The morning journal-courier., 1907-12-28
SOME NEW HISTORY
Interesting Article of Unrecord- ed Facts in Story of the
 Du Fonts.
CAME HERE FROM FRANCE
Tale of How the Family Generations
 in This Country Made Their Way.


 The following interesting bit of hitherto unwritten history is from ad- vance proofs of The Story of the Du Fonts by Arthur James, which ap- pears in the December TisId and stream, and is the first article Of 2 notable series, entitled "Tae -lis.ory of American Arms and Ammunition II
 The Du Fonts known in history reaches back to the year 1905, where It's records join with the records ct France The founder, however, of the powder business in this country was Eleuthere Irenee du Pont de Ne mours, who, with his father, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours. ler; Trance in 1799. In the furth- erance of the cause of oonstiautinnal liberty, Pierre Samuel du Font es5ab- lished large printing house in France placing Eleuthere Irence du Pont in charge of it, During the Reign of Terror the mob destroyed the plant. The young man had been selected and trained by Lavoister, the French chemist, friend of the elder Du Pont for superintendent of the government powder works at Ensoune. There he acquired practical knowledge of the art, but his pronunced liberal senti- rnents made him the object of persa- cution, and he was forced to hide him. self to save his life. His father, for the same reason, was forced about the same time to hide In the dome of the National Observatory in Paris.
 The natural inclinatloas of p. l. Du Pont for scientific pursuits and his experience at Ensomme, were re- Bponsibe for the foundation of the powder works, the first mill Of which was built on the Brandywiue, in 1902. This site in Delaware was selected in spite of the efforts of Thomas Ieffet- son to persuade the powder maker to settle in Virginia, and of similar invitations from Maryland. The cf- fleets of slavery upon the white race as observed by B. I. DI Pont, formed the chief reason for the } :isior. E. l. Du Pont knew how to doIhle re- line his saltpeter, and exercised ex- treme care in the selection of his char coal His first powder m,'l was fol- lowed by a second, and soon the busi- ness grew to such proportions that the little stone buildings sprang up on both sides of the Braudywina. The first buildings composed what new are known as the "uprec works" four miles above Wilmington Ten years later another tract along the creek was purchased This was known as the middle works" The worXs de- veloped a capacity of 35,0oo pounds of powder per day. In 1S46 the lower works" were established, with l9bora- tories and refneries for saltreter, the yards then stretching for 'nr9c miles along both sides of tie sleepy wooded stream.
 To-day. as. for 100 years past, the surrounding forests have supplied the willow, oak, pine and maple from which charcoal--a very important in gredient of black powler--is made. Charcoal made from willow being more quickly responsive on detiagra- ton, enters into sporting powder, while the charcoal made from oak, pine and maple is used mainly in black blasting pow iers. Prior t, tho adoption of smokele IS powder by the government, immense quantities of brown prismic powder were made on the Brandywine. Now the army and navy is supplied with the great bulk of smokeless powder for rifles as well as the monster guns, from what is known as the Carney'S Point works, on the Delawars river, near Whining ton, and in the sm okeless powder mills at Haskell, N. J.
 Great strides In the development of the business began in 1859, and five years later came the Civil war. Gen eral Henry du Pont and his nephew were in constant consultation With President Lincoln, Genera, Grant and the members of the cabinet The Du Pont mills were place at the dis pcsal of the Federal government, and their equipment was rapidly increased to meet the great demands tor powder for the Union armies.
 Early in 1S60>Mr. Lincoln commits stoned La Motte du Pont. then twen- ty-eight years old, to Fo abroad and purchase saltpeter, and n this con nection comes the hitherto unwritten chapter in American history. Leaving