Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-02-17
ERNST WEISS, ALCHEMIsT.
A an Who Believes He Has Ms de Col d
from Base Metals.
From the Philadelphia Tim es.l

from Base Metals.
From the Philadelphia Tim es1
Ernst Weiss, who speaks excellent
English, despite his German name, and
who was born in this country, thinks
he has discovered the secret of the
transmutation of metals. He is a
private Waterman by occupation, and
has devoted his leisure time for years
to the elucidation of intricate prob
lens In alchemy. He is a bachelor,
about 40 years of age, and occupies a
large front room on the third floor OF
an old-fashioned brick house at Sec
ond Street and Paramount Avenue.
His room is a curiosity shop, and it
is SO filled with books, pamphlets and
curlos that there is barely space left
for the bed, two chairs and a table.
He has been making this collection for
twenty years, and has spent hundreds
OF dollars in the purchase of books
and manuscripts. He has works in
Greek, Hebrew, old German and
Latin, and his manuscripts date back
hundreds of years. One of the most
curious features of his collection is a
case of pamphlets on socialistic SUBJ
jects in the Russian, Polish, German
and French languages, which were is
sued by the Russian Nihilists, but only
given a limited circulation before they
were suppressed by order of the Gar.
Hanging against one of the walls of his
room is q rare and beautiful bit of
tapestry, which was taken from a
Turkish harem in the thirteenth cent
ury.
Of late years Mr.. Weiss has interest
ed himself very much in the subject of
Spiritualism, and claims to have expe-
rienced many wonderful manifesta-
tions of the truth of the doctrine. Heis
opposed to so-called spiritualistic me-
diums who practice trickery, and a few
months ago appeared as witness
against a medium who was tried in
this city for obtaining money by false
pretenses. He has large collection Of
pictures on various subjects drawn by
spirit hands, and claims to be in con-
the spirit world. Some years ago Mr..
Weiss began thestudy of alchemy, and
became SO interested in the mystic sci
ence that he eagerly bought and read
every book and manuscript he could
find bearing on the subject. One day
in junk store he picked up manu-
script written on parchment. The
characters were old German black-let-
ter. He carried it home with him.
When slowly and laboriously he man.
aged to transcribe the ancient writing,
he discovered, to his great Joy, that it
contained the secret for which he had
n i1,4 41o
record of a series OF experiments made
by a German professor of the Black
Art.
Following out the directions con-
tanned in the writing, Mr.. Weiss began
experimenting, and after several at
tempts he succeeded in making from
basar metals something which he be-
lieves to be pure gold. A single ingot
was made, which is about three inches
long, one inch wide and half an inch
thick. The stuff resembles gold and is
heavy and ductile. In producing the
little bar of precious metal the alchem-
ist spent all his spare money, and
when he came to figure up the cost
discovered that at the present market
price of bullion he had not much more
Ull0l GA DOL1SCS. l4O 10
that when he perfects his apparatus
and makes several more experiments
he will be able to manufacture gold
out Of base metal at very trifing
cost.
cit is to continue my experiments in
alchemy" he said yesterday, "that
am offering my priceless collection OF
books and manuscripts for sale. ]
must have money, for the secret that
I possess will, with the help of a little
capital, enable me to become the rich.
est man in the world. | will be able
to control men and to shape events to
suit myself. I viii be an autocrat
greater than the Gar of Russia, with
power more absolute and undisputed. .
Although of medium height, his high
forehead and long, flowing brown
beard give him a commanding appear.
ance and he seems taller than he real
ly is. He is of slender build, but his
frame is well knit and wiry and his
limbs are muscular.