The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-09
Mr.. ODELL'S PATENT
His Process for Plating Metals Is
Taken Into Court.
A CHEMIST ON THE STAND
1t Is Alleged That this Western iron
Works Agreed to Purchase an
interest. But Didn't
teasons for Refusal.

a SUIT over patent-right that is
interest to mining and mill men was o
trial before a jury in Judge McHat
tons court yesterday. George w. Ode
sued the Western Iron orks for $3.50
which he claimed was due him on al
assigned interest in a patented metal
lie quicksilver plating process" O
which he was the inventor and which
he described as "a new and useful com
pination OF mineral and vegetable sub
stance for silvering copper and othel
metals. On May IL, 1898, before the is
suance of the patent on his invention
he entered into an agreement with the
western Iron works. through Manag gel
Pinkston, whereby the latter was tc
pay all expenses in securing the pat
ent, pay him 800 cash and 81 500 when
the patent was secured in return for
which the company was to receive two
thirds interest In the patent and the
right TO handle II exclusively for II
years. The patent was secured Feb.
20. 1894, and the assignment of the two
thirds interest was made on March 10.
1894, but the defendant refused to ac-
cept IL, repudiated the agreement and
refused to pay the $500. In the appii-
cation for the patent, a copy OF which
was attached to Odell's complaint in
the suit against the Iron works. the
particulars OF the alleged invention are
set forth as 1t Is explained to be a sub
stitute Tor silver and that IL does not
require expensive apparatus or ma
chinery or skilled labor and that IL is
superior and less expensive than silver
Tor plating. being a compound of quick
silver paraffine. sodium, lead and zinc
or tin.
me particular application of the in
Vention was intended to be used in
place OF silver in plating copper plates
Tor the purpose of amalgamating gold
and silver ores. The Western Iron
works had been using the old method
or preparing the copper plates with sill
yer plating by the electro plating pro-
cess and, according to their defense.
odeu came to them with a plausible
story about his invention and they he
came interested in it and put up the
money to secure the patent. While the
patent negotiations were pending Mr. |
Odell furnished some of his new ALLOW |
and samples of Ii were given to various |
mil men to be tested 1t not only |
proved an utter failure, they claimed. |
but also ruined the copper plates. the |
parafiine In the alloy preventing n |
union or the other compositions and |
also preventing the adhesion OF mer- |
curry necessary for the amalgamation |
of gold and silver Another defense set |
up was that Odell was not even the dis
coverer of the alleged invention. but |
that ne had appropriated the ideas of
persons who had used a composition
known as sodium amalgam as far back
as 1864. when IL was employed first bv
an American and a year later bv an
Engishman. The only difference be-
tween sodium amalgam and the inven-
tion OF Odell, IL was alleged, was that
he added paraffine. a superfiuous and
an Injurious Ingredient. He might as
Wen nave added pine shavings, said
Attorney Mcbride in his statement 10
the jury. When the company learned
these facts the agreement with OdeIl
was repudiated. Mr. Mcbride also
'ialmed that the manufacture of the al
oy was dangerous because of the ex-
Dlosive nature of its composition. and
While he was talking something ex
'loded in Mr.. Odelrs pockets. and
ouhueu ike the popping of a cham
'agne bottle. The incident aroused a
aughter In the court room i'm which his
lonor Joined. The explosion, how
YER caused no damage and after M |
icBride referred to IL as bearing ont
us assertion that the composition was
dangerous the trial of the case was
proceeded with {
The plaintiff offered to introduce in
whence the patent and contract be- 6
Ween the plaintiffs and defendant but s
hey were ruled out because both We're
omitted by the pleadngs No further !
estimony was offered by the plaintiff b
no steve Raymond, n chemist and
inning engineer. was called as n wit ! c
ess for the defense and Mr.. Baldwin. Il
Or the plaintiff, objected to the intro v
uction OF any testimony by the defense II
n the ground that in order 10 avoid "
ne terms OF the contract the defendant IL
Mould first have offered to surrender d
he contract and offer an accounting of a
ne prohts, IL there were any. and NOT b
Old on the equitable title of two-thirds p
lterest i'm the patent. The objection u
as argued and overruled. after which Ct
lie witness gave description OF the is
process by means of the G
naigamated plate. He said sodium
as ADDED to mercury to neutralize the
fect OF the baser metals. or impurities ID
mercury such as tin. zinc and lead
Id the addition of these metals 10 n .
imposition Tor amalgamation would
IMPLY increase the evil which was g.
ught to be obviated by the introduce n
On OF sodium. Mr.. Raymond referred h,
oook puoilshed In 1891 to show that IN
uiufn amalgam was described there al
and the methods OF coating conner re
ates Tor amalgamation were read 20 w
e jury. The description given OF the fit
imposition or sodium and mercury ST
"a It's care resembled the descrintIo1 e,
the Odell invention as given In his be
phcation for patent. The witness bl
40 an article on the same subject ar
,m the Encyclopedia Britannica nnh, m
he'd I'm 1873. referring TO the same dis 5
very OF sodium amalgam. Another in
OK written by a professor of the ST
lumbia school OF mines. was also no
Id. oh
n answer TO a question asked him nv be
torney George Clark, the witness IL
a ne had personal knowledge Of the ul
or sodium amalgam and had him &c
used the silver plating method sa
ON his knowledge as a chemist the la
mess said il would be Impossible 10 WI
'duce union Of the different metals WI
ntloned in Odells formula with the ga
'etable paraffine named therein be- en-
Use there was no affinity between We
OF the metals and parahlne. He ar ga
lpted TO form such a combination ira
weeks ago in accordance with the 4,
portions named in Mr.. OdelFs appIi- "a