The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-12-18
PLATINUM GROWING SCARCE.
1nly Five Thousand Pounds of the
Valuable Metal Was Mined
Last Year.

AutuOIltlSS ulSdSIec as W Iue COIIcCI
ime when platina was first discovered,
| ays the News, Berlin, Conn. That it
vas known to the ancient nations there
an be little doubt. Some authorities
teclare that 1t figured in the early his
| Tory OF the world and was one of the
| component parts used In tempering cop
| YER, and that 1t contributed to the
Damascus blade that has been the theme
If speculation for centuries. The Span
Is name "Platina," little silver on &C
count Of its resemblance to silver in ap-
iearance and color. For several hun
ired years the Spanish alchemists,
moving its strong affinity to alloy with
gold, and fearing its peculiar fusion
qualities retarded its powers, and yelled
It's value and production in accordance
With the bigotry that ruled that nation
turing the centuries when its vessels
ploughed every sea and its discoveries
eft trails of disaster and ruin in the mad
search for gold and conquest.
AS time rocked the cradle Of events
he sunlight of truth dispelled the fogs
u ignorance and a new era began amid
he ruins Of the most lamentable fail
Ire in history for Spanish supremacy
70 the most careful reading Of history
:he authorities now generally agree that
platinum, as 1t is now called, had
modern definite discovery as a useful
metal about the year 1741.
Sir Charles Wood, assay master at
Jamaica, in testing the ores obtained
rom the abandoned Spanish mines of
choco in Peru noted that strange pecul-
ar metal. It was not fully described as
distinct metal until 1746 and since that
time PLATINUM has occupied position
as the noblest of the precious metals. 1t
Is an astonishing fact that with all the
material advancement that has been &C
,omplished in the world the supply of
platinum has remained obscure and
practically unknown to the general
public.
Platinum is associated with and COM
posed Of iridium, rhodium, palladium,
,smfum and ruthenium. These are
,alled the family group to platinum
iridium is a great medicine and ranks
with radium.
Wallaston separated the platinum
'amily and opened up the keen discov-
cry that unearthed the rare qualities
If these rare and precious metals.
Ninety-seven per cent. of all the plati-
oum sands mined in the world come
from the Ural mountains of Russia
They are transported az miles by horse
and cart to the railroad. thence 1900
niles by steam cars to st. Petersburg,
and there treated and smelted under
The watchful eye Of the Russian gov
eminent.
1t is worthy of especial attention to
tote that less than 5000 pounds (troy
weight) was mined in the entire world
Turing the year 1902, and that plati-
GUM famine exists. The demand is
constantly increasing but the supply
IS not increasing.
Platinum is only found IN the native
,ranules of a steel gray color, which
always contain an admixture In vary
ing proportions of the family group.
Platinum alloys easily with other met
ais, for it is the supreme king of all.
In geological conditions 1t was Gre
tied at the close of the Devonian era
and outranks in age, splendor and COM
mercial uses all other known metals Of
earth. It's iridium and osmium are
destined to become the worlds benefac-
tors in medicinal properties. Is it any
wonder that platinum is worth more
than gold and that Russia selfishly wells
it's production?
Right I'm Line.
Hicks-He's trying berry culture
now, you know, and he says he's hav-
ting considerable success.
Wicks-Yesf
eyes, although he admits the returns
are small as yet.
well, that sounds natural. You
might call that success with small
fruits