The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-04
GOLD FROM AN ALLOY.
The Remarkable Discovery of DR.
stephen HI. Emmens.

To the Editor Of the Globe.
The most startling thing In modern SCI
ence is the conversion of silver into gold.
The conclusion Of communication in the
ST. Paul G o b e of July "a is: Il am i'm
pressed with the belief, that in this terra
incognita the most brilliant and successful ex-
perperimentalist Of this country, while con-
nected with certain corporation, discovered
and placed in its hands, as he was compelled
to do, the process OF converting an alloy Of
aluminium and copper into gold" In COM
munication to the New York Sunday Jour-
nal, copied into the Pioneer Press Of Aug.
q, DR.. Stephen H. Emmens writes: 1.-THE
metal which we have made from silver an
swers every test to which the United States
government assay Office subjects the gold Of
fered there for SALE 1t is, therefore, gold to
all intents and purposes The metal made
from pure silver by the process discovered
by us could be proved to be gold in court
OF law. 1t not only answers every lest Of
the government minis, but It also has every
quality required by the gold OF commerce
having the same color and weight and
strength, is green by transmitted light, and
yellow by reflected light. properties, which,
as all chemists know, are possessed by gold
alone It's resistance to the action Of either
nitric or hydrochloric acid alone and its 90
luton by mixture Of these acids are dis
no other yellow metal" When a scientist
announces fact, that fact rests upon dem
onstration, not one only, but many.
Conelusions rest either upon argument. tes-
province Of logic, and its conclusions may be
wrong. Testimony Is the province Of wit
nesses, and its conclusions are right or wrone
according to the truthfulness Of the testi-
mony. demonstration is the province of sell
ence, and its conclusions are truthful he
cause they rest upon demonstrations which
can be repeated. When a scientist anpounres
fact he can demonstrate It's truthfulness nv
experiment, and has done SO many times as
basis for his assertion. Dr. Emmens IN his
article in the Sunday Journal. further saws.
NO very close estimate Of the cost seems to
us at the present time to be practical hut we
tnlnk That 1t Will not exceed the maximum
OF $l0 per ounce Of silver treated ana ,va
think 1t may very probably be reduced r.
80 per ounce" principle in nature cannot
be patented, but the process of us,n1 n ma,
De. ana should Dr. Emmens patent bis
process, which may pernaps cost sfo ms ms
ounce, and some one else nroAtino ~ r. r.
discovery OF the great principle and his ey~
periments, should discover and patent q *
process, the doctor could profit nothing by his
section IL Of the act OF July 1924 nro.
vides, among other things. that "anv citizan
VINO shall desire further time TO mature fhe
same may on payment Of TIE sym OF 500 fIe
IN the patent office caveat setting forth the
design" ETC. "And such .evaat shaII
be filed in the confidential archives ~ The -
nee and preserved in secrecy" A writer n
Leslie's Weekly Of Sept II says.
Dr. Emmens Is man Of high scientific
reputation. He Is member Of the American
Chemical society, the American Instifute ~
Mining Engineers, and, in addition 10 being
the author OF many valuable ecfentihc
memoirs, is an inventor Of considerable note
His explosive, emmensite,' has been adon.te1
by the United States government for fha a.
Tense OF our coasts; his method of treating
zinciferous sulphide ores promises to ada
greatly to the wealth Of Colorado: his recent
discovery Of a form of radiant energy having
the powers OF the x ray in ordinary sunshine
and in absolute darkness is leading the wav
to the construction Of available apparatus for
medical inspection; and altogether his posi-
ton in the scientific world is such that any
announcement he may make Is entitled 10
respectful consideration
II Dr. Emmens has cayeat in the conf
Dental archives of the patent office. pre-
served in secrecy, covering his process with
silver, he will have time to experiment with
copper, some other metal for q cheaper
process, but ne has said so much that we
cannot believe he intends to conceal his dis
coYery and sell its product to owners of
mines as has been intimated
The conversion Of silver, or a cheaper
metal into gold, at cost Of $40 per ounce,
will be worth more to the poor people Of this
country than all the gold mines in America,
and confer undying fame upon the discoverer
Of the principle and process. j. x. n.