohol, while catalin is not. But den tistry is only one of the numerous professional fields in which plastics has left an indelible mark. You can turn into almost any other line of endeavor and there it is—plastics, making important new strides. Catalin is made by mixing for maldehyde and phenol in nickel- lined kettles of approximately 3,000 pounds capacity. The weight is re duced to about 1,500 pounds by the time the first production phase is complete. The mixture is cooked at a low temperature. Heat is pro duced by the reaction of the two ingredients and held down to an even temperature by the use of wa ter, vacuum or steam in an out side jacket. At this stage the color is added. Here catalin has the consistency of molasses, and is poured into lead molds to form the shapes re quired by the fabricators. Two or three color combinations may be cast at a single pouring, the mold leading the different colors into their proper places. Catalin is also poured into pans and when semi- cured (heated until it becomes gelatinous) is sliced into required thicknesses. Magnificent Future Seen. < In the curing ovens, the even, moderate temperature of which would permit a man’s walking around in them, catalin is complet ed by curing for about 50 hours. It is then ready for delivery to the fabricator, who cuts it, lathes it, buffs it and otherwise works it into the finished product which he sells. So great has been the public cu riosity about plastics, especially since the national resources com mittee’s report, that one of the lead ing moving picture producers in Hollywood has filmed the manufac ture of multi-colored catalin in full colors. The picture was scheduled for release in 8,000 theaters in Oc tober. What of the future? The almost utter lack of limitations in the field for cast resins defies description. Because of its beauty, its low cost, its extreme “workability,” and its many peculiar characteristics it is the stuff for pioneers in almost ev ery branch of industry. Country newspaper editor John Wesley Hyatt really started some thing when he began dabbling out side his chosen field 65 years ago. © Western Newspaper Hnion. rN T HE seed of success is ambition, and Orville Wright was ambi tious from early boyhood. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1871, the youngest of five children, and as they grew up Orville and one of his older brothers, Wilbur, became in separable. A highly respectable mid-western family, the father was a bishop of the United Brethren church and later publisher of a re ligious newspaper; but the family never had a lot of money. Or ville Wright started to make money early in life, going about the neigh borhood and collecting old bones to sell to a fertilizing plant. When he was fourteen, he published a school paper with a toy printing press. Lat er he made a press of his own and Wilbur improved it. Next he invent ed a paper folding machine for his father’s print shop. He quit school in the third year of high school and, with Wilbur, started a weekly news paper which lasted only three months. They then turned to job printing and later started a bicycle repair shop. At about this time, they became interested in aviation and proceeded to construct the first heavier than air machine large enough to carry a man. As in their previous activi ties, Orville was the creative gen ius, Wilbur the perfecter. Their first successful flight was at Kitty Hawk, N C., in 1903. and the suc cess of aviation was assured when Orville made a flight lasting 62 min utes and 15 seconds, in 1908. fih WNU Servine. •758) 1286 l\» Ms# 1381 kept quiet. His father was run ning for alderman at one time, and Jimmy was sent to explain that he could not be present at a polit ical rally because of illness. The crowd called for a speech from the young boy, and he did so well that his father was elected. Jimmy Walker went to school in New York City, and studied law; but for a while it looked as though he might be a professional song writer instead of a lawyer or a politician. He wrote several songs which were published and made a national hit by composing “Will You Love Me in December As You Did in May?” None of his other songs enjoyed the popularity of this one, however, and Jimmy decided upon a more conventional career. He went to work as a clerk for the Union Surety Guarantee com pany and with his earnings re turned to law school. He estab lished a fine law practice, and be came more and more prominent in politics. In 1925, he was elected mayor of New York City and en joyed more mass popularity than any mayor of recent times has known there. * • • INVENTOR RAN BICYCLE REPAIR SHOP DRIDE goeth with Fall and glamor, too, Milady, when you wear distinguished fashions by Sew-Your-Own! Today’s trio gives youth a chance to express itself in an individual manner; gives the adult figure an opportunity to dis play a new high in chic, and last— but we wouldn’t say least—a util ity model that’s as right for daughter as for mother. Swank ’n’ Sweet. Young and inspired is the little two piecer that just stepped into the picture at the left. The topper is one that will set a vogue in this woman’s town and make you the swankiest of the whole lot of Laf- a-Lots. If you’re asked to picnic in the colorful Autumn woods, wear this number in henna- colored wool for real satisfaction and that perfect harmony that makes picnicking a picnic. For Kitchen Capers. And before you go, there’ll be sandwiches to make, potatoes to peel, and lemons to squeeze— that’s where and when the ging ham gown in the center comes in. Of course, its novel yoke-and- sleeve-in-one construction makes it a most attractive model to sew as well as to wear. The skirt has flare enough for cutting those kitchen capers one has to when minutes are few and work plenti ful. Make this simple five-piece frock in two versions and be sure of everyday chic at minimum cost. Style Success. While we go picnicking and places, don’t think Mommy isn’t going to swing out in style, too. She’s certain of success when she goes to her Club; she’s sure of well-groomed elegance for Sunday best in the slenderizing frock at the right. It does wonders for the figure that needs it, and it is equally becoming to sizes 18 and 20. So, Mommy, no matter what your size or the color of your hair, you’ll be young enough and slim enough in this frock to feel like the very essence of fashion. The Patterns. Pattern 1336 is designed for sizes 12 to 20 (30 to 38 bust). Size 14 requires 5% yards of 36 inch material plus 4% yards of 1 3 A inch bias strip for fold for trimming. Pattern 1381 is designed for sizes 14 to 44. Size 16 requirei 3V4 yards of 39 inch material. Pattern 1286 is designed for sizes 36 to 48. Size 38 requires 4% yards of 39 inch material. Send your order to The Sewing Circle Pattern Dept., Room 1020, 211 W. Wacker Dr., Chicago, Ill- Price of patterns, 15 cehts (in, coins) each. © Bell Syndicate.—WNU Service. "Quotations" A A strong and faithful pulpit is no mean safeguard of a nation’s life.— John Hall. Fashion seldom interferes with nature without diminishing her grace and efficiency.—Tuckerman. Delay not till tomorrow to be wise; tomorrow’s sun to thee may never rise.—Congreve. No tempting form of error is with out some latent charm derived from truth.—Keith. There is always a great dispropor tion between what one has done and what one wants to do.—Madame Curie. The youth who follows his appe tites too soon, only produces a man hood of imbecility and an age of pain.—Goldsmith. |N»jcJ Many doctors recommend Nujol because of its gentle action on the bowels. Don’t confuse Nujol with unknown products. INSIST ON GENUINE NUJOL Copr. 1937, StaDOo loo. But Look It is not necessary to light a candle to see the sun.—Sydney. How CARDUI Helps Women Cardui is a purely vegetable medi cine, found by many women to ease functional pains of menstruation. It also helps to strengthen women, who have been weakened by poor nour ishment, by increasing their appetite and improving their digestion. Many have reported lasting benefit from the wholesome nutritional assist ance obtained by taking Cardui. If you have never taken Cardui, get a bottle of Cardui at the nearest drug store, read the directions and try it. Without Faith The faith that stands on author ity is not faith.—Emerson. Get from your Dealer "BLACK LEAF 40" /Keeps Dogs Away from | Evergreens,Shnibs etc. - 1986 Use 1 Vi Teaspoonful per Gallon of Spray. Worms cause much distress to children and anxiety to parents. Dr. Peery’s “Dead Shot” removes the cause with a single dose. 60c. All Drug-gists Dr Peery’s ^ Dtaa Shot for WORMS vermifuge Wrights Pill Co.. 100 Gold Street. N. Y. City Friendly Silence Silence is a true friend who never betrays.—Confucius. |SNOW WHITE PETROLEUM JELLY | LARGE JARS 5*AMD!Ot CHEW LONG BILL NAVY TOBACCO St PLUG Your Advertising Dollar buys something more than space and circulation in the columns of this newspaper. It buys space and circulation plus the favorable consideration of our readers for this newspaper and its advertising patrons. Let us tell you more about it.