Page 2
The Battalion
Wednesday Afternoon, April 3, 1946
Eight Straight—Aggies Record . . .
First eight straight—that's a good record in anyone's
statistical table. And that's the record the Aggie foaseballers
have chalked up so far this season. True, it wasn't against
Conference teams, but these victories, and the team's per
formance in winning, indicate that the Aggies are top-
notch college baseballers.
The thought that is uppermost in the minds of these
hard-working, tobacco-chewing sluggers is winning the
Southwest Conference baseball crown. The thought that
should be uppermost in the minds of all Aggies is “We're
going to help them do it!"
Every one of us wants to be able to point with pride at
the Conference pennant flying above the Kyle Field base
ball stands.
Thursday afternoon, the Conference race begins with
a contest against TCU here on our home grounds. This will
be an opportunity for the cadet corps and the veteran Ag
gies to show that they are solidly behind Lil Dimmitt’s
stellar nine.
Come on out, ole Army! Fill those stand to overflowing,
start the old chatter passing back and forth. Learn all the
players, their habits, their strong points, and their weak
points. Follow the team, and cheer them on to a Southwest
Conference championship!
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Sir: .
Please accept my congratulations
for your very clever “tea-sippers”
news item in today’s Batt. My
husband and I enjoyed it very
much.
While we are on the subject of
T. u., may I bring this to your
attention ? When did one of those
“tea-sippers” creep in and plant
orange flowers all over the Aggie
campus? Are our faces red!?!
Yours very truly,
Mrs. U. V. Johnston.
/
ainptiA
Opens 1:00 p.m. — 4-1181
WEDNESDAY - THURSDAY
Paramount
presents -^
Joan Tontciine
Rrturo^e Cor^ov*;
•* . in
FreMCHM
plus
Merrie Melodies Cartoon
LAST DAY
“BEWITCHED”
THURSDAY ONLY
/y
OISEN £ JOHNSON
BARGAIN DAY - - -
Two for one!
To the Editor:
It’s true that Chad is here and
Kilroy at Forty Acres, but it
wasn’t always that way. Or how
do you account for such blackboard
scribblings as “Kilroy busted Eco
here,” or “Kilroy flunked Analyt
here”?
Could it be that Kilroy flunked
out at A. & M. and is now a tea-
sipper ?
(signed) CHAD
Texas Too Fur
South Fur Mink,
Says F & G Dept.
FEATURES
Dear Editor:
I humbly submit a question (in
very bad verse) which I think
should be answered.
Sbisa
Does it rhyme with the way a
New Yorker says kisser?
Do you say it to sound like
the Tower of Pisa?
Is the “S” silent? the “B”? The
spelling suggests:
That you sneeze when you say
it. Who knows which is best?
Answers are varied to my cur
ious query.
Fish say they don’t know, but
seniors can’t hear me.
You’ll cure our insomnia; our
grades will be better.
Thousands await your reply to
this letter. Sincerely,
Glen Haley.
In 1911, A. G. McGallin, estab
lished the aviation industry in Dal
las building planes in his back |
yard, on Ervay street.
Prospects for profits to be de
rived from mink farming in Texas
are not bright, according to Dr.
Walter P. Taylor of the Fish and
Game department. Veterans had
asked for information. Dr. Taylor
said.
“Unfortunately we cannot give
| the prospective fur raisers very
much encouragement in the mat-
I ter of mink raising or other forms
of fur farming in Texas,” Dr. Tay-
I lor said. “We really have too warm
a climate for the best results with
mink and other furs of that type.
In the United States most of the
ranch raised minks are produced
either in the northern half of the
country or elsewhere at high al
titudes. Seemingly the colder cli
mate tends to a better develop
ment of fur. There once was a
mink farm out in the El Paso re
gion but that has been sold out.”
A number ot bulletins on mink
raising have been prepared by the
Fish and Wildlife Service of the
U. S. Department of the Interior
and are available from the Texas
Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit
at A. & M. College.
Aggie
House—M arms
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Presented herewith
is the sixth of a series of thumbnail
sketches on the house masters in charge
of the non-military dormitories on the
campus.)
B. F. (BILLY) BOLTON is 25
years old, from Sulphur Springs,
Texas. Received B. S. in 1942, and
is now taking pre-medical work.
Entered service in May, 1942, as
2nd Lieutenant, separated in Jan
uary, 1946, as Caotain. Served 10
months with 15th Air Force in
M. T. O. Flew 26 missions before
being shot down over Augsburg,
was prisoner of war for two
months. Received E. T. O. ribbon
with three campaign stars, Air
Medal with two clusters, and Unit
Citation. Housemaster for Dorm
12, and lives in Room 218.
(Next issue: O. J. Bolton)
Read the Readers Digest
Regular price $3.00 per year.
HALF PRICE TO EX-SERV
ICEMEN. See Special Delivery
postman or write Box 284, Col
lege Station.
m
M
Itenu of Intorest inr iho Fields of Chemistrypiogipeering. Physics, and
NYLON-PRODUCT OF PURE RESEARCH
TVTYLON exists today because of curi-
1 1 osity—the curiosity of a group of
Du Pont chemists who wanted to know
more about polymerization, that strange
process by which small molecules of a
chemical unite to form larger molecules
with entirely new and different chemi-
. cal properties.
Du Pont chemists began a study of
polymerization in 1928. They experi
mented with dibasic acids and within
two years had succeeded in forming
polyesters with molecular weights up to
25,000. In the spring of 1930, on remov
ing one of these *'superpolymers” from
the molecular still, one of the chemists
noted that it could be drawn out into a
thin strand, like taffy candy. But, un
like taffy, it was not brittle when cooled.
In fact, the cooled strand could be
further drawn out to several times its
former length and when so drawn be
came not only stronger but elastic!
This original ester polymer had a low
melting point and was sensitive to water.
Nevertheless, it suggested that some re
lated type of polymer might produce
fibers which would be of practical use
in textiles.
Numerous superpolymers were syn
thesized and tested. Finally, in 1935, a
polyamide was prepared. From it, the
first nylon filaments were made—by
forcing the molten polymer through a
hypodermic needle!
Nylon Polymer Developed
Further experimental work resulted in
the development of a polymer that pos
sessed the desired characteristics. This
material was later christened nylon.
But the job was not yet done. Re
search chemists—particularly physical
chemists—and chemical engineers were
called upon to devise practical methods
for making the polymer and for spinning
and drawing it into high-quality yarn.
Mechanical engineers were given the
task of designing plant equipment to
carry out the processes. Organic chem
ists were required to develop new dyeing
agents and to find a size to make knitting
possible. At one time or another more
than 230 research men, engineers and
marketing specialists worked on the
giant task of converting this child of
chemical curiosity into a marketable
product.
RESEARCH LOWERS PRICE OF
SYNTHETIC UREA
Lower prices, as well as new processes,
can result from intensive research. Take
synthetic urea, for example. In 1930,
urea sold for about 80^ a pound. Great
promise was held for this compound as
an industrial chemical for fertilizer and
plastic use—if an inexpensive manufac
turing process could be found.
By methods then in use, ammonia
and carbon dioxide were heated to
about 150°C., forming urea and water
in equilibrium with the unconverted
original compounds. The yield of urea
was approximately 43 %.
Research by Du Pont chemists and
engineers showed that, by adjusting the
proportions of the reactants, raising the
temperature and increasing the pressure,
conversion could be improved materi
ally. But the corrosive mixture resulting
quickly chewed up the best grades of
steel available.
Long investigation by metallurgists,
chemists and chemical engineers finally
produced an autoclave in which the
operation could be carried on a produc
tion basis. Today, Du Pont is able to
sell synthetic urea for less than 4^ a
pound. Men of Du Pont take pride in
the fact that their work has made it
possible to reduce the price of urea
from the "drug” class to a level where it
can be used as a fertilizer by the farmer.
Questions College Men ask
about working with Du Pont
'WHAT ADVANTAGES DOES DU PONT
OFFER A RESEARCH MAN?"
To men interested in pure or applied
research, Du Pont offers unusual ad
vantages in equipment, facilities and
funds. Men of Du Pont are constantly
developing new processes and prod
ucts, and seeking improvements for
established processes. Investigation
in the fields of organic, inorganic and
physical chemistry, biology and engi
neering suggest the diversity of the
activities of Du Pont research men.
More facts about Du Pont—Listen to “Cavalcade of America,” Mondays, 8 P.M. ESI, on NBC
RES. U.s. PAT. Off.
BETTER THINGS FOR BETTER LIVING
...THROUGH CHEMISTRY
E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS & CO. (INC.)
WILMINGTON 99, DELAWARE