The Washington times., 1901-11-16
STOLEN TRADE SECRETS.
Strange Histories Attached to Many
WeII-known Industries,

10 many prominent present-day indus
tries strange histories are attached.
Years ago many manufactures in which
nowadays thousands of people are en-
ployed were carried on by one or two
people, who alone possessed the trade Sc
cret which enabled them to monopoIize
the whole market for their particular in
dustry. The manner in which some of
these secrets leaked out, in spite of every
precautiOn, is rather interesting.
a striking instance of this description is
afforded in the history of the world-re-
nowned Dresden porcelain. A German al
chemist named Bottger, in the service of
Augustus II of Saxony, was the first to
discover the process of making a white
hard porcelain in l709. The King imme-
diately saw the value of the discovery
anC caused extraordinary precautions to
be taken IN order to prevent the process
or manufacture being revealed in any
way. No one was allowed to enter the
manufactory, which was established at
Meissen, near Dresden, except the work.
men, upon whom oaths Of secrecy were
imposed They were also kept under the
sttlcteSI supervision, being watched day
and night by the Kings emissarfes
IN spite OF all these precautions, how
ever, the secret was BETRAYED by a work.
man named StofZel, who fled to Vienna
where ne was instrumental in founding
the Imperial porcelain factory which is
in existence there at the present time
Since then many ether factories have been
established at some of the principal towns
on the Continent, most of which are under
national protection.
Few people are probably aware that the
manufacture OF citric acid was at one
time secret known to but one chemist.
whose shop was situated near Fleet
Street The process was such that he
did not need the assistance of any work
men, and consequently il seemed as
he. ha obi 70, IL.
monopoly Of manufacture all has life, with
out any fear of the secret leaking out.
The chemist was always most careful to
keep the doors of ms laboratory locked
and the windows barred. But he forgot
the chimney, and this proved to be his
undoinS. One day, after he had left the
laboratory a scientifically inclined chim-
nty-sweep slipped down the chimney OBJ
tanned all the Information he required
and thus deprived the chemist of his
secret.
There is very little that is secret now
adays connected with the manufacture
of cast-steel. The credit of its discovery
however. belonged to a man named
Huntsman, who carried on the business
Of a matchmaker at Attercliffe, near
Sheffield in l7eO. Being much dissatisfied
with the iron watch springs which were
made in his day. he set about trying to
improve the metal, and among other eX-
periments melted a piece OF iron and cast
il into an ingot.
This, of course was the secret of cast
steel. and Huntsman was not slow in
recognizing the merits and advantages of
his new discovery. In 1110 he established
4 large manufactory at AtteTcliffe, en-
ploying only those workmen whose hon
sty and integrity he could rely upon.
BY some means or another. however,
stranger found his way into the works
and witnessed the whole process. and in
this manner the secret of the manufac-
ture of cast-steel was revealed to the
..Orld
II was not until 1870 that tin plate was
irst made in England. Many attempts
.orrect method Of timing plate-iron, but
without success. At last an English
work man went over to Bohemia. and aft
r some trouble entered tin-plate man
ufactory there He stayed long enough
to learn the whole secret of the process.
after which he came back to this coun-
,ry and impaired his knowledge TO ms
fellow-cOuntrymen.-T Bits.