Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-07-05
STERIES IN
EAL LIFE GET
SCRUTINY
suslness of Mellon Institute
Likened to Detective
Service.
discoveries OF VALUE
by FREDERICK J. HAsKIN.

A1J 4 =. hA6hlN.
PITTsBURG, July 5.-If you think
nat the solving of million dollar mys-
teries is confined entirely to detective
stories and the movies, you should visit
the Mellon institute Of Pittsburg and see
how 1t is done in real life.
That is the institutes business-solv-
ing the various mysteries which battle
and obstruet the path Of American in
dustry.
That is what the MELONS, Andrew W.
and Richard b, the we'll known Pitts
burg bankers, founded and endowed 1t
for
While the institute is operated as a
part Of the University Of Pittsburg, and
is often mistaken for one Of the univer-
sityss buildings, it really leads an indie
pendent life, with its own separate bank
account. its own board of directors and
its own fellowship system
EXPERTS BUSY IN
LABORATORIES.
Working in its many splendidly
equipped laboratories are experts, sent to
Il from all parts Of the country by man
ufacturers and corporations who are
anxious to improve the quality OF their
products, or to discover newer and cheap
er processes for making them.
from soap and cement TO oleomargarine
and glue, is exhaustively studied here,
often with million dollar results
Each manufacturer pays for his own
particular line Of experimentation by en-
downing a fellowship sometimes two or
threel in the institute upon the under
standing that he shall receive exclusive
title to any results obtained.
That is, any new processes invented
by the scientist selected for the fellow
ship are the property of the manufac-
turer.
1t is also agreed that the nature Of
the research shall be kept absolutely
quiet. unless the manufacturer or cor
poration interested permits It to be
made public.
Hence. many Of the most interesting
problems being worked out at the In
stitute are clothed in darkest secrecy,
and the visiting public is merely per-
Hnitted to smell the experiments that are
going on
To most Of the Iaborato however,
one is given free access and graciously
allowed to ask as many questions as one
likes.
FIBER BOARD
TEST MADE
Wandering thus inquisitiveIy about
; the various laboratories OF the institute
the other day, the reporter came upon
young man bending tsnderly over box
containing numerous glass Jars Of peanut
butter.
Upon questioning him, we found that
the box and not the peanut butter was
the cause Of his solicitude.
The box was made OF fiber board, and
the young man was a Aber board fellow.
II seems that some years ago the hber
board industry was losing money be-
cause it could not prove that its fiber
board product made just as strong a
container as wood The railroads held
that all corrugated fiber board boxes
used as containers for freight shipments
must meet certain specifcations-that is,
the fiber board used in their construction
had to have a certain minimum thickness,
and It had to pass a specified bursting
test.
This. bursting test was made with a
naehi caned the Mellon Paper Tester"
which Evas not particularly designed for
testing corrugated board, but which
was used for lack Of anything better.
The results were unsatisfactory, and
consequently the railroads refused TO per-
nit anything weighing more than ninety
pounds to be shipped in fiber board con-
tainers.
So the hber board industry founded a
fellowship at the Mellon institute, with
directions to prove, If possible, that fiber
board would stand up under much heav-
Ter loads
he FOUND
THE ANSWER.
And we have" said the young man.
running a finger over the heavy curru-
gated lining Of the fiber board box. al
! though we had TO invent a new machine
70 do it."
de pointed to a queer looking appa-
iotus on 4 nearby table.
That's our new Webb paper tester,
Endorsed by the United States bureau of
Standards" he explained
1T shows that fiber board can easily
stand up under 100 pound shipments, and
even heavier ones"
Besides contributing this important in
vention, the fiber board research men at
the institute have discovered several sub
stitute materials to be used in the
-aanufacture Of fiber board, which are
much cheaper and just as good as the
ones originally used.
For instance, In place of the former
expensive cambria tape used In sealing
the joint Of a corrugated fiber box.
been devised which costs Just about a
fraction as much and answers the pur-
pose equally as well.
GRATEFUL
FOR TRUTH.
Sometimes the results obtained from the
research at the institute are not so salts
factory to manufacturers, but at least
they are gratihed to know the truth.
For example, not long ago the man
ufacturers Of butter substitutes endowed
q fellowship at the institute, in the hope
OF proving false the charge Of physicians
Concerning oleomargarine and other
vegetable butters-nameIy, that they did
not possess the important vitamines con-
tanned in butter.
The scientists engaged on this work
have not been able to refute this charge.
but they have proved that butter sub
stitutes are as good as butter, II the
lost vitamines are replaced by some other
item in the diet, such as milk and green
vegetables.
It is also possible that before they
finish their work they may succeed in
capturing an elusive vitamine or two and
injecting it into the recipe for butter
substitutes
The quest for important Industrial Sc
erets is a long and tedious business,
often requiring years of research work
to demonstrate what, in the end ap-
pears as a simple, common sense fact.
Months OF preliminary investigation
must often go by before the research
man even starts his work on a new
tsrCcpze