Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-07-13
REvivEs A LOST Ant.
The Aztec Process OF Hardening Cor.
per with Loss OF NRIIrHbiiity.

From the chicago Record
Murtin White. 5s Roanoke building has
In his possession section OF brass tubing
a foot long and Theoretically sealed. II con-
tains only few bits Of metal and n scrap
of paper. But for the tubo and its contents
Mr. White has refused an. oner of siA,Vpo
The two bits OF metal In the brass tube
are of pure cast copper. one is brittle and
porous ana honey with blow holes,
tho. ordinary intractnbc east copper
familiar TO foundry men. The other is of
tino grain, tough and hard as steel, and
capable of being twisted or bent double
without breaking. On the scrap of paper
H written the secret fomula by which the
metal from the FIRST 10 the second form can
o. o. accomplished. For Chicagoan de-
10, arts of the ancient Egyptians.
Alter fourteen years of experiment pri-
Natlon ana toll, Albert u. Lyle says he is
able TO demonstrate beyond u doubt that he
Understands the long-sopght process OF
hardening copper ana making from that
metal casting as hard as steel. unbrrenk-
able ana without ilaW. The formulu ir
known only to It's discoverer. ana ia held
by Ny. White. who has great confidence in
the discovery, and has bought and enlarged
the i0undry on the top floor of the build
ing AT randolph street and the river Mr.
White already is tlling orders for the new
hard copper.
In 1882 Albcr, Lyte was engaged in the
iish business ~ sheboygan. Mich. one day
~ exploring some Indian mounds he dscoV-
Nl'hs hlltlls ptnef ftlNN. u NOiItellOn OF lils
ploments and edge tools nadr from natd
copper This gave Mr.. Lytlc his first idea
on the subject of hardening copper. He
had given as little thought TO the lost art
as TO Greek archaeology. but attracted by
tN mystOry connected with the copper I'M
rlements. and aware OF the fortune IN store
Tor the discovcrcr OF the old process. he at
length became possessed with the ambition
TO rcd!scovcr the art
He began the collection Of minerals and
The study Of crystallography. He came to
Chicago, where h. worked in fuundrics by
day and carried on experiments during
spare hours in a little foundry of hls own
N the basement Of Hat building at
Wrlghtwood and Racine avenues. At times |
he was unable 10 get work, and for many
months he lived upon an average of so |
week. which went to buy metal and fuel |
oftcncr than for food. At length, however. |
his labors were rewarded.
The new metal has been tested by the |
government. The report shows that the |
copper is pure aud that there 10 In it no |
trace by which 1t is transformed The same |
report further finds that the copper Is of |
great tensile strength, durability and hard. |
ness. The conductiNty Of the metal has |
been tested by Professor stein of Armour
ins stltute. who finds that It's Resistance to
the electric current Is exceedingly low a
feature which. taken in conjunction with
the strength OF the. wire manufactured |
frTm Wh,' H. ,ba makes i Pf great value
casting is established beyond IA doubt. MIR.
facture, of edge tools. He declares, how
knives and chisels: The dIscovcrcr OF The
process proposes also to put IT IN use in the
treatment of other metals than copper.
Among the companies which have tried the
istactory are the Link Belt Company. the
trical Company, OF Philadelphia: Roth
Bros, and the Garden city Electric Com