The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-24
AcErYLENE SPECULATION.


A recent issue of The snn dishes mp ex-
haustively the acetylene business, to
which we have taken several occasions
to refer.
The result of the investigation made
by this unprejudiced newspaper bears out
the intimations that We bad already re-
ceived.
In plain language a warning is sounded
to all persons who may have given
thought 10 the investment of money in
any stock companies that are either form
ed or are forming to go into schemes of
any kind in connection with the produc-
tion, sale or use of this recently much
exploited gas, acetylene, or the material
from which it is produced, calcium car
bide. The SUMS Investigator disclaims
any purpose in this to raise any question
concerning acetylene as an Illuminating
material Independently OF its cost, nor
OF It's oIhSr NhluS, no Bichs, vi PNiH"P'
even greater, in the hands of commercial
chemists, for the production of other
things for the use of mankind. Viewed
from these standpoints calcium carbide
and acetylene are among the most interest
ing of modern products and are undoubt-
edly destined TO play an important part
in commercial chemistry and in the great
industries of our times.
But 1t is because of these well-known
facts that the acetylene promoting
schemes are likely to be so attractive to in
vestors who may be easily blinded to facts
which make investment in the acetylene
companies as unreliable rs in any bubble
that was ever fioated before public eager
for quick prois and yearning to get in on
the ground floor of "second Bell
telephone" project.
We are likely at an early day to have
acetylene stock fairly rained upon us, but
every person who is asked to invest in
any of its various forms should bear these
two pertinent facts in mind: First, that
although the so-called discovery OF the
process for making calcium carbide was
made several years ago, and the COM
rany, which owns the patents taken out
to cover the discovery, has been in exist
ence for about a year, there is not today
in existence anywhere in this country a
commercial plant where calcium carbide
is being produced, and not pound of it
is for sale except at chemists prices, and
not cubic foot of acetylene gas is being
produced and sold commercially; and,
secondly, that no person who Is directly
and responsibly connected with the
owners OF the company will give apy esti-
mate whatever as to the cost Of the calci-
um carbide or the resultant gas, which
he will guarantee to be either a correct
figure or even a maximum figure of cost.
One other very pertinent fact must be
| taken into consideration, also. This Is
that the companies which are about to be
formed and some that are now Offering
stock for sale have, none of them, bought
or agreed to buy from the parent company
any rights except such as may pertain to
the use of calcium carbide and acetylene
for the production OF light. heat and
power, and no matter how many profit
able uses may be found for the new
product-and IL is in these other direc-
tions that many people believe that its
real commercial value will lie found-no
purchaser under any Of the "rights" which
have so far been bargained for, or sold,
will get one particle of benefit therefrom.
il such value develop, the purchaser who
is invited now to buy "unsight, unseen,"
Will see new "carbide and acetylene"
companies licensed to enter his own field
and to make the money which he is by
implication led to believe would be his il
he takes on faith the glowing fairy tales
which the promoters now set before him.
Already, it is believed, hundreds of
thousands OF dollars have been made by
the promoters from the sale OF "rights"
but there is no information going to
show that the "rightsn have been or are
liable to be of any value.
We are likely to hear a lot OF acetylene
vestigations succeed in exploding the
bubble.
SEVERAL days have passed since any