The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1872-10-22
rHE AIRS 4 HUvDnED YEARS 400.

One hundred years ago, what a man dis
covered in the arts he concealed. Worimen
were put upon oath, in the name of God,
never to reveal the process used by their en-
ployers. Doors were kept closed. artisans
going out were searched, visitors were rigor-
| ously excluded from admission, and false
operations blinded the workmen themselves.
The mysteries of every craft were hedged in
by quickest fences of empirical pretensions
and judicial affirmation. The royal manu-
factories of porcelain, for example, were long
carried on in Europe with spite of jealous
exclusiveness. His Majesty of Saxony, was
especially circumspect. Not content with the
oath of secrecy imposed upon his workpeople,
he would not abate his kingly suspicion in IA
vor of brother monarch. Neither king nor
kings delegate might enter the tobooed walls
of Meissen. What is enormously called the
Dresden porcelain--that exquisite pottery of
which the world has never seen the like-was
produced for two hundred years by a process
so secret that neither the bribery of princes
nor the garrulity of the operatives ever re-
vealed it.
0tACh utSCoNcIlCS NttNc uetu Hess SuCCeSS-
fully guarded, fortunately for the world. The
manufacture of tin-ware in England origi-
mated In q stolen secret. Few readers need to
be informed that tin-ware is simply thin
iron plated with tin by being dipped into the
molten metal. In theory it is an easy matter
to clean the surface of iron, dip it into bath
of the boiling tin, and remove it, enveloped
with the silvery metal, to place for cooling.
In practice, however, the process is one of the
most difficult in the arts. 1t was discovered
in Holland, and guarded from publicity
with the utmost vigilance for nearly
half century. England tried in vain to dis
cover the secret, until James Sherman, Cor
nish miner, crossed the Channel, insinuated
himself master of the secret, and brought it
home. The secret of manufacturing cast
steel was also stealthily obtained and it is
now within the reach of all artisans
Another stolen secret is the method of in
venting citric acid. The inventor of the pro-
cess-who was resident of London, Eng
land-for a long time enjoyed the monopoly
of his invention. More favorably circum-
stauced than other secret manufacturers, his
was process that required no assistance. He
employed nor workmen. Experts came to
sample and assert and bottle his products
They never entered his laboratory. The mys-
tic operations by which he grew rich were coii-
fined to himself. One day, having locked the
doors and blinded The windows, sure as usual
of the safety of his secret, che chemist went
home to dinner. A chimney-sweep, or boy
disguised as such, wide awake in chemis-
try, was on the watch. Following the secret
keeper SO far on his way toward Charing Cross
as to be sure he would not return that day,
the sooty philosopher hied rapidly back to
Temple Bar assembled the low building, drop
ped down the flue, saw all he wanted, and
returned, carrying with him the mystery of
making citric acid. The monopoly of the
inventor was gone. A few months after and
the price of the article was reduced four-liftls
The poor man was heart-broken and died
shortly afterward ignorant of the trick by
which he had been victimized. He was to be
pitied as an individual sufferer but the wheel
of progress is bound to crush all obstacles
which threaten to impede its course, sacrifice
ing the man to the needs of the multitude
Fortunately, inventors Of the present day can
work openly, and enrich themselves whilst
they benefit others.