The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-09
BETTER THAN KLONDIKE
CHICAGO ALCHEMIST MAKING MET
AL THAT PASSES FOR GOLD.
The Same Man Who Invented OIeO-
Substitute for Aluminium.
Chicago Chronicle

alchemiStS, whose race has endured the
scorn of utilitarians for centuries, this mod
ern man of mystery makes bricks of the
cleaning stuff in commercial quantities at
a cost of dime a pound.
J. K. Hardy works behind barred and
bolted doors in an old brick building in the
rear of Isl Thirty-ninth street. Many Won
dered at the secrecy that surrounded the
place, but they little dreamed what was
going on within the locked and guarded
structure. They might have asked Hardy
what he did and a thousand other questions
concerning his employment and still never
have learned that he transmutes cheap
metals into shining yellow stuff that acid
will not corrode and which cannot be told,
it Is said, from the smelted product of the
bonanza mines.
Occasionally a strange man has been
known to visit manufacturing jewelers. in
this city with bricks of yellow metal for
sale. He never said the metal was gold.
Hardy denies that he is making gold. This
man did not mention Hardy's name. He
threw bar of metal on the jewelers. coun-
ter and asked him if he would buy it,
What is it," the jeweler asked
See for yourself" was the laconic an
swer.
SNAN ~
distinguished from other yellow metal The
bar of stuff the stranger offered for sale re-
sisted the reagents used for the test OF gold.
This is gold" suggested the JeWeier,
tentatively.
DO you think SOP" replied the stranger.
goldsmith.
you ought to know"
How much do you want for itY
what would it be worth II 1T were
The jeweler weighed it carefully and
again he tested 1t. 1t WouIu ne worm
what viii you give for it?'' inquired the
metal merchant with a smile.
The dealer in precious wares went pack
and consulted some of the Workmen, then
returned and asked the stranger II ne would
leave the ingot until the hext day. Inc
next day he went back to the goldsmith
and received $500 for the bar.
MAKES ALUMINIUM ALSO.
Hardy is a reticent man. He has the
taciturnity of a thinker who ponders on
forever His only ambition now seems to
be to keep the public from learning what
he is doing. While he is making stuff that
may pass for gold he is also making stuff
that resembles aluminium in every respect,
except that it is 10 per cent lighter and
can be sold so per cent. cheaper. A re-
porter for the Chronicle examined speci-
mems of the strange metals turned out of
his furnaces. A piece of the yellow stuff
was compared with a gold coin. 1t was
about the same bulk as a $40 gold piece
1t was seemingly the same weight. 1t was
of the same color and apparently of the
same density and fineneSS. The other me-
tallic stuff was as fair as pure silver, and
SO light that one not familiar with alu-
minimum would hesitate to believe it was a
metal capable of being forged and cast.
workshop was
locked when the reporter tried it. In
answer to knock young man opened
the door.
Are you making gold here?" he was
asked.
Here, father" cried the youth in alarm
A man with pair of keen, piercing eyes
emerged from an inner room. So deep and
luminous were his eyes that they dominated
his expression of feature He wore Il heavy
mustache of iron gray color He had strong
nose and clear cut features and the ears
of an inventor. Loppy ears, they might be
called, but they are inventors ears for all
that according to the theories of students
Of such things He was angular and athlet-
ic in figure and abrupt in manner.
who told you l was making gOld?' he
We'll, are you making gold?"
- want to know where you got that sl IN
Nobody knows what I am doing here.
have only been here few days, and have
told no one what I was doing l want to
know how you found out about it,
'Have you made any goId?" Probably
because it was an abrupt question to an
abrupt man it brought a reply.
What would YOU call that?' said the ex-
perimenter, handing the reporter cylinder
of yellow metal.
Il don't call it anything. Does it look
like that stuff?" and he then handed the
reporter a $40 gold, piece with the stamp
of the single standard on it, The color
and the specific gravity seemed about the
same.
mo more than that coin"
did you make this ingot?"
well, did not buy it," he said with a
smile.
"Have you made much of it?"
He did not answer this question, but
asked instead
tains my furnace and my secret. No one
can get it. / could give the furnace to any
body on earth, and it would be of no more
value to him in doing what l havg done
and can do than furnace he might buy
for heating horseshoes.
''What do you think of that?" and lie
handed the reporter piece of white stuff
that seemed like paper, it was white and
so light.
- did, was the laconic rejoinder
what is it?"
MAY SUPPLANT IRON
'I do not know. 1t has the strength of
aluminium, and it will serve to make any
thing that can be made of aluminium, but
1 can make it for half the cost of that
metal, and it is 100 per cent. less in specific
gravity. 1t ought to be great stuff for
supplanting structural iron. l guess it will
some day.
How about your gold? Will you put it
on the market?"
Il did not say it was gold 1t is not gold.
1t is bronze. OF course, it differs from
other sorts of bronze, but that is what
1t is
But it is said to have all the virtues of
gold?"
"Supposing it has. 1t is not gold. and
do not want anybody to say it is gold
1t is utterly and entirely a different thing
When will you put this stuff on the
market?'
Il have nothing to say on that point
Our plans are not complete, and we do NOT
want anything at all said on the subject"
is any of your metal being used by gold
smiths in lieu of gold?"
Mr.. Hardy gave no answer to the ques-
| ton.
Once before the same genius caused q
| commercial revolution He is the one who
II possible Tor the world to have enough
butter. Out of the discovery of OleOmar-
garine Mr.. Hardy obtained about 800 COO
| IhlS was such an insignificant portion OF
| the pronts that were reaped from it tha
! he spent 1t all without thinking it wa.
/ worth saving. After that he set about K
40 other things. He Is a chemist and hi.
| talent turned in the direction of new things
| in chemistry and several new compound.
| were given to the world as the result of hi:
| labors.
AT one time Hardy was working on tn,
| production of an explosive that would b.
| greater than any other explosive but ht
abandoned that and turned to the subjec
a fN e