Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-03-24
SECRET MISSIvES.
Solutions That Produce Writing lnvis.
ibIe Until Treated.

Ovid. I'm his Art of Love-" teaches
young women to deceive their guard
ians by writing their love letters with
new milk and to make the writing ap-
pear by rubbing coal dust over the
paper. Any thick and viscous fluid,
such as the glutinous and colorless
juices of plants, aided by any colored
powder, will answer the purpose
equally well. A quill pen should be
used.
The most common method Is to
pen an epistle in ordinary ink, inter
lined with the invisible words, which
doubtless has given rise 10 the en-
preston, reading between the lines,'
in order TO discover the true meaning
Of communication. Letters written
with solution Of gold, silver, copper,
tin or mercury dissolved in aqua for
tis, or, simpler still, Of iron or lead in
vinegar, with water added until the
liquor does not stain the white paper,
will remain invisible for two or three
months IL kept in the dark, but on
exposure for some hours to the open
air will gradually acquire color or
will do so instantly on being held be-
fore the fire. Each of these solutions
gives its own peculiar color TO the
writing-gold a deep violet, silver
slate, and lead and copper brown.
There Is vast number Of other
solutions that become visible on ex-
posure to heat or when having a
heated iron passed over them. The
explanation Is that the matter is read
lily burned to a sort of charcoal. Sim
plest among these are lemon juice and
milk, but the one that produces the
best results is made by dissolving a
scruple Of sal ammoniac in two ounces
Of water.
Several years ago Professor Bray
lants Of the University Of Louvian dis
covered a method in which no ink
at all was required to convey a secret
message. He laid several sheets OF
note paper on each other and wrote
on the uppermost with pencil, then
selected one Of the under sheets on
which no marks Of writing were Wis
ible. On exposing this sheet to the
vapor of iodine for few minutes 1t
turned yellowish, and the writing ap-
peared of a violet brown color. On
further moistening the paper 1t turned
blue. and the letters showed in violet
lines. The explanation is that note
paper contains starch, which under
pressure becomes "hydramide" and
turns blue in the iodine fumes. 1t
Is best to write on a hard surface, say
pane Of glass. Sulphuric acid gas
will make the writing disappear again
and it can be revived a second time.
. One Of the simplest secret writings,
however, to which Professor Gross of
Germany calls attention as being used
in prisons, is the following:
Take sheet of common writing pa
per, moisten 1t we'll with clear water
and lay it on a hard, smooth surface,
such as glass, tin, stone, etc. After
removing carefully all air bubbles
from the sheet place upon it another
dry sheet of equal size and write upon
1t your communication with a sharp
pointed pencil or a simple piece OF
pointed hard wood. Then destroy the
dry paper upon which the writing has
been done and allow the wet paper to
dry by exposing it to the air, but not
to the heat of fire or the flame of
lamp. When dry not trace Of the
writing will be visible. But on mois-
tening the sheet again with clear wa
ter and holding it against the light
the writing can be read in a clear
transparency. 1t disappears again
after drying in the air and may be re-
produced by moistening, great num-
ber of times Should the sheets be too
much heated, however, the writing
will disappear, never to reappear
Chicago Record Herald.