Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1904-01-21
A PLATINUM FAMINE.
Very Small Amount Was Mined
Last Year.
Found Only in Small Glisten ing Gran
ules Mt Rare observation-disclosures
ing Facts from Its
History.

Authorities disagree as TO the correct
ime when platna was first discovered
3ys the News, Berlin, Conn. That it
vas known to the ancient nations there
an be little doubt. Some authorities
clare that it figured in the early his
cry of the world and W, Of he
5mponent parts used in tel iii 8 COZ.
CT, and that it cOntribr TO T.
damascus blade tha has b The th l.
# speculation for centuries. The Span
7rGs knew Of its s,r1at utility aLL gave
ZANE "Platina," Oittle siiver) on ac-
cunt Of it's resemblance to liver in ap
)earance and color. For eral hun
red years the Spanish aIchemists
rowing its strong affinity to alloy with
Old, and fearing it's peculiar fusion
qualities retarded its powers, and yelled
its value ard production in accordance
with the bigotry that ruled that nation
during the centuries when its vessels
Dloughed every sea and It's discoverers
left trails Of disaster and ruin in the mad
search for gold and conquest.
AS time rocked the cradle Of events
the sunlight Of truth dispelled the fogs
Of ignorance and a new era began amid
he ruins Of the most lamentable fail
ure in history for Spanish supremacy
To the mot careful reading Of history
the authorities now generally agree that
platinum, as it is now called, had a
modern definite discovery as a useful
metal about the year 1741.
Sir Charles Wood ASSAY master at
Jamaica, in testing the ores obtained
from the abandoned Spanish mines of
Choro in Peru noted that strange pecul-
lar metal 1t was not fully described as
a distinct metal until 1746 and since that
time plantinum has occupied a position
as the nOblest Of the precious metals. 1t
is an astonishing fact that with, all the
material advancement that has been ac-
cOmplished 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,
osmium and ruthenium These are
1d4iCu NiAC LhLuliy SiOup " PltAIAh I'LL.
Iridium is great medicine and ranks
with radium.
Wallaston separated the platinum
family and opened up the keen discov-
cry that unearthed the rare qualities
Of these rare and precious metals.
Ninety-seven per cent. Of all the plati-
mum 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 2,20o
miles by steam cars to st. Petersburg,
and there treated and smelted under
the watchful eye Of the Russian gov
ernment.
1t is worthy of especial attention to
note that less than 5000 pounds (troy
weight) was mined in the entire world
during the year 1902, and that plati-
mum famine exists. The demand Is
constantly increasing but the supply
is not increasing
Platinum is only found in the native
state occurring in small glistening
granules of 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 Rco,OQical conditions it WAS ere
ated ct the close of the Devonian era
ard outrer'-s 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
its production?