The Washington times., 1901-11-17
DISCOVERED BY ACCIDENT.
Many Articles of Trade Owe Their
Origin to Mere Chance.
How Porcelain Was First Manufac-
tured-A Mishap Produced Coiorcd
Paper-The Secret of Russia Leath-
er-Fish Scales as Artificial Pearls.

It is curious to note how some of the
articles Of trade, conducive to human
luxury ard convenience, and which are
in general vogue today, We're originally
produced. For instance, it was an al
chemist who, seeking to discover a mix
ture of eartns that would make the
most durable crucibles. one day found
that he had made porcelain. The origin
of the still-popular blue-tinted paper
came about by a mere slip of the hand.
The wife of William East, an English
paper maker, accidentally let a blue
bag fall into one of the watts of pulp.
The workmen were astonished when
they saw the peculiar color of the pa
per. while Mr.. East was highly ineensed
over what he considered a grave pecu-
MARY loss. His wife was SO much
frightened that she did not confess her
agency in the affair. After storing the
damaged paper for four years, Mr.. East
sent it to his agent at London. with in
structions 10 sell it for what it would
bring The paper was accepted as a
purposed novelty and was disposed
Of at quite an advance over the market
price. Mr.. East was astonished at re-
ceiving an order from his agent for an
other large invoice cf the paper. He
was without the secret, and found him
self in dilemma. Upon mentioning it
TO his wife, she told him about the ac-
cident. He kept the secret, and the de-
mand for the novel tint far exceeded his
ability to supply it.
While Marshall Jewell was Minister
to Russia, he found out, blythe exercise
of his olfactory nerves, or, in other
words, his sense of smell, the secret of
making Russia leather. Instead of us
ing tallow and grease in the dressings
of skins the Russians employed birch
bark tar. By careful enquiry and liter
ally following his nose during a visit to
one of their large tanneries, he found
the compound in a mammoth kettle,
ready for use. He reported his 'iiscov-
cry, and the result is that genuine E,us
sian leather goods are now made ir this
country.
The art Of mezzotinting was suggest
ed by the simple accident of the gun
barrel of a weapon in the hands of a
sentry becoming rusty with dew.
The process of whitening sugar was
discovered in a curious way. A hen
that had gone through a clay puddle
went with her muddy feet into a sugar
house, leaving her tracks on pile OF
sugar. 1t was noticed that wherever
her tracks were the sugar was
whitened.. Experiments were insti-
tuted, and the result was that wet clay
came 10 be used in refining sugar.
It is stated by the Roman writer PIiny
that the art of making glass was acci-
dentally discovered by some merchants
who were travelling with nitre, and
stopped near a river issuing from
Mount Carmel. Not readily finding
stones to rest their kettles on, they en-
ployed some pieces of their nitre for
that purpose The nitre, gradually dis
solving by the heat of the fire, mixed
with the sand, and a transparent mat
ter flowed, which was, in fact, glass.
1t was a French bead maker named
Joaquin who discovered the manner OF
preparing the glass pearls used at pres
ent which approach as near to nature
as possible without being too expensive.
He once noticed. at his estate near Pas
sy, that when the small fish called
ables or ablettes were washed, the
.fater was filed with fine silver -eoIored
particles. He left the water stand for
some time, and obtained from it a sedi-
ment which had the lustre of the most
beautiful pearls, which suggested TO
him the idea of making pearls from il.
He scraped of the scales of the fish
and called the soft shining powder
which was diffused in the water essence
Of pearl, or essence d'orient. He sue
ceeded in coating the interior of glass /
beads with the substance, and amassed
a large fortune. This was, according to
some accounts, in the reign of Henry !
", and Jaquin's heirs continued the
business down to late period, ana had
q considerable mandatory at Rue de
Petit Lion, at Paris. II required from
eighteen to twenty thousand fish to
make a pound of the essence of pearl.
1t is related by Mercure Gallant Q6ss)
that poor marquis, being in love with
a lady. gained her affections by pre-
senting her with a string of artificial
pearls. They cost the fortunate swain
not more than three louis, while his
mistress, believing them to be genuine
pearls, valued them at 1000 francs.
jewelers. and pawnbrokers were fire.
quentIy deceived by them.
The shop of a Dublin tobacconist
named Lundyfoot was destroyed by fire.
While he was gazing dOIefully into the
sm0ldering ruins, he noticed that his
poorer neishbors were gathering the
snuff from the canister. He tested the |
s'iuff for himself, and discovered that |
TIE fire had largely improved its pun |
gency and aroma. This was a hint |
worth profiting by he secured another |
shop, hEilt a lot Of ovens, subjected the |
snuff 10 heating process, gave the /
brand a particular name, and in a |
few years became lich through an acci- /
dent which he at first thought had COM !
pletely ruined him. 1t was Lundyfoot |
To whom the great orator and wit, John |
Philpot Curran, suggested the cele- |
brated motto to the coat-of-arms en-
blazoned by the successful tobacconist !
upon the panels of his carriage, a motto |
which had its meaning in Latin and |
English. and was significant in both !
"Quid Rides Cwhc Iaughs?} "Qufd." !" it |
may be mentioned, was a nickname be |
slowed on tobacconists at the time. ow |
ing to a prominent article In their stock |
in trade.
The odor Of patchouli was known in |
Europe before the material was intro |
drced in consaofenca Of ;ts ,,Sa IN ,.-t,