The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-03-03
SECRETS OF BIG FORTUNES
Efforts Made in BygOne Times to
Ferret Out Trade Methods.
How "A Monopoly in Citric Acid Was
Ruined-SDyiHg Out Way TO
Make Cast Steel.

The proprietor OF an old chemist shop,
close by Temple Bar, in days gone By en-
jOyed the monopoly Of making citric acid.
More favorably circumstanced than other
secret manufacturers. his was a process
that required no assistance, according TO
Spare Moments. He employed no work
men. Experts came to sample and
assert and bottle his products, but they
never entered the laboratory. The mystic
operations by which he grew rich were
confined to himself. One day, having
locked the doors and drawn the window
blinds as usual, sure OF the safety of his
secret, the chemist went home TO his din
ner. A chimneysweep, or a boy disguised
as such, wide awake in chemistry, was on
the watch and followed the secret-keeper
to Charing Cross, and. sure that he would
not return that day. the sooty philoso-
pher hied rapidly back to Temple Bar,
assembled the low building, dropped down
the fiue, saw all he wanted TO. and re-
turned, carrying with him the mystery Of
making citric acid. The monopoly Of the
inventor was gone a few months after,
and the price was reduced four-Gfths. The
poor man was heartbroken and died
shortly afterward. ignorant OF the trick
by which he had been victimized.
The history Of cast steel presents a Gu
rious instance Of a manufacturing secret
stealthily obtained under the cloak Of an
appeal to philanthropy. The main dis
tinction between iron and steel, as most
people know, is that the latter contains
carbon. The one is converted into the
other by being heated for a considerable
time in contact with powdered charcoal
in an iron box.
Now, steel thus made IS unequal. The
middle Of bar Is more carbonized than
the ends. and the surface more than the
center. 1t is, therefore, unreliable. New
ertheless. before the invention of cast
steel, there was nothing better.
In 1850 there lived at Attercliffe. near
Sheffield, d matchmaker named Hunts
man. He became dissatisfied with the
watch-springs in use, and set himself to
the task OF making them homogeneous.
IF thought he. II can melt piece OF
steel. and cast it into an ingot, its COM
position should be the same throughout"
He succeeded. His steel soon became
famous. Huntsmans ingOts for fine work
call them cast steel That was his secret.
About 40 "a large mandatory Of this
peculiar steel was established at After
cliffe. The process was wrapped in
secrecy by every one within reach-true
and faithful men hired. the work divided
and subdivided. large wages paid, and
stringent Oaths administered
II did not avail. One midWinter night.
as the tall chmneys of the Attercliffe
steel works belched forth their smoke. a
traveller knocked at the gate. II was. bit
tcrly cold. the snow fen fast, and the
wind howled across the mOat- The
stranger. apparently a pIowman or agri-
cultural labOTer, seeking shelter from the
storm, awakened no suspicion. Scanning
the WayfaTeT closely. and moved by mo-
tives Of humanity, the foreman granted
his request and let him in. Feigning TO
be worn out with cold and fatigue the
fellow sank upon the floor, and soon ap-
peared TO be asleep. That. however was
far from his Intention. He closed his eyes
apparently only He saw workmen cut
bars Of steel In bits, place them in cruel
bles, and thrust the crucibles into a fur
mace. The fire was urged 10 its extreme
power until the steel was melted. Clothed
IN wet rags to protect themselves from
the heat the workmen drew out the
glowing cTucibles. and poured their con-
tents into mold. Mr.. Huntsmans fac
tory had nothing more 10 disclose. The
secret of making cast steel had been dis
covered!