The Portland daily press., 1894-04-14
SECRET INVENTIONS.
How Some of the Early Craft Mysteries
Were Solved by Strategy.

How Some of the Early Craft Mysteries
Were Solved by Strategy.
In the early working on arts and mechan-
les workmen were put on oath never to re-
veal the process used in their manufacture.
Doors were kept closed, artisans going out
were searched, visitors were vigorously eX-
cluded from admission, and false opera
lions blinded the workmen themselves.
The mysteries of every craft were hedged
in by quickest fences of empirical preten-
sion and judicial affirmation. There used
to be close to Temple Bar, in London, an
old chemist shop, the proprietor of which
in days gone by enjoyed the monopoly OF
making citric acid. More favorably circum-
stanced than other secret manufacturers,
his was a process that required no assist
ance. He employed no workmen. Experts
came to sample and assert and bottle his
products. They never entered the labora-
tory.
The mystic operations by which he grew
rich were confined to himself. One day,
having locked the doors and blinded the
windows, sure, as usual, of the safety OF
his secret, our chemist went home to din
ner. A chimney sweep, or boy disguised
as such, wide awake in chemistry, was on
the watch. Following the secret keeper SO
far on his way to Charing Cross as to be
sure he would not return that day, the
sooty philosopher HE'D rapidly back to
Temple Bar, assembled the low building,
dropped down the fiue, saw all he wanted
and returned, carrying with him the mys-
terry of making citric acid. The monopoly
of the inventor was gone. A few months
after the price was reduced by four f1fths
The poor man was heartbroken and died
shortly afterward, ignorant of the trick
by which he had been victimiZed.
The history of cast steel presents Gu
rious instance of manufacturing secret
stealthily obtained under the cloak of an
appeal to philanthropy. The main distinc
tion between iron and steel, as most peo
pie know, is that the latter contains car
bon. The one is converted into the other
by being heated for considerab BILE time in
contact with powdered charcoal in an iron
box. Now, steel thus made is unequal
The middle of bar is more carbonized
than the ends and the surface more than
the center 1t is therefore unreliable.
Nevertheless before the invention OF cast
steel there was nothing better. In 1860
there lived at Attercliffe, near Sheffield,
matchmaker named Huntsman. He be-
came dissatisfied with the watch springs
in use and set himself to the task of max
ing them homogeneous. "If, +" thought he,
81 can melt piece of steel and cast it
into an ingot, it's composition should be
the same throughout. He succeeded. His
steel soon became famous. Huntsmar's
ingots for fine work were in universal de-
mand. He did not call them cast steel.
That was his secret. About 1870 larg,
mandatory of this peculiar steel was es
tablished at Attercliffe. The process was
wrapped in secrecy by every one within
reach, true and faithful men hired, the
work divided and subdivided, large wages
paid and stringent oaths administered. 1t
did not avail. One midwinter's night, as
the tall chimneys OF the Attercliffe steel
works belched forth their smoke, tray
eler knocked at the gate. 1t was bitter
cold, the snow fell fast, and the wind
howled across the moat. The stranger, ap-
parently plowman or agricultural labor
er, seeking shelter from the storm, awak
ened no suspicion. Scanning the wayfar-
er closely and moved by motives of hui
manity, the foreman granted his request
and let him in.
Feigning to be worn out with the cold
and fatigue. the poor fellow sank upon the
floor and soon appeared to be asleep. That,
however, was far from his intention. He
closed his eyes apparently only. He saw
workmen cut bars of steel into bits and
place them in crucibles III furnace. The
fire was urged to it's extreme power until the
steel was melted. Clothed in wet rags to
protect themselves from the heat, the
workmen drew out the glowing mold. Mr.
Huntsman's factory had nothing more te
disclose. The making of cast steel had
been discovered. -Manufact urers' Gazette.