McCormick messenger. (McCormick, S.C.) 1902-current, August 28, 1941, Image 6
McCORMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, S. C, THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 1941
While Walter Winchell is on temporary
motive duty with the l). S. navy his column
is being conducted by guest columnists.
This week’s is written:
By 'Believe It Or Not’ Ripley.
The first sossii> column — the
statue of Pasquino, a witty barber,
was set up in Rome and contribu
tors pasted satirical and witty com
ments on its base. Thus columnists
were born.
The first war correspondent was
George Wilkins Kendall, who re
ported the Mexican war (1846-4T)
from the battlefield exclusively for
the NewOrleans Picayune. By means
of a special pony express, he Was
able to scoop all other papers and
the war department as well.
• • •
A newspaper printed on cheese
was published in Gouda, Holland,
about 1840. Since the cheese could
be eaten, the -Dutch readers were
said to be in the habit of “swal
lowing” anything.
A French newspaper published on
a large handkerchief was another
curiosity, which did not at all star
tle Paris in the eighties. It was the
origin of the “nosey” press.
Another publisher in Brussels,
Belgium, had an idea. He printed
bis paper on rubber sheets, to en
able the ladies to read it while
taking a bath. 1
• • •
^ And the “Blanc sur Noir” white on
black was a French innovation re
versing the usual order by printing
its news in white letters on black
paper.
And talking of up-to-date news,
the French “La Presse Prophetique”
was published for the purpose of
giving the news of next year. It
was not a success because it was
published in hieroglyphics.
* • •
When the pewspaper business was
in its infancy, the reporter was
called “an emissary,” the editor “a
register.”
“The Romios” of Athens is a daily
paper published in verse.
The co-ordinated German news
papers have recently discarded
question marks from their headlines,
because one editor of Fssen, Ger
many, was sent to a concentration
camp. By mistake the headline
“Hindenburg Congratulates Hitler,”
was provided with a question mark
instead of an exclamation point.
Suicides are banned from Turkish
newspapers.
• • •
When I used a picture of the em
peror of Japan in my Believe It or
Not cartoon, the Japanese ambassa
dor in Washington made a very ur
gent telephone call to me. He re
quested that if a picture of the em
peror must be used, then it was of
the highest importance that this pic
ture be printed on the front page of
the newspaper, because it is a Jap
anese law that nothing must appear
over the Supreme Portrait of the
Son of Heaven.
I explained to him as gently as
1 could that this rule cannot be
followed in America. His Excel
lency thought for a minute, and then
he suggested that I place over the
cartoon a printed admonition to the
American public not to set down
any objects — such as drinking
glasses, pots and pans, etc., on the
picture! He was greatly disappoint
ed when I explained that the Amer
ican public will not be restrained
by any such printed admonition.
• • •
* ' —H .
The Japanese newspapers carry
en their staff a special employee
called the “prison editor.” He is
paid a salary for taking the rap in
- case the newspaper is fined or sen
tenced to jail. In such a case the
prison editor (whipping boy) goes to
jail without interrupting the even
tenor of the newspaper.
The Japanese press law provides
jail for the offense of “belly trea
son” another word for “secret dis
loyalty” of the paper.
• • »
Aglait Illunanortut (Pages for
Everybody) is the title of the 'Es
kimo newspaper published at Nain,
Labrador. It is published in the
winter only, because in the summer
its readers have no time to read, be
ing busy with seal and fishing.
The oldest newspaper was recent
ly discovered in Ostia, Italy. It was
published in 58 B. C., was engraved
in wax upon stone and contained
the following news items:
(Date) 7 days before the calends
of August (July 24). In the land of
Cumo born 30 boys and 40 girls.
Harvested 500,000 loads of wheat
Supplied 500 labor steers.
Crucified the slave Mithridates for
having blasphemed against the spir
its of his Master.
Repaid 10,000,000 sesterces for
which there is no need.
• • • .
The real father of newspapers
was Julius Caesar, who instituted
the famous “Acta Publica,” which
ran for six centuries.
And so it is in order that Italy
should be the first to modernize her
newspaper business by introducing
the “push-button press,” which
brings all Italian newspapers totally
under the domination of the Italian
Press and Propaganda Ministry.
The Germans copied that system
with its minister of propaganda and
public enlightenment under the fa
mous Dr. Goebbels.
istoricol
Robert Fulton
John Stevens Jr.
by CJm* Scott Watioes
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
Steamboat Inventor
/^\NE hundred and fifty years ago
—on August 26, 1791—the newly
established Patent Office of the Unit
ed States issued 13 patents. This,
in itself, is not important except for
the fact that it marked the begin
ning of the controversy over “Who
invented the steamboat?” which,
after a century and a half, is still
unsettled.
For among the 13 patents issued
on that day, six were awarded to
James Rumsay
(or Rumsey), one
to John Fitch,
two to Nathan
Read and three to
John Stevens Jr.,
and the names of
all these men
were destined to
be linked with the
invention of the
steamboat. Of
course, the school
book histories say
that Robert Fulton was the inventor
of the steamboat. But whether or
not that is true depends upon the
definition of “inventor.” Partisans
of Stevens, Rumsay and Fitch assert
that all three have better claims to
the honor of “inventing” the steam
boat than does Fulton.
Read had begun experimenting
with steam engines for propelling
boats in 1788
and his contri
bution to the
development of
the steamboat
was the inven
tion of the mul
ti-tubular boiler
and the porta
ble high - pres
sure engine—
both important
but hardly a
large enough
contribution to entitle him to the
honor of being called the “inventor”
of the steamboat.
Stevens began studying steam en
gines in 1789 but it was not until
1798 that he completed his first
steamboat and operated it success
fully on the Hudson river. It was
Stevens who made the first applica
tion of steam to the screw-propellor
for driving a boat through the wa
ter and his steamboat contained the
first condensing double-acting engine
ever made in America and a multi
tubular boiler on which he secured
American patents in 1803.
Among the patents granted to
Rumsay was one for “propelling
boats or vessels” and his claim to
the title of “steamboat inventor”
rests upon these facts: On Septem
ber 7, 1784, George Washington saw
and certified to Rumsay’s model of
a boat which could go upstream by
machinery; in 1785 he obtained from
the Pennsylvania assembly an exclu
sive right for 10 years to “navigate
and build” such contrivances; in
March, 1786, he exhibited on the Po
tomac river a boat propelled by
steam; in 178T both Virginia and
Maryland granted him patents on
it; later he obtained similar pat
ents in England, France and Hol
land and in December, 1792, gave
a successful exhibition of his steam
boat on the Thames river.
Most vocal of all the partisans are
those of John Fitch and the evidence
which they sub
mit to prove his
right to the honor
thaihas been giv-
en' .tb Robert Ful
ton 'Stems to be
to establish his
right Ho the title
of “inventor of
the steamboat.”
Arranged chrono
logically, here are
the steps which
establish their
claims:
John Fitch
1785—In April, Fitch, then living |
in Bucks county. Pa., conceived the
idea of a steamboat and in Novem
ber he presented a drawing of the
boat, models and tube boiler to the
American Philosophical society.
1787—On August 22 his boat,
equipped with a 12-inch cylinder was
demonstrated at Philadelphia and
members of the Constitutional con
vention, then in session, witnessed
the successful demonstration.
1790— Newspaper advertisements
prove that Fitch was operating a
steamboat successfully and carrying
passengers across the Delaware.
1791— Congress voted to grant
Fitch a patent on his steamboat. It
was signed by President George
Washington and is the only one grant
ed on August 26, 1791, in which the
wording “Propelling boats &c by
steam &c” is used and there is no
record of a similar patent issued or
any earlier date than that.
« • •
Fitch was unable to interest
enough people in his invention to
capitalize on it and he died in pov
erty in Bardstown, Ky., July 2, 1798.
In his last years he wrote: “The
day will come when some more pow
erful man will get fame and riches
from my invention; but nobody will
believe that poor John Fitch can do
anything worthy of attention.” The
man who did get “fame and riches”
was Robert Fulton, for he had ac
cess to Fitch’s drawings and specifi
cations and from them constructed
his “Clermont” in 1807.
by.
Eleanor Roosevelt
DISQUIETING LETTER
I have just received a letter
which, in itself, would not be so sig
nificant, but taken together with
various other reports reaching me,
is very disquieting. I am quoting
it here, approximately as it is writ
ten, changing only such things as
might identify the writer.
“Several years ago, like many
others, my family suffered finan
cial reverses and we accepted
FERA work, but not relief. I have
supported my mother, who is a
chronic invalid, and assisted my fa
ther through wages received through
WPA work. From December, 1938,
to May, 1941, I was fortunate to be
on the administrative staff, first as
a stenographer and later as an oc
cupational interviewer, receiving
when I left, $1,440 a year.
“My record for this period had
been excellent, I was dropped from
payrolls through no fault of my own,
and was thankful that I had been
permitted to hold the job as long as
I had. I desired to try my luck in
private industry.
WPA WORK HISTORY
“I started June 1, making a tour
of every agency handling steno
graphic, clerical end typing posi
tions. The interviewers show their
interest in my appearance, my abil
ity to operate a typewriter, stenog
raphy and my ambition to continue
college, even if it meant working
at night; yet they are sorry they
can do nothing for me because I
have worked for the Works Progress
administration, and I will not lie
about my work history ... I am 26
years of age, of good parentage,
have good training, good educational
background, am attending Columbia
with money saved over a period of
five years in order to learn steno-
typing, and yet I can not get a job
in New York city unless I lie, be
cause I worked on WPA.”
A similar picture is fairly true in
other parts of the country. While
this is not a universal experience,
there are still enough employers who
have this attitude to make it a very
serious situation. Some eight and a
half million Americans tempora
rily found work on WPA during the
last six years. Their abilities and
talents represent a pretty good
cross-section of the American pub
lic .and it seems to me very sad
that any employer anywhere should
not recognize that misfortune has
come to people regardless of their
own wishes or abilities.
FOREIGN POLICY
We all listened breathlessly when
the radio from England gave us a
statement of the peace aims, drawn
up by the President and Mr. Wins
ton Churchill. There was nothing
new, nothing which I had not heard
many times before in conversation
about our foreign policy. Yet, stat
ed this way to the people of the
world, one felt it was an important
moment in the history of world
progress. Chairman May of the
military affairs committee in the
house of representatives expressed
very well in his short speech which
followed Senator Connally’s, the
feeling which many of us shared.
The radio this morning brought
me the news that our two sons,
Elliott and Franklin Jr., were with
their father during these last days
“somewhere at sea.” I knew that
Franklin Jr. had gone off for an un
disclosed length of time to these wa
ters, but the last I heard of Elliott
was several weeks ago, when he
was starting to fly over undisclosed
and barren areas, and no word from
that time on.
It is foolish to worry, for all of
us know that whatever comes we
have to meet it. Everybody has to
do his job in the world, but just
the same that statement on the ra
dio that morning started me off for
the rest of the day with a lighter
heart.
• • •
MARSHALL FIELD
One day Mr. Marshall Field came
to lunch with us, after which we
went over to look at the library be
fore he went to visit the Greenwich
House camp at Lagrangeville, N. Y.,
which is in this county. There are
not many people who take their
positions on boards and various or
ganizations as seriously as Mr.
Field.
I have grown to know him better
through our association on the Unit
ed States Committee for Refugee
Children, and constantly am im
pressed with the fact that he gives
so much of himself. He never
seems to consider that the money
he has donated absolves him from
a personal responsibility.
There are few young men I know,
who would start out for a day in
the country and remember that an
organization with which they had
been long connected, had a boys’
camp nearby.
• • •
RURAL YOUTH GUIDANCE
Last February, there was held in
Washington an Institute of Rural
Youth Guidance.
I have just received a report of
the proceedings and a “suggested
plan of action.” These pamphlets
are going to be distributed by the
agencies interested to those con
cerned with this problem in vari
ous parts of the country. I hope
that many newspapers in rural
areas, particularly the country
weekly papers, will quote many of
the recommendations.
Habits of Salmon
Grand Coulee, biggest dam in the
world, is now in action. The Co
lumbia river, which has been
dammed, is one of the swiftest and
fiercest in the world, and to curb
it a barrier has been erected which
is three-quarters of a mile long
and 500 feet high.
The result will be a lake 151
miles long, the irrigation of 1,200,-
000 acres of land, and sufficient
electric power to supply an area
five times the size of England.
Boulder dam, which harnesses
the Colorado river, with all its col
lateral works, was completed in
1935. It is thrown across a terrific
gorge called Black Canyon, which
is 2,000 feet wide, and the lake be
hind it is 115 miles long and took
three years to fill.
So tremendous is the weight of
water in this lake that geologists
have suggested that it may cause
a bending in the crust of the
planet.
A group of Pacific salmon, ov
king salmon, that inhabits the
Northern Pacific waters, dies after
the breeding season (July to De
cember) is over, says Pathfinder.
These salmon never return to the
sea.
Other types of salmon, however,
return to the sea after spawning,
and remain there until the next
breeding season. All salmon live
partly in the sea and partly in
fresh water, breeding in the latter.
They ascend rivers and tributary*
streams to spawn.
mmw be wises
lmx est in the Best
the XFEW Su/li - Stired
'belwx* CHAMPION TIRES
Right NOW, it’s just good judgment to buy 7
the best. That’s why motorists are equipping their
cars with the world’s first and only tires that are
Safti'Sured-^-the new Firestone DeLuxe
Champion Tires. They are Safti-Sured against
blowouts by a new Safety-Lock Gum-Dipped cord
body so amazingly strong, so remarkably cool
running that excessive internal friction and heat
cannot occur. They are Safti-Sured against
skidding by the remarkable Gear-Grip tread. And
they are Safti-Sured for longer mileage by the
exclusive new Vitamic rubber compound.
Call on your nearby Firestone dealer or store
before you start your Labor Day trip. With the
liberal allowance he will give you for your old
tires, you’ll be surprised how little it costs to
equip yoqr car with a complete set of new
Firestone DeLuxe Champion tires.
r.
mm
i
'PM
^ V x
V x x \ V' |
' V N v N \
A -a
THE ONLY TIRES MADE THAT ARE SAFETY - PROVED ON THE
SPEEDWAY FOR YOUR PROTECTION ON THE HIGHWAY
IT’S NBW!
IT’S A MONEY-SAVER!
There’s no need to make
an expensive wheel change
over of your light farm trucks
in order to haul heavy loads.
No sir! Just equip them
with the new Firestone
Standard Tires. These
tough, rugged tires are
made of truck tire
materials to exacting
truck tire specifications
yet they fit the
passenger tire rims on
your 3^2—% and 1 ton
trucks. What’s more,
these tires cost less!
Don’t delay, equip now
for fall hauling.
LOOK!
YOUR WOOD WHEEL
WAGON CHANGED OYER
TO PNEUMATIC TIRES
FOR AS LITTLE AS
SAVE 30%
By Equipping Your Stool
Wheeled Tractor with
HRESTONE GROUND GRIP TIRES
SAYS MR. EXTRA TRACTION *!
I 1
Changeover to
Firestone Ground
Grip Tires on
your steel-wheeled
tractor.Yougetthe
EXTRA traction
from Firestone’s
continuous traction
bar tread. You get 11-inch
tire cross section and
flotation from a 9-inch tire
.through Firestone’s
“Wide-Base” rim
program. Here’s the
economical way to better,
more profitable farming.
*MR. EXTRA 1
GETS HIS NAME
EXTRA TRACTION
ON EVERY PI
GROUND fi i
lIPS
n
*o*
■"-I
SEE YOUR NEARBY FIRESTONE DEALER OR
FIRESTONE STORE They’re TIRE Headquarters
Listen to the Voice of Firestone with Richard Crooks, Margaret Speaks and the Firestone Symphony
Orchostra, undor tho diroction of Alfred Woilonstoin, Monday ovonings, over N. B. C. Red Network