Evening star., 1923-08-19

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created for their comfort or conven-
lence, but if one stops and thinks of
the time when everything was in
rude state, he will realize that the
commonplace is really the result of
work done by men of science for
1ears in order that the people of the
age may have their lot made less
hard. Yet we hardly notice the
greatest things that have been de-
vised by man for the good of the
world.
Modern science has given the world
the telephone, the telegraph, the
radio and many other means of COM
munication. These are still to a
slight degree looked upon with awe
by some, but do we often think of
the means of transportation that we
call the automobile" We have long
since looked upon this achievement
4. something that just happened, but
we may we'll observe what the auto
mobile has done and what other
things il is responsible for.
When gasoline buggies," as they
were formerly called, first came into
use. the roads Of the country We're in
what would now be termed a horrible
condition, so man studied for while
and found that the big pitch lake in
Venezuela could be utilized. He set
| about to develop this great reservoir,
extracted asphalt from the depths,
and gave the country good roads.
Then came the man with the new
idea in the handling of cement. and
he took a fling at the subject, with
the result that today there are hun
kdreds of miles of highways through
out the length and breadth of the
land that are made of asphalt
cement. and these great ribbons do
10 include the many thousands of
miles of both kinds of roads that are
in use in the cities and the smaller
towns.
With the ever-increasing number
of machines came an additional de-
nand for fuel with which to run
them, and again mans ingenuity
came to the rescue. with the result
that literally thousands of wells We're
opened and the output turned into
gasoline and lubricating oils.
X X x X
yIyHILE in the winter months we
w he'd been using rubber for over
shoes and boots, there was a com
|, paratively small demand for rubber,
nd for many years the output.was of
nominal size but with the advent of
rhe automobile it was necessary to
have material that would lessen the
jar when the machine hit rough
Ilace in the road or crossed a car
track, so it was necessary for man
TO get busy and provide something.
Automobile tires sprang into being.
This called for great quantities of
rubber. The producers could not
supply the demand, more especially
as they were using the old methods
ef collection. and the manufacturers
were still handling the raw material
in the same old manner. So again
Ingenuity came to the rescue, and
low instead of the old-fashioned
methods of collecting you may see
tree after tree with little cups at
itached to the sides and into these the
lprecious fluid flows. while the men
make regular rounds to collect it. In
the manufacturing end came de-
mand for the installation of a new
process, so the fluid is now being
treated by forcing air into it by
the work more quickly and effica-
ciously. and in addition it makes a
more thorough mixture. 1t was nee
essary, in the earlier days. to handle
1.-The rubber in chunks, but now the
very latest way of handling the fluid
is TO place it in great receptacles on
board ship and these. when they
reach port, are emptied into tank cars
similar in appearance and construc-
on to those employed in the carry
ing of oil, so the man who needs pure
rubber does not have to wait until
all Of the old-fashioned and tedious
methods have been employed. He
gives an order to his agent and in
fshort time he has the rubber at the
door of his factory. 1t is in such
sshape as to permit his working it at
once.
TT is automatic that il you take
j something away you must put
something back unless YOU want d
}void. and SO it is with the earth that
grows the things with which we sus-
tain life. 1t is a matter of common
knowledge that the soil, after it gives
" = crop, must nave some Oh the ele-
ments tlrat have been extracted re-
placed, or the next years yield will
II he smaller and that eventually the
.sround will become barren if this is
rot done. SO man set about to see il
/ there was not something that he
could do TO remedy, this condition, or
AT least assist nature in her act Of
! replenishment. He experimental and
! found that great quantities of nitro.
| gen were necessary. He looked
around and saw that Chile possessed
great deposits of nitrate. He began
10 use these. and then one day along
came a man who said to himself that
Mere was nitrogen in the air and
that if he could only extract it he
would make money for himself and
would also be conferring benefit
npon humanity. He experimental
until he found a way to pluck from
she air this very valuable agent, and
the result is now that all those who
follow agrarian suits are waiting for
a chance to see if the country can
produce a fertilizer that will be as
good and can also be purchased al
lower figure then we pay for the
product from the Chilean fields.
In the very early days those who
sived in rough shacks appreciated the
fact that if they could cut a hole in
-he side Of. dwelling they would
have more light and the air would be
purer, but they also realized that in
,he winter months the cold air would