Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1884-10-22

II may be snid, almost with positive Ger.
tainty, that no single element cin be found
In nature absolutely pure, or disassociated
from other material The law OF affinity,
which Is everywhere manifested, has had
large part In the work which everywhere
meets our observation. These laws Of atm
ity, which are beginning to be understood,
act with positivcness which Is determined
BIS conditions which are constantly modi
fled A substance which apparently has nm
almost inseperablc attraction for another,
when released by amy forces which may be
brought To bear upon IL, Immediately seeks
association with other elements to form
new compound, varying In many particulars
from their precedent.
wider Investigation of the conditions
which prevail aud the material which
is everywhere presented to our oh.
servation, shows but one state or
link In It's march Of progress from the past to
the future. What We behold Is in one sense
but page In the history Of development.
~ water yet this substance, by the action Of
certain well known forces which may be
readily applied, may be changed into one
direction TO u gaseous or yaporzed eondi-
ton, and but Il step in another direction re
duces II to solid, thus APPLY exemplifes the
point which we wish to present, as the same
law or fact Is true regarding every single
element or combination OF elements with
which scientific observation comes In con.
tact.
the precedent conditions, and the law which
governs formations has not received suili-
Client consideration This Is well shown In
all metallurgicil operations whose history 50
far has been marked most emphatic lily by
two uniayorable factors when should be
eliminated, those of cost and loss.
II Is also beginning to he understood that
n knowledge of the constituent elements
which enter into the construction and form
alton Of iron ore Is one which must be solved
before definite results can be achieved In
depending upon an exact manipulation of
the material. The varying qualities of the
material used in operations where steel Is
required largely precludcs the definite re-
suit which /: so importint, especially IN this
line of business. II Is. however, evident
that were we fully acquainted with the dit
fcrent elements which are presented In the
ore and the nature of the effects produced
by smelling and clsting operations that
this evil could he easily remedied All
operations must, OF necessity, be hnphaz lrd
aud uncertain until u real basis of the facts
has been established. The same thing is
true In regard to all the ores aud m ,terials
which perform an import INT part In the In
dnstrial activity of the world.
As stated the history of metallurgy has
been constantly blotted by the records OF ig
nornnce aud lack Of Il scientific knowledge
which would reveal the m liter with which
all operators have been attempting to deal
As il is now, smeter aud furnace men are
practically working with unknown agents,
OF which they have so little knowledge that
their operations are practic lily little less
than crude experiments This must all be
changed with wider knowledge and II better
understanding, which must be gained by
careful study of the elements which are
united under certain definite laws to form
the substances which enter so largely into
the civilization and advancement of the hu
man race. The key to success lies in
knowledge of the first principles and steps.
and the formative laws OF the universe.