Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-10-03
SECRETS OF TRADE.
Some Processes Of Manufacture That Are
WOrtl, Eorlunes

SGCR6 . Or RAOe.
Some Processes Of Manufacture That Are
Worth Fortunes.
There Ia a tradition in the iron and
steel business-and there ara some
who assert it to be fact-that al
Lowing . tramp to sl1o) beside his
furnaces once ruined a wealthy and
powerful English manufacturer. 1t
was good many years ago, and the
manufacturer enjoyed n monopoly
of the trade in crucible steel because
he had discovered the process for
making it, and nobody knew it but
himself and his workmen, who were
all faithful TO ,him. A tramp hap
pened along one evening, weary and
faint, and begged the foreman to lot
him sleep beside tho furnaces, where
he would be warm. The foreman
consented. and all night, instead of
sleeping, the tramp was investigating
the construction of the furnaces and
the composition of their contents
He was ali expert steel worker, and
in a few weeks rival concern was
in operation and using the rich mo-
nopolist's processes.
Whether the story is true or not
there are many furnaces in Pitts
burg which no tramp would be al
lowed to lie down and sleep beside,
and for tho reason which tho tale
would indicate. There are parts of
some Of tho works to which even
messenger boys would not be al
lowed to penetrate to carry tele-
grams to foremen lest they should
hear something whose repetition
would give rival concern u valua-
BILE pointer. 1t may not be tho case
that there are at present any firms
which swear their mon to secrecy
upon instructing them in tho use of
exclusive devices or teaching them
how to produce particular com.
pounds for the manufacture of steel
or glass, but the thing has been done
in the not long past. A case OF it
which is cited oftener than any
other occurred few years ago when
the manufacture of wrought iron
pipe was a particularly difficult oper.
alton and where the superintendent
of the firm discovered a very suo-
cessful process.
The works of all tho large iron
and steel manufacturers are full of
men of a high degree of inventive
genius, and their employers regard
1t as part of their duty to them to
protect their discoveries as we'll as a
source Of profit to themselves. Such
men are, of course, rewarded worry
literally.
1t is said that Captain w. r.
Jones, superintsnd of the works
Of the Carnegie Steel company, who
was killed at Braddock several years
ago. had realized an independent
fortune from the royalties which his
employers had paid him on his in
ventions. This company has now
many men in its employ who were
pupils of his, and some of them are
said to be almost as bright. The
company takes all possible measures
to protect their discoveries for its
own exclusive use, patenting those
about which secrecy is considered
best.
There seems to be good deal of
difference of opinion among manu-
facturers about whether it is best to
patent devices which they design to
employ principally in their own
works or to take the best care that
they can to prevent others finding
out what they are doing. As to dis.
coveries of the nature of chemical
DOM binations, the opinion is general
that tho best thing is not to patent
them. 1t is such combinations that
are officially designated as trade SO.
orets, and their value depends to
very great extent upon their being
kept secrets. That one about which
there is now mr. ch interest in this
locality is said to be possessed by
MoKeesport firm and is it's process
for making The so callc'l Russian
Iron, which is used to cover boilers
of engines, and hose value consists
in the fact hat it will not rust. The
interior of their works is not more
closely guard, Il from Inspection than
that nf mu!r Ct h"rs, however, and
it may !wn IA i as II fact that i'll
manufacture Establishments there
are many roc, Sass and devices ON
plOyed whose w. :: existence is Il &C.
cret except from very select few,