Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-06-23

~ VOCeQ MS lie TO the WOfR
OF attempting to.discover some process
for transmitting the baser metals into
the precious ones-gold and silver.
LESS than a hundred years after his
death one of his followers was put to
death with exquisite torture because
he claimed that he had actually dis
covered this process for which his
predecessor had labored in vain. Per
haps there was reform movement
sweeping the Old World at that time.
At any rate, the poor disciple lost his
life because of his supposed knowl-
edge ofgeVil and mystic arts.
Recently Charles c. Dickinson, or
ganizer and former president of the
Carnegie Trust company of this city.
and one of the best known and
shrewdest of Wall Street ftnanciers,
died from the effects of inhaling
poisonous gases while watching an
experiment which had for its purpose
the demonstrating OF the alleged dis
coyery of a process akin to that which
Trisneglstus sought SO long in vain
Thei4lnre of alchemy, which after
XII ID OUS .llC Plul e vi EOlu, ldS DSSl
felt in every generation since the de-
scendants of Adam and Eve began to
increase and multiply. In each CEN.
tury it has exacted a heavy toll of life
and fortune; nor has it enriched any
one except a few alchemic frauds who
used their knowledge of chemistry to
cheat and deceive the ignorant. Yet
khnrn brn 4 fl,ic nit frl fo
who believe that eventually the baser
metals can in some way be trans
muted into the precious ones.
Quest of AIchemists.
Originally alchemists sought the ac-
complishment Of two principal things
the discovery of d process of trans
mutation and the discovery of some
mixture which when quaffed would
give the drinker perpetual youth Old
alchemists have asserted that they
knew how to mix such drink, but in
at least one instance the elixir cock
tail proved fatal to its inventor.
Mr.. Dickinson's death came so I'M
expected that at first there was a
Tnnlor Of suicide, originating prob
ably from the suddenness Of his ta-
king Off and the fact that he is I'M
derstood to have suffered recently
some severe financial reverses. Then
from Scranton, Pa, came the startling
story of an alchemfc experiment, WITH,
all the ole, familiar scenic staging
boiling crucible. poisonous gases, mys-
terious formulas. great secrecy and
promises of untold wealth.
His Enthusiasm Fatal.
U According to the story, Mr.. Dickin-
son went to Scranton at the request
of a chemist, a DR., T.. w. LANCE, who,
1t IS said, told him that he had dis
covered process to take silver
/ natrix and, by dding fuxes, produce
400 per cent. more of the chloride and
nitrates uf silver than had ever been
produced before. Lange wanted Dick
L anaon's backing. During the expert
snent the banker became SO enthusias
tic that he :seft his seat and stepped
n close to the furnace, where metals
were being subj ected to a heat Of A 00(
degrees, and inhaled the deadly pois
onous gases arising from II. III
Skepticism, to use a mild expires
Il n 81. Was the feature of the manner
~ witch scientists III New York treat
"a the announcement that SO wonder
HI 4 secret had been discovered by 1
( pa,nsylVanlan One Of them, some
M sly embarked that III,
81 al NJ YIYC ethpd q Ftransmhta
~ q, M iie knew OF or believed ii
s,S,i 4 irlr afsIat q IS ~ Il III