Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-11-03
WHAT is NICKEL!
The Material Out of Which Our Five
Cent Coin is Made.

The Material Out of Which Our Five
Cent Coin is Made.
Since the convenient five cent coin which
in common talk is called nickel has come
into general circulation, the question above
is asked either mentally or orally hundreds
of times every day, and but few get an in
telligent answer. In China and India a
white copper called pack tong has long been
known and has been extensively used both
there and in Europe for counterfeiting silver
coin. About the year 100 peculiar ore
was discovered in the copper mines of Sax
ony, which had the appearance of being very
rich, but in smelling it yielded the copper,
and the miners called it kufer nickel, or false
"copper" In 1854 Condstadt announced the
discovery of new metal in kufer nickel.
It was in combination with arsenic, from
which he could relieve it only in parts. The
alloy of nickel and arsenic which he obtained
was white, brittle and very hard, and had a
melting point nearly as high as cast iron. 1t
was not until 1923 that pure nickel was OBJ
tanned by analysis of German silver, which
had for a number Of years been produced at
Suhl, in SaXony. It's composition was as
certained to be copper ten parts, zine five
and nickel four. If more nickel be used the
alloy is as white as silver and susceptible of
very high polish, but becomes too brittle
and hard to be hammered or rolled, and can
be worked only by casting Pure nickel is a
white metal which tarnishis readily i'll the
air. Unlike silver, it is not acted on by the
vapOr Of sulphur, and even the strong min
eral acids attract it but slightly. Nickel has
tie hardness of iron and, like it, has strong
magnetic properties, but cannot be welded,
and is soldered with difficulty. Pure nickel
has heretofore been used chiefly for plating,
for which purpose its hardness and power to
resist atmospheric influences admirably adapt
it. Within the last year the French have
succeeded in rolling the metal into plates,
from which spoons and other table furniture
may be pressed. Nickel bronze, which con-
sists Of equal parts OF copper and nickel, and
little tin, way be cast into very delicate
forms, and is susceptible of high polish.
Mines Of nickel are worked at Chatham
Conn, and Lancaster. Pa, and it is said to
be found at Mine La Motto, Mo-, and at sew
eral points in Colorado and New Mexico,
where but little attention is paid 10 it. It is
extensively mined in SaXOny and in Sweden,
but the late discovery of a new ore q silicate
of nickel in New Caledonia will probably
suspend the use OF the arsenical ores, and
vet bring nickel into common use. SwitZer
land, in the year 1852, made coin of German
silver, which is identical in composition with
our nickel coin. The United States made
nickel cents in 1856, and eight years later
coined the five cent pieces. Belgium adopt
ed nickel in 1860 and Germany in 1873.
England has lately coined pennies for Ja-
maica, but at home she and France adhere
to the clumsy copper small change.
Majolica Ware.
From the earliest period of its production
the ancient art pottery of Italy-called in
the language of the country 'majolica'-has
attracted the attention of conn0isseurs. For
q long time it was known in England as
"Raffaelle ware" or "Faenza ware and be-
fore curiosity hunters had secured the coun-
try. specimens could be obtained in any bric
a-brac shop of Italy for cents, where dollars
would now fail to secure it. The common
belief that Ratiaelle had. himself been a
painter of plates and dishes was the cause of
widespread appreciation. Evidence is, how
ever, totally wanting in this direction. and
although stripped of interest and no longer
attributed to the great painter of Crbino,
maiolica ware, from its intrinsic value, is
highly priced.
1t is certainly one Of the most important
items in the category Of decorative art, arls-
ing as it did from study of the ornamented
pottery produced by the Arabs in Spain, and
which during the middle ages were largely
imported into Italy. During the fifteenth,
sixteenth and early part of the seventeenth
century, majolica was great staple manu-
facture of Italy. Manufactures were found
ed and fostered by the princes and the status
of the workmen was placed above the condi-
tion of the ordinary artisan; the artists were
"mastri" enjoying wide repute, and the cities
which were the principal seats of the manu-
facture acquired dignity and Importance.
Faenza, Urbino, Castel Durante, Gubbio and
Pesaro were the great centers of the majolica
fabrication, and the princes of UrbinO were
its most noted patrons
Specimens known as "lustred' are the rar
est and these are of various kinds, the ire
descent colors,' ''refets metalliques," 'colori
cangianti" or madre-perla are really pig
ments produced by metals deposited ON the
surface of the ware by some means unknown
at the present day. The secret of one Of
them, the ruby lustre, died out early in the
sixteenth century, and seems to have been
confined to one ceramic artist, Giorglo OF
Gubbio The specimens of this lustre date
ITOIl IOUJ W IooO stIlet Hdppy ID llIC poooCoooi
of cabinet containing genuine specimen.
The earliest known example of Giorgios ware
with the signature of the master is 1913 and
the latest 1887. Probably the finest collec-
ton of works of this character is the Sou
lagos collection, formed by NJ. Jules Soulages
during period between 1880 and 1910, and
purchased by the English government in
1856 for the South Kensington Museum for
the sum of S65,000.
The Consumption of Wood.
To make shoe-pegs enough for American
no,,c111a,ac arnun1l1r 100 0ll cords of TIM