The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-12
GOLD MAKING SCHEMES MANY
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE
Az INTERROGATION.

good deal Of surprise vas caused ~
emily ~ the story nom Scranton which
had Il that DR.. y. W. Langs. a local chem
~ Lad found a way 70 tranamuts q base
meta into a precious metal. The scEanton
story turns out 10 have been based on q
mistake. Dr. Langs, according 10 his
own statement now. says that he has found
,plv more economical process for Rst-
ing the silver salts Used extensively In
rh5tography. but tho early aeoounts sent
out were strangely line thoss sont from
rnicagc thirteen years ago OF some en-
rariments there.
The strangest thing about tn Chicago
o.sa vas that the United StAtea Govern
rsnt actually got Interested in Il. 20
n,srested in fact that a commission was
amounted 20 examine into the formula
n the alchemist. The commission found
AGAINST the inventor and that his sohsme
soked somewhat like other schames 20
ssrarate men from their own gold instead
o makingn.
Lyman J. Gage. then Secretary Of tho
Treasury. was mainly responsible for the
interest Nuat NV NuANa4 oeaee@ NoNNNn-
rent took in alchemy. Mr.. GAgS was .
,alago man. and while he didn't know
the aiohemist he did know soma Of the
fnarcial men In that city who. ouFiOualy
enou a. had taken the thing seriously.
Il az cared. although they weren't pre-
Jared 10 back IL until some Investigation
n it had been done. One Of these flnAn-
\ -. n
the Illinois Trust and Savings Company.
ona Of Chiosgo's leading bankers. Mr..
Mitchell went 30 far a. 10 Wait the plant
n the inventor and look into the melting
not ius; a. Banker Dickinson did in tho
case at Scranton. though not with the
sane fatal results.
he San who got Chicago all stirred up
eminent was T. C. Brics. who Il turned
7It Afterward wasn't much q a chemist !
In fact some dalvinR by the Government
INTO his past showed that be had been IN
he army and latsr a policeman.
On Nav 7. iso8, Brice Giisd an apuSicaaion
for a natene for A urooeus Of GRADING sold
and silver. claiming thaa he could produce
ths.s from hase mstnla. unch A lad.
I'm md antimony. The Patent once
rot a little his Of a shock whsn Brics hIsd
such an application. Twice n rsf,,.ed 70
give him a patent ON the around that the
Governments wasn't patentins auoh a
r.nderful thine until II had had aome
.r,ual aamoneeratioo Of II; but he
Government offered 20 nive Rsice a chMnce
N nov what M co,,ld do. n WA V,,ut
about this time that sscrssaFy Oars not
,r,.r.u,ed throuah reOovta from IA
frispds IN financial circles in Chicago.
nav wygs. tRat Rvion Famed "a have ne
on som a. d.rful. bot thsv weren't
,r,i,s am. ahout IA
Ss~rasayv Care evan want a far than
A. 10 AL that tbo bla Iaboratopv Of tAo
mint ~ t,yrned over "a Br,cs Az tba
4ir.ctiop Al secretarv Oare the DiractoF
n the Mint Amounted a commission 10
.,ysativnte Rrioe's formula for the CIV
.rnmsnt Il oonsi.tad Of Andrew Maoon.
,,,nr5ntsndsnt al the Nv York Assay |
os,os. p- K' Tuttls. The maltsy Of ~ |
ptiladelrhia Mint, and CabeIl Whitehall.
10 saver In PHILADELPHIA
Rr,os had a Iis4le plant coating not moyp
han a. noo in CHICAGO and the inveatiea-
ION he Government proposed Quickly
rsds hin, well known. In this As 600 plant
he said that he could produce n 500 in
- -. -, -. 49,, -
l''u .IO.,a -
Orulnariiy N All such o'~iins tnS elstnent
n absurdity IL shown az once BY the de-
sire Of the inventor for other neople's
,,o,.y .3,o, I. man ,vhn c.r vnaka LA
-, I-......,-L..
'', % eau . nlisnl "o as " ., oouu ~,
Brtce disposed OF these libea rom
he incredulous by telling the Chicago
lapitalista that he didn't want capital. Il
.-', ,i,,,I,, C,oy,..pr,.Dt rr,.oc,ioD rish..
me way OF purVnAso " "pec'@ N@s-
alton He went 20 far a. 70 say that he
had been receiving weekly pay chscks
rom a smeltsr for the silver and RoId
b. h.d ..p, Trov, 81, ,,orkahop h,,, vri,h-
I-. .--.,'-.s,-..T -
'" "o'e'n,ISh' PIO's0''u' No -.A'
10 never could Keep auch secret e. THIS.
What workman could he trust. or what
stpsr-g
.u,,r .v,.v.. ~, AID a H. C,,i...,
- ---'..,I
'4p's' NOuiu - ~ons"hsts 70
remote place and make All the gold they
IA ,h., 49,. v,o,,ld -. rs An -
III. go, -. - a.. Co. -,
-i.-,,, - 49,, .-e-.s,.. -, -
PlauNiDle. DHOS nun mo1tloh tno
sun TOT which ne would part with this {
tremendous secret 70 the Government. Z
IN he said that q would be trining when /
= was considered that Whoever posseaeed
he secret could knock all the financial
y.'e .l.. o. the World on tnelr pins. what