, 1879-03-28
THE ART OF MAKING SILVER.

An Alleged Discovery ,y i,r. Farrlss-Can
Can stlrsr lie hfntto of Cheap Mate
r1ala7
Hur'tn0ton tn, Na,es.vt.
Dr, Thomas Farriss Is O native oI Ait, Pleas
ant, alnl about 81 years OF age. llo was cdu,
Gated Mt The Iowa Wcslcyan University. lie was
college churn Of Prof. fiopktrk, Of the Bur.
llngton High School. Tic Rev. Dr.. John
Wheeler Was at that time the Hres1cn. Of the
University, md Prof. Mansfield Ind charge Of
the department Of chemistry md laboratory
practice. Buth si'cak In lltgh terms Of tileit
former pupils studtousnesa and NATURAL ubilIty.
While employed In tic univcraIty laboratory
1bi3 under teacher. and treating oi chemical
analysis before the class ono day his attention
was directed 10 the condition OF tho waste mate.
rsnl or "wasf!ngs y In the cartl,cn vessel where
they remained during the night. Various metals
anu acids had been used In the illustration. In
emptying the vessel he noticed tt,at a metal had
teet' formed from the waste materials, and
which lie concluded was platina+ This led hin
carefully to note the ingredients and proper
ttons that had been used, hoping 10 be abe to
reproduce the same substance.
| lie atterward aRecrtatued that tho metal was
not plat'na but silver. and, without letting his
discovery 10 known. he questioned rrof. Mans
field as TO II lat tile effect would bu Of tllc union
ot tllG yar!ous materials he had thus nrct-
aentaliy mixed. The Professor, a8 d careful
sc[cntist, stated what woud bo the result ar.
ct'rdl'E to the known !aws OF chemistry as laid
down IN all the Standard works, Tic Young
expert, however, found result quite different,
and resolved to keep the Information to him
self. and follow up his Investigations without
publicity. ln continuing bis experiments ho
would sometimes succeed in reproducing the
first result, and at other times he would fall
| These experiments continued over period Of
several years, during which TING. hoping 10 oh.
tafn better laboratory facilities for pursuing his
| researches. he wcut to St. Louis.
Aftor STRUGGLING along for some time and cx-
| halst[ng his own resources, Ur. Fasriss began
to look abont for help. Lie applied TO scrcra!
revealing bis object, but It looked SO chlmcrical
sl'at mono Of tlIenl were willing to venture any
thing OIL sucll M enterprise. lie finally cnti,-
p'ete9 al arrangement ~ IN the latter part OF 1878
ncphew. J. a. Graut, boti! Of Mount Pleasant
Tie next step after mnkng The business ar
rangcEcnt was to have u more extensive aualy-
sfs Of tie metals, 90 as 10 be certnth bryouI
nude By different experts. One by Howard &
Mobile, No. John street. New York, which was
forwarded .!lrough II. r.. 1Iildreteh Of that
eltY'Eassay w. PER Gent 1,{po The standard;
Hayes. NJ; z Maiden lane. NV iork, who re.
port assay M)1 pcr eent, standard 1,0o0, unl the
atst oef recsved ] ,sros ssnates sn aass ssuness rs.
Cl NcUTAaku+ NIlu HGnlyZeu Dr HutltDEEk.
late Of ]. y. Lnmc &; Co.. No. II Bond street,
New York. is. silver, ~. 50 per cent: iron traces
of slug, 0l00. lhe specific gravity OF The nlctai
being ,:95, aliu tlat Of perfectly pure silver
ranging from lo4o to 1905, md the melting
point was found to he the as tllut Of silver
1873 degrees Falireulleit's acalc; hardness.
mcltenbIlty, and physical characters nrc the
same rs silver, and the commercial .yaue will
bc te same as those Of silver in Its nearly pure
statc.n This last assay was malc by mi cx-
pert. The Anaiysis snntlc by ,1curgcns and AN
dcrson, Of ChieaEo. report market value s1.l0
per- ounce.
Mcssrs. Saunders and Graut hare furnished
and are furnishing ttsouey to conduct the tests
nlll manufacture the product, uld also ucT-
soualty tonlucting. tho business. They put
themselves under s1o, ,0tU bonds not to dlyuleo
the secret before Dr; Farrss gave them the for
tnula for naknig silver. lIe then sauglt Them
how to handle tlIe material. and IN urlcr to IT.
illllrc proficiency, each Of the tIlrcu men takes
Its turn III ,e laboratory aud although thc two
sion, they, l!avc. learned how to l,aujic
the, material ull1 apparatus. aul cael, has
nlade the silver. III fnct, Atr. Saunders ttas him
self purchased nnd prepared matrriaI which he
from the silver thus manufactured nnlcr ills ex-
elusive supervision lle selected the specimens
that were aSsayed. By these eatcful steps
Mcsars. Saunders and t;rant hive carried for
or doubt rs to thu success AMI practical value OF
the discovery is ontiruiy removed from their
minds, aud they are uow preparing 10 erect
fuslIaces etc.. to curry OIL the work On larger
Quoted on very !itnltea basss, yielding but u
small quantity IL silver In each operation.
:" What materials are used In the manufacture |
al the silvcrt" THIS Is 4 question eycryhoiy
MT III tiuty tu YOUR readers refraln tron, asking.
But Of course did not receive. nnd had no |
right to expect, MI explicit answer. Thnt would |
bc giving awaY The key to The situation. lhu
making tile, inquiry. md certainly lsa4 no |
reason to complain Of ttIe delicate manner In |
whieh they t1cated the n'atter: luucea, they
kindly gaye 1ne SOME points that a,ll ilut ut
however, 1t Will he satfsfact'on to your read
era. as 1t was to 1nc, to lcarn tnt the erllio a-
terais used are abundant in this Vicinity Ut Mt.
ricasunt, 7 not throughout Iowa This heng
greatly tn tlt Wealtl. OF our State, sui sttlau.
late III nu small degree our trntle.
find The question: Is frequently askr.l, " Why
s i tshSn nn, 20 iss to dsys9e 7l',soyeEy tut
not fnt Ut such tustuslrcs OF delays nud 4Iisap-
puntlncuts, would attach moro importance L,
iaIis expression Ut doubt. HIT III this case
f1f reasons Tint aro sattataetory to my. OWL
cuntcnt myself with thr statement Vi nr. Farriss
that the experiments were custly; that they were
delicate; tint nftentfmos. lc wns tulllrd In
try!ni, !" rel'cas q successful result; Tint l'e
tle srrret: that the experiments Ind 10 Ue rn,t-
.furlrl secretly, al,l Tint at last. when ile ar-
rrae1 10 n,en tor financial aid, they wcro liz
his cIatns,-an iucretl,sity which tinte shy hu
wiiI ront!mlc to meet with everywhere until hu
has still further demonstrated llle feasibility u
l1la process.
Hflr lark !ssa, N1rrA ?G
The Foregoing lacts wcro submitted yesterday
to Mr.. AT. lfay, OF New YnrE, whose rrAuarches
far many ycnrs IN tnetal!urgy have malle in,