Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-12
LITTLE THINGS OF LIFE
How the infinitely Small Ministers to
Mans Comfort and Reveals the
Universe-Demerits for let.
ter Carrlers-1onner Back
Home
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN
IoHN BRASHEAR once showed me a

BY GEORGE NON Mccain
TOHN BRASHEAR once showed mc diff
- ference of one one -thousandth of an inch
in the curve of n lens he was grinding
It was twenty five years ago in his plain
little half underground workshop. on the
Pcrryvilc road in the hills above Allegheny
City.
The mere turn of screw caused three.
legged miniature table like structure to
wabblc on the convex surface of the lens;
ana that was the measure Of the almost in
finitcsimal
BrashCar, who died year or more ago,
was liberal in the way of religious belief.
lie was an astronomer; the maker of astro-
n0lnlcal aids and instruments of precision.
lie and his wife, for she was real help
mate; literally moved among the stars. Be
fore he died he gave utterance to that Won
dcrfnlly beautiful sentiment when speaking
wife and hmsel) have lived so long with
the stars. that We are not afraid to go out
into the darkness where they arc
NIIIEN my friend s. L. Gabcl, Of Norris
w town, sent me n little envelope of curious
things the other day. that experience with
DR.. John Brashear came instantly TO my
mind.
For Mr.. Gabcl is, like the great Pittsburgh
scientist, a maker of things almost micro
filmy trites of metal. though Brashcar
worked almost exclusively in glass.
All the world of the technically unframed
and unscicntifc-the intelligent mass, so to
spcak-has read with wonder of the dis
covcry of the size of that monster sun of the
celestial universe, the star Betelgcuse, 300,
600 900 miles in diameter.
More wonderful still to the lay mind is
the fact that its size was determined by an
astronomical calculation based on an angle
the. most infntesimal known to science
half'a wave length of light
And the average light wave length is al
most O.00002 of an inch.
The objects sent Inc by my friend Gabcl
would compare with this as n lead pencil to
Nc inch castiron water main
And yet they are curious. Moreover, they
are useful, indispensable articles of everyday
manufacture and commerce, products that are
made by the mile and sent to the ends of
the world.
They are known as tubes of precision. in
steel, brass, silver and other metals.
TT is not strictly in accord with exact truth
l. to say that s. l.. Gabel is the maker of
lie is the directing genius, the president Of
the concern that spins them forth like the
ribbon from a conjurers mouth.
On a white strip under my eyes. runs n
strand Of metal. 1t is about the size Of a
small silk thread. 1t is of steel, and it is
a tube, pipe, as perfect as a gas or water
main
1t is .O14 of an inch in diameter, or seven
five -hundredthS of an inch thick
Inside of 1t runs n wire that is smaller
still. II is also of steel and looks like moth
ing so much as tiny hair from a baby's
head.
1t (thc tube) is used in the manufacture
of hypodCrmic necdlc-nePdles for the in
lection of the most minute quantities of
scrums. anttoxins and even toxic fluids,
where an overdose might prove deadly to the
victim.
In nickel silver is another tube or pipe of
the same dimensions There are others
ranging up to .01S inch in diameter used in
electrical experiments; and then in brass
they attain the thickness of pack thread,
.O24 Of an inch.
These are the delicate tubes required in
the manufacture of promoters.
And these tiny, fragile products OF the
world of minute things are turned out in
great workshops where rolls grind, wheels
spin and machinery crashes.
WILL II. HAYS. the new postmaster gem
w craI. has announced his intention Of
"humani2ing" the postal service. 'Busi-
nessizng" would perhaps be better term,
to invent word.
And there is no better place than Phila-
delphia in which to start the process.
Not that this city is any worse possibly,
than any other, for ] understand the same
system and rules as applied to the delivery
of mail prevail in every other city where
postmcn tramp their daily round.
lnuCT tNe buTltSOn rules lue cur
ricrS are subject to the discipline of de
merits" They are black marks for failure
to perform their duties within certain time
limits. and for other nfractions.
Thus, at least in the residential districts,
letter carriers are on time schedule. They
must deliver the mai over their respective
routes within q certain time.
If they fail to DO SO they are subject to
demerits. And 1000 dcmcrts in n year
means dismissal from the service.
no THE folks in residential sections real
- ize that under this ironclad arrangement
the delivery of their mail is often held up
from three to four hours?
Every poStman strives TO cover his route
and deliver his mail within the prescribed
time; that is, if he is honest, conscientious
and efficient.
But suppose he finds that. owing to the
amount OF his deliveries or to storms or other
unavoidable causes, he cannot cover his
route, does he finish his work or jump Il
trolley and get back to the subofiice to save
the dreaded black mark?
What would you do under the Circum-
stances?
The mail matter thus undeIivercd is held
over until the next round. Then if the NUM-
Der of packages is as large as on the first
round, some other part of the route is
quietly skipped and the houses missed on the
first round are served with their delayed
mail.
MO BUSINESS, whether private or pub
N lie. can be conducted without we'll
organized system; the pOstotiCC service par
ticularly.
But when tho system is carried to the ex-
tremC of interfering with the public service
it is time to start n reform.
The harshncss Of Mr.. Burleson's methods
has been n subject of comment and con-
demnation for years. lie was the task