The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-12-15
Making Gold.

weeks that | think ought to be told.
There's moral goes with the story,
but don't furnish that. only the story.
A little more than month ago gen.
tlcman came here TO the Denison House
at least met him here. He was q
! Hungarian, man of medium height
wore his hair, which, like his beard,
was black as a ravens wing, quite long,
while his whiskers, that curled bcauti-
fully, were neatly trimmed His skin
was Of olive hue, his nose hooked and
his age about forty-tive years. He was
q delightfully."- smooth and ready talker,
being complete master Of English,
though he spoke II with a decidedly for-
eign accent He went, soon after his
arrival, to Dun n Co.'s agency, and
stating that he had an enterprise in
which he might desire to interest y
number OF capitalists, was furnished
with the names and rating Of several Of
those amiable and interesting gentle
men. He represented himself rs a
chemist, and opened out his plan with
as much secrecy as dealer In counter
felt coin. He had found the secret
hunted for through several centuries,
and could transmute metals to gold.
The few citizens he approached were
too shy TO entertain his propositions,
and he did not even unfold them; but
he got two elderly gentlemen interested
(don't look at me that way;. I'm not
one of 'om), and renting an upstairs
room on South Meridian street, fitted 1t
up with lead-lined tanks, curious
shaped bottles, crucibles, retorts, alem-
bics, etc, so that 1t looked like the lair
Of a medieval alchemist. He had the
room fixed up like an illicit medicine,
secure from observation, and every
thing was altogether mysterious. He
didn't show the capitalists his hand un-
til the room was ready. Then he
brought them there and showed his APP
paratus, which of course impressed
them. He told them he had come from
New York with little moro than 300.
He could not undertake TO do what he
wanted to do there. He could trans
mute metals into gold; had spent his
life and fortune in acquiring the secrcS,
and II he did nor know that he could
do what he promised he would commit
suicide, as life was not worth having
any longer He impressed my friends
with his earnestness. At the labora-
tory he took two 800 gold pieces, 81. so
in silver, and chemicals which he said
cost 800, in all, as he represented, a
total value of $42. so, and with this lie
proposed to make 1920 in gold.
Indeed, he told the two amateur al
chemists that they themselves might
put the material in the crucible. He
would stand at the other side Of the
room, and they could make tho gold
themselves. He explained to theil that
the gold and silver needed in the exper-
iment had been subjected to the potent
influences Of compound gases for the
purpose Of revivifying their molecular
energies. This did not show any ex-
ternal change in the coin, but the
molecular transition had, he said, new
ertheless taken place.
.They put the gold silver and chem
ical compound into the crucible, and in
a little while poured out Nugget which,
as he said, was actually gold, with
trace Of silver, and worth nearly 1920.
"My old friends were very much ex-
cited. They made hasty calculation
and thought they saw $4,000 a day
clear profit they worked hard at the
melting pot, $4,000. But they sus-
pected the chemical compound; it might
be hocussed, and so furnish the addi-
tional gold in the nugget. The amia-
bic Hungarian smiled and gave them
portion of the chemical TO have ana
lyzed. They had it done, and there
wasn't trace OF the valuable metal in
it. On finding the strangers word thus
confirmed they were eager 70 close with
him, but they restrained their ardor
and asked a few more questions. They
wanted to know il he could transmutc
metals into gold why did he need sill
yer, and, above all, why did he need
gold To assist in the transmutation.
Easily explained. He said that he had
discovered that gold was not, as chem
lists held, an element. Nothing of the
kind; it was compound. He had dis
covered all the ingredients that go to
make up the compound called gold, cx-
cept one, and that had partially to be
supplied by gold itself and little sill
yer. both being requisite to supply that
want.
He had nearly silenced every doubt,
and the capitalists we're abouttO invest,
when, for some reason, the Hungarian
gotfrightened and skipped the town, and
they were thus undoubtedly saved from
being the dupes of as clever ascoundrel
IS ever walked in. shoe leather. asked
q scientific friend Of mine how he sup
posed the Hungarian managed the
thing, as my friend undoubtedly rolled
out the nugget. His idea was that 1t
was done by clever slight-of-hand, or
that the silver pieces might have been
filed with gold, though that wouldn't
account for all the gold turned out OF
the nugget. OF course it was a swindle,
and am surprised that two such old,
acute, and long-headed fnanciers should
have SO narrowly escaped being taken
In. Fm not quite sure he didn't get
money enough Of them to pay his hotel
expenses here, at least. If i were to
give you the names Of the gentlemen
who wanted to 60 into the manufacture
of gold, you ldn't-but, by Jove,
will give EN- to you, but you mustn't
publish EN-" li4 s
When the reporter heard the names
he tumbled in a fit, and has Just recos-
cred sufficiently to be able to writ6 the
foregoing. -lndianapolis yoarssa.
1t was only four years ago that
Chester P. Lord was q reporter on the |
New York Sun. Then he was made |
night editor, getting q salary Of $40 a
week. About six months afterward he
was given 800 week. Now he Is |
editorial manager of the paper at $S0,-
600 year. When Mr.. Dana retires,
which must be soon, he will succeed to |