The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-06-24

came. Wnen IL Was iouH0 iii Ho
could only make small nugg4s OF
gold. and those with great difficulty.
King Louis had him thrown into the
hastile. although still having the hope
that the ex-monk had actually dkcov.
cred the aichemic process.
when II was finally found that Du.
bois was an inipostor. that he had rot
actually made any gold. but had
slipped the nuggets into the crucible
under cover OF his mysterious opera
lions. he was promptly ordered PIT 10
death and was executed or the GAL
lows. June %. 1631.
Doctor Price was an alchemist who
lived In the reign Of King George I'LL.
Of England. He conducted an expert.
ment before the very eyes OF the Eng
lish sovereign and apparently pro-
duced real gold. But when King
George appointed a royal commission
to investigate he killed himself rather
than face that body.
The rroaigality Of the Romans ex-
cited the desire for gold, and led them
TO pursue the art which promised II
instantly and ab~undantly. Caligala
made experiments with a view to OBJ
tanning gold from o%rpiment. Diocletisc.
on the other hand. when he became
emperor. ordered that all books on
aichemy~-and there were great num-
beers OF them at that time-be burned.
A Fable Of Alchemy.
Raymond Lully, or Luilius, was one
OF the best known alchemists In the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. A
story OF him is that be changed q
mass OF $4,000 pounds Of quicksilver
into pure gold for King Edward l.
while o a visit to London. Venice
prohibited the study OF alchemy In
l4Ss.
In the seventeenth century there
lived n Spartagorosus who asserted
that he had discovered a method for
changing base metals into the precious
ones. He seemed to have ideas sim
liar TO those or some OF the financiers
OF our present time. II Is related that
Spartagorosus industrionslv spread
abroad the news of his discovery"
among the ignorant and c~redulous
mobiles, and eventually succeeded in
selling 1t TO them Tor a lump sum.
previously arranged to leave
the country Immediately thereafter by
OF a fishing smack. His plan sue
ceeded admirably, and the deception
him an amount equivalent TO
about elo.oo0.
II nearly cost him his life, however.
for his fishing smack became be-
claimed. and came close to capture by
boats OF the pursuing and indignant
The latter had lost no time in
to manufacture gold. and when
the experiment failed set hastily on.
in pursuit of the faker.
Thus the story OF the lure of al
chemy goes through many a crimsoned
OF history-ancient or modern.
Gold, which early in the history OF
the world became priced above all
ether metals, has had a fascination
has led men to do and dare all
to obtain 1t. and alchemy still has It's
disciples.
Professor PeIiew's Ideas.
Prof. Charles +. Pellew of Columbia
university In talking on Doctor Lange's
supposed discovery, said:
There have been several quite re-
cent instances of persons who honest
~ believed that they had found the
way TO change iron or lead into gold
or silver. About twenty years ago
there was a considerable agitation in
France which led To the formation OF
the Hermatic society. This society
published a Journal and conducted
weighty examinations into the books
left by the old alchemists. There are
a number Of persons who live right
In New York xho still believe In
alchemy. meet them from time to
time.
In the old days there were many
alchemists who really believed in their
art. and there were many more who
used II TO deceive. There is a story
that illustrates this.
"A certain alchemist OF the sixteenth
century named Bottiche- showed his
power In the presence Of Augustus the
Strong. king OF Saxcny. and he or
dered Botticher to make him some
more gold. The latter protested that
this would be placing an unfair
strain upon him. and ~thereupon the
king promptly clapped him into prison
Botticher protested that he needed
other metals and ingredients 10 work
with and they We're supplied. Among
other things he had some white clay
The Birth Of Porcelain"
Now at that time the art Of china
making was unknown In Europe. But
with this white clay that had beer
furnished him Botticher made the frs
pieces Of porcelain ever seen In Sax
ony and sent them as a propitiary Of
fering TO Augustus. 4 am not In . po
sition TO make you gold q. present. h
told the monarch. but !; can turn ou'
some china for you And that VA,
he NJ tkn ~~A.~A.~ - ~~-~~1n&~ 49,