Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-03-29
HE FOOLED THE KING
HoETTeER sWINDLED THE RULER or
SAxONY OUT OF MILLIONS.

The scientist Pretended to BE Able
to Make Gold and by n Lucky Acct
dent Discovered the Secret of Pr.
ducing White Porcelain.
The discovery Of the use of kaolp
In porcelain, which enabled the people
of Saxony to become the leading white
porcelain makers Of the world early
In the eighteenth century, was lucky
accident.
Boettger, who already was known
as great maker of brown porcelain,
had been devoting his time to cheat
ing the king of Saxony with stories
of his gold making powers, instead of,
using his talents for legitimate work.
He had induced the king to, send
him great sums of gold until the mon
arch was almost penniless. And at
last the king demanded that Boett-
ger produce the 60,000,000 ducats in
gold which he had promised or lose
his head
Boettger tried to gain time, but the
king had grown weary Of waiting and
informed him that he must make gold
ut the rate of $4,000 ducats month
until the entire G0,000,000 were pro-
duced
Boettger tried to escape, but the
house was surrounded by so many
soldiers that his first attempt was his
last. So he promised the king to send
him 100000 ducats Immediately.
Boettger had many friends who
knew his attachments In chemistry,
and one of these had been begging
him for long while to cease his pre-
tensions as gold maker and devote
his time to making porcelain. And in
a few serious attempts Boettger had
produced some that rivaled the brown
porcelain of China, of which great
quantities were being sent to Europe
then.
IF you can make white porcelain
as good as the Chinese" said this
friend, Count Won Tschirnhausen, you
will make the king as rich as If you
made gold for him."
The morning after his unsuccessful
attempt at escape Boettger was sitting
In his bedroom bordering over his des-
perate situation and wishing that he
could hit on the right method for max
Ing white porcelain.
Just then he noticed that the powder
which his valet was putting on his hair
seemed unusually heavy. He took q
pinch of it and saw that 1t was Of min
sral origin.
Immediately he arose, carried guam
.ity of 1t to crucible, and, 10, he pro
luced kaolin, the soft, beautiful white
lay that is the chief component part
If fine Chinese porcelain.
Investigations showed that the pow
Ter was being put on the market by q
country squire who had found white
arth OH his land one day and had been
ending It out ever since to be used for
lair powder.
A great factory was built by the king
s soon as Boettger told bim what he
ad found and showed him the first ,
ample Of porcelain.
He also forgave Boettger for swim {
ling him with lies about making gold, /
ut Boettger was kept prisoner still. q
Though he was in golden cage. q
1t would have been better for him II q
e had been kept in a common jail. {
oettger, although he was now on the r
-ay to great wealth and fame, could o
OF resist the temptation to drink and t
Issipate, and before he was twenty
Inc years old he was like man dying n
ON old age. His eyesight was so g
)or that he could neither read nor n
rite, and at last he was unable to n
Use from his bed.
The factory, although 1t had been
ted with royal generosity, never paid
,penses, because 1t was never man
red properly. But II turned out porce- =.
in that made the name of Saxony In.
Gus.
Boettger died a wreck at the age of -
irty-fye Even in his last hours he :,
oiled the king into believing that he =,
III possessed wonderful secrets. And >,
his deathbed men attempted with \,
reats of all kinds to extort from him :.
e philosophers stone which many in ~ -,
xony firmly believed had been found -
bim.-New York Press, p