davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23

! ton was tho discovery that whenever
substances entered into chemical combi-
nation the resulting compound had dell
mite chemical composition. Thus. when-
ever hydrogen burned in chlorine gas, the
product-which was called hydrochloric
acid-contaned ! part Of hydrogen and
81. parts of chlorine.
SUBSEQUENT investigations showed that
every chemical compound always contains
the same bodies in the same proportions
and this is known as the law OF Con-
stancy Of Composition.
1T was subsequently found that IL
sometimes happened that an element
might unite with another element In sew
eral different proportions. and that when
this occurred IL was invariably the case
that these proportions bore to each other
a very simple multiple ratio of whoie
numbers.
You ask. What is an element" III Is
. chemical substance which has never
been resolved into two or more component
substances. There are eighty-iour OIL
them at present recognized. You ask me
what significance attaches to the fact that
the elements combine In definite proper
lions and that when those proportions are
studied the ratios with which one unites
with another are simple multiples. MY
answer is that these are the facts upon
which Dr. Dalton based the atomic theory.
These numbers represent the compare
tive weights of the atoms.
This is the idea Of the atom. II is
certain minute particle of an element
which has certain definite weight which
we express i'm numbers, selecting the
weight of some one atom as the starting
point. In the old tables. which are the
simplest, the starting point is hydrogen
which is called one These atoms can
unite with each other to form chemical
compounds only In multiples of atoms. In
other words, In ordinary chemical reac-
tons we have no such things as fractions
of atoms. When the elements unite one
or more whole atoms Of one element unite
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
EIECTRONS.

This of course. compcls us 10 adopt 4
new conception of atoms, and cohse-
duently it has been necessary to conclude
that. although under ordinary circu'h-
stances atoms appear as individual par
ticlcs or units in forming chemical com
pounds. they are, nevertheless. made up
of a large number of smaller particles
which we may call electrons.
Thus it appears that under certain I'M
usual conditions an atom may go TO
piccrs and its clectrons may part COM
pany. and that some of them may th're-
upon unite to form atoms OF smailcr
weight than the original atom, AS in the
disintegration of radium down To helunl'
..The novelty of Sir William Ramsay $
announcement, made few days ago con-
sists in the apparent building up OF COM
plex atoms from simple ones. professor
Ramsay believes that he has succeeded
in converting hydrogen atoms, having an
atomic weight of /, into helium atoms,
having an atomic weight OF I, and INTO
neon atoms, having an atomic weight OF
90 thus creating complex atoms out OF
simple ones.
"Of course. we have transmutation OF
elements i'm either case. whether we spit
up complex atoms into simpler ones or
combine the electrons of simple atoms
into larger and more complex atoms. the
ancients claimed To transmute some ele-
ments into others. such as base metals
into gold, but they never presented any
evidence sufficiently conclusive to es-
tablish their contention.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
Ra@A lillian N52myyy

cally from gold was known 1t was only
natural that the discoveries believed that
gold had been made. The articles OF taith
I'm which the ancents believed are very
curious and are here presented:
Il There exists preparation, sohd
in form and red in color called the PM
losophers stone. the grand elixir maJor
magisterium, the red tincture, when
when it is placed in very small doses on
melted liquid silver, mercury, lead or
some other common metal, causes a
transmutation Of the same into gold. :.
The same preparation, used in very small
doses as medicine. cures all diseases
rcjuvenates the old and prolongs ME,
wherefore il is called the panacca OF NE,
and. since II contains the essence OF goid'
aurum potable. 3. There is another
preparation of a white color, called the
stone of the second degree. the little
elixir (minor magisterium), the white
tincture. which is equal to the first IN
half a degree of perfection and changes
the common metals into silver"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
PROF. RAMSAYS EXPERIMENTS.

Professor Ramsay had previously con.
Quoted experiments with half a SramIne
Of radium bromide and by it's aid thought
he had succeeded in transmitting copper
into lithium, silicon, titanium and zir-
conium, and thorium into CARBON lie
also obtained neon from water. This APP
parent transmutation led him to seek the
cause. and suspecting that the same re-
suits might be achieved by the use or
some other form of energy he invesu-
Gated the contents OF used X-ray bulbs
At the same time Professors Collie ana
Patterson were making similar investiga-
tions. but all three entirely independent
Of one another.
In all these experiments the gas hellum
WAS found in the bulbs and its presence
could not be explained Sometimes the
clement neon was first observed to be
present from an unknown source a"o
later il disappeared and its place was
taken by helum. AS interpreted py inc
experirnenters, these results Indicated that
the cathode ray in the bulb had converted
the elements already contained In the APP
narstus into neon and helium, or that the
electricity itself. in the form OF electfohs'
had built UP the neon and henum.
Professor Collie was very enthusiastic
as to the possible results of the discovery,
and declared his belief that the dreams Oh
the ancient alchemists might soon be
fulfilled.
The announcement of the three Enghsh
chemists aroused a keen interest every
where, and The Tribune man called on d
number of distinguished scientists IN Ne"
York TO learn their opinions OF the re-
ported achievement. He found wide va
r,stv Of attitude. extending from extreme
skepticsm to a ready belief.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
OPEN TO CONVICTION.

Professor Alexander Smith. head OF the
chemistry department at Columbia Uni
varsity WAS strongly inclined TO creolt
the result as announced in the caoled re-
ports from London.
'In view of the fact that Professor
Ramsay has already discovered that ra
dunn emanation changes into hehuni'
said Professor Smith, 1.-THE announcement
that he and his co-laborers have achleVen
the transmutation of elements In some
other way would not be startling. 1T fr9-
fessor Ramsay performed this experiment
himself and announced the result as ihol-
Gated in cabled reports would accept MS
conclusions without question. HIS skill i'll
eAner,nenting is marvellous; In fact, ne
is probablv far more skilful in conducting
experiments in the chemical iaooi "'o.
than any one else. He would autoinati-
cally take precautions against iaiiuic %
error that others would entirely oVeriooh'
"Tbe transmutation of radium emaha
ton into the element helium is what ma!
be called an automatic transfutatlon' pu'
I'm these later experiments transmutatio,
is apparently produced by mechahicai
aids, and since electricity can Dc pio
duced cheaply II is reasonable 10 sup
pose that IL transmutation or other eie-
ments is achieved by the same process
The expense involved Will not prohloit i''
commercial application. The Imagination
can run riot In this field, and the ultimate
conversion OF the energy or Niagara ans
into gold is conceivable, though OF
course. removed an infinite distance iro"
the reality of achievement.
Professor Ramsay's announcement. n''
in with the new theory that e'oou..v
itself may be composed OF atoms, whch
have been called electrons' ana tha' '"'
atoms of all the elements may DC co'n-
posed of electrons packed together III
different proportions and differently ar
ranged. Thus the electrons, III the COURSE
Of laboratory experiments. may uhdefso
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
ACTUAL TRANSFORMATION.

"Sir William Ramsay'S conversion OF
radium into helilim. and what appears
0rom his recent announcement and those
of Professors Collie and Patterson to be
the conversion of hydrogen into helium
ard noon, is literally transmutation. III
subsequent investigations show that ne
il justified in his announcement, there Is
no theoretical reason why the transmu-
tation of the ancients may not be verified
or why some process may not be discoV-
cred by which the base metals may be
transmitted into silver and gold"
The analogy thus drawn between the
achievements Of chemists now and the
vain search of the alchemists of old re-
calls the remarkable careers that were
led by some of those ancients who sue
ceeded i'm convincing their wealthy and
royal patrons that they had found the
great secret Of transmutation. The idea
is very old and the first account Of al
legged transmutation Of elements Is found
in Suidas, Byzantine author of the
tenth century. In the fifth century. how
ever. the Greeks who were then living In
Egypt were Industrious seekers In the
field of alchemy. The theory that the
baser metals could be transmitted into
gold or silver had many followers. There
were many who believed in the theory,
and many who even claimed that they
had accomplished such thing.
In those times. when little was known
of practical chemistry. compounds were
undoubtedly made which resembled gold
and silver. AS the knowledge Of practical
chemistry was limited, these newly form
ed compounds could not be resolved into
their component parts; hence they were
very naturally considered as single ee-
ments, and as they resembled gold and
no means Of differentiating them chemi'
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23

with ono OF more whole atoms OF another
element. and these groups Of atoms. heid
together ~ chemical affinity ar" called
molecules Thus molecule of water con-
tains two atoms of hydrogen and one
atom of oxygen; moIccule of sugar con-
tains twelve atoms Of carbon, twenty-five
atoms of hydrogen and eleven atoms OF
oxygen. etc
This was our idea of atoms prior 10
Nine. Curie's discovery of radium and be-
fore We learned the results of the Won
dcrful Investigations that have since been
made. II has been discovered that radlum
is an clement Of very high atomic weight
namely. 226.i. II has been further dis
covered that radium gradually disinte-
crates in other words. the atoms OF
radium 60 to pieces and the fragments
appcar as atoms of new elements with
smaller atomic weights. until finally
helium is reached with an atomic weight
of only (. This is a process OF the MS
migration of atoms. and was discovered
by sir William Ramsay IN conjunction
with Frederick Soddy in 1908.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23

,bo rearrangement necessary to produce
different elements.
DIR. NJ. l. Pupin. professor OF electro
mechanics at Columbia, took very an
ferent view of the announcement. lie
was extremely skeptical and cited the
experiments made along the same line oy
Sir Joseph j. Thomson. professor OIL
chemistry I'm Cambridge University, Eng
,opd He believed. he said, with PROBES
sor Thomson, that the results OF the eN-
neriments made by Ramsay, Collie ana
patterson indicated that the source OF the
,,oor and belium discovered was 10 be
found I'm the glass of the apparatus OF III
the electrodes. and that nothing compara'
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23

lam Ramsay and his co-laborcts have
succeeded in creating neon and helium
either out of some other element or out
of the ether is true What. then, viii he
the effect of this achievement on the
atomic theory that has held sway for
centuries among chemists? VIII Il prove
70 have been "A fallacy founded on a lack
of knowledge. and shall We have to aban-
don il. or will it continue to be accepted +!
.In NV opinion il will continue To be
accepted but it will be further developed
and extended. and the definition or the
atom will be somewhat modified. TO I'M
derstand how these changes can come
about there must he a clear conception OF
the atomic theory q it is now held. What
is the atomic theory, and how did IT orlSi-
nate?
"When chemists began TO use the bal
ance i'm connection with their experiments
and Investigations they weighed the ma
teriaIs they employed and they weighed
the products that were yielded by their
cxperiments. It wasn't long, therefore,
before they made this very remarkable
discovery namely, that when they
brought different substances into contact
which resulted.
First. when they mixed, for example,
sulphur and copper, no matter how ninety
they pulverzed them. even though the mi
croscope hardly showed the separate par
ticles of sulphur and copper, they could
nevertheless dissolve out the sulphur ana
leave the copper behind, just as they
could with a mixture of sugar and sand.
But
Second. when they heated the mixture
of sulphur and copper "A remarkable
change occurred. and afterward IL was
impossible to dissolve out the sulphur
away from the copper. and the product
was entirely different from either. They
called this product sulphide of copper. IT
began by being a mixture of sulphur and
copper. but IT ended 10y becoming "A chem
zeal compound OF sulphur and copper.
1.-THE next step In the line OF tnvestiga~
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
no synthesis Of elements was

bile with the synthesis Of elements was
taking place.
DIR Charles +. Chandler professor
emeritus OF chemistry at Coiuhipia' ne
cIared that he by no means doubted the
possibility of transmitting elements III
view of the previous experiments carried
ON by Sir william Ramsay with radium
In talking to the writer he summed up
in very clear fashion the long-established
atomic theory and its relation to the new
theory of eectrons and TO possible trans
mutation of elements.
Let us suppose" began Dr. ,hahu'er'
that the announcement that mas APP
peared in the papers here that Sir Will
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
THE CHARCATAN.

Among the many seekers after these
two clixers "a was. of course. to be eX-
pectcd that there would spring mp many
charlatans who would prey upon the ere
dulity of their fellow men. The three
greatest swindling alchcmists Of history
were the Count of st. German. Caglios-
tro and "A man whom il seems strange To
find playing such a role. the amable and
amorous Casanova.
The Count of St German is various
" described as "A Portuguese Jew. Span
ish Jesuit. an Alsatian and the son OIL
Savoyard tax collector. lie was born
about the year l1oO. After 100 he is found
moving i'm high society in different CAPT
tails under various names, and with the
title of count. chevalier OF prince. In
Paris he succeeded in gaining the favor
of Nine. de Pompadour. lie was very
successful in st. Petersburg, and later
in Berlin. and ended his days in l1sO IN
the palace of the Landgrave of Hesse-
Cassel
st. German claimed TO be able to make
gold and jewels as We'll as a wonderful
elixir which would give 10 age the beauty
and strength of youth, Transforming a
wrinked old woman into "A blooming
maiden OF seventeen years. He asserted
that this elixir had prolonged his own
life for many thousands of years, that he
had personally known Christ and the
Apostles. and had enjoyed the intimate
friendship of st. Peter. All OF these amaz-
ing statements met with ready belief.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
h1cc Great Chemists
SY1@ey 1axc Produced
Neon and Hdi11n1 From
Substances in Which
They Had Not Been
Known 10 Be Present

~ NE of the most romantic dreams OF
history promises soon 10 come
~ true The elusive hope of the
sncents, the discovery Of the philoso-
piers stone. that great magisterium.
IS being reduced to terms of advanced
chemistry. The consuming desire of the
medieval alchemist was TO convert base
metal into gold, in quantities that would
make them masters of the world. This
and many other wonders were to follow
as soon as they had accomplished the
transmutation of the elements.
Gradually their dream came TO he de-
rided. 1t was classed with witchcraft de-
Iusons and the theory that the earth was
fat. For a hundred and fifty years 1t lay
on the shelf. Then came the discovery
nv Madame Cruie. of the new element
radium, and the subsequent discovery, In
1908, by Sir William Ramsay, Of England,
working in conjunction with FREDERICK
soddy, that this radium gave OF GER
tain gaseous emanation. which when
captured and confined was found to un-
dergo a change, without artificial ala,
into the very rare element helium.
This transformation amounted to trans
mutation of elements. and scientists were
therefore more or less prepared for the
epoch-making announcement. made a few
DAYS ago by Sir William Ramsay, Pro-
fessor Norman Collie, of the University
College. London, and Professor H. Patter-
son. of Leeds University, that their re-
cent experiments had apparently accom-
plished the transmutation of elements IN
still another way, inasmuch as they had
produced neon and helium from sub
etances In which they we're previously not
known to be present. THESE ASTONISHING
revelations were made at meeting OF
the Chemical Society. OF England, when
a specially prepared paper was read by
Sir william. and joint paper by Profes-
sors Collie and Patterson.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
COUNT OF ST. GERMAN.

An amusing dialogue, overheard and
naively narrated by chronicler OF the
Count of Dresden. is worth repeating as
an illustration of the credulity Of even
the educated classes OF that period. St.
Germans coachman, being asked II his
master were really four hundred years
old. replied that he could not say of his
own knowledge. but that, In the 100
years of his service with the count. his
masters appearance had not changed a
particle.
st. Germain however. was unquestion-
ably man of profound and extensive
Knowledge, brilliant intellectual gifts and
astonishing dexterity. Count Lamberg, an
apparently trustworthy historian, says
that St. German wrote. from his dicta-
ton, twenty lines of a well known poem
with the right and left hands simulta-
neousy on two sheets OF paper. and
that the two manuscripts were SO nearly
Identical that one could not be distin-
guished from the other Questions and
expressions Of admiration evoked oracular
utterances, which increased the charla-
tan's fame. He probably owed the lucra-
tive friendship of Nine. de Pompadour.
the all powerful favorite Of Louis XIV, to
his ability to compound lotions. powders,
ointments and other personalities OF her
waning beauty. The high favor In which
he stood with the marchioness and her
royal lover is evidenced by the grant OF
the magnificent palace of Chambord as a
residence and an annual stipend Of 100000
francs. The King even made st. Germain
a secret diplomatic agent and in l'Os sent
him to The Hague to negotiate a loan u
1CO. 600 900 francs-in which mission. how
ever. he was unsuccessful.
The so-called Count Cagliostro, whose
real name was Giuseppe Balsamo. was
horn at Palermo in 17i3. The memory Of
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1913-06-15
FAST TIME WITH DAIRY cows.

| The fastest time ever made west
bound with a shipment of live stock
was that just performed by the North
ern Pacific in transporting a shipment
of $50 head of high grade dairy COWS
from st. Paul to Big Lake, Wash.
rs miles north of Seattle, in 12l hours,
which included the time the COWS
were off the cars for feed, rest and
water. This dead time consumed ap-
proximately Is hours, which leaves
the actual running time between st.
Paul and Big Lake, LOG hours for the
distance of 1885 miles.
This shipment of COWS was valued
at approximately $50, 900 and they are
to be used on the cut-over timber
lands in thee Puget Sound country
north of Seattle by small dairy farm
ers and creameries, also to improve
the local herds.
Northern Pacific officials are proud
of the performance, as are the western
cattle dealers to whom the COWS were
The shipment left South
st. Paul stock yards at noon May 10Th
and arrived at destination-Big Lake,
11:15 A. M. the 30th.
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1913-06-15
THE BERRY INDUSTRY.

The red raspberry and blackberry
growers of the Puyallup Valley will
require some fifteen thousand berry
pickers for the purpose OF picking
their berries, commencing July LIST.
and ending October 1st. The growers
furnish cabins or tents with hunks,
cook stoves, wood and water free of
charge. The pickers furnish their
own bedding and cooking utensils.
Growers haul pickers and supplies
fr ON depot to berry fields.
Forty cents per crate is paid for
picking red raspberries, 30 cents per
crate for bush blackberries. Good
accommodations are furnished and
plenty of picking. Children under
ten years of age not permitted in
berry fields, as they do to much dam
age to the vines, although there is no
objection to bringing reasonable
number of children under this age,
but they must be kept out of the
fields.
This gives the mother and the child
rem a good outing and an opportunity
to make sufficient money to buy
school clothes for the coming season.
By writing a letter to the Puyallup &
Sumner Fruit Growers Association
at either Puyallup or Sumner, suit
able reservation can be made. Those
desiring to spend the season in
Puyallup picking berries should write
at once.
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1913-06-15
SCRATCHES.

Scratches usually are due to a
humor In the blood, which breaks
out at the fetlock, more particular in
the spring of the year, because these
parts are exposed to slush, mud, etc.
The mud drying on the surface of the
skin causes an excessive dryness and
abrasion of the same, which brings
about swelling which is attended
with fetid discharge. After this
has taken place, the parts are subject
to infection as they come in contact
with all sorts of unclean surround
ings, and if neglected will turn into
chronic scratches, commonly termed
grease leg. The animal should be
given physic composed of six drains
of powdered aloes, two drains of
ginger, and one dram of calomel mix
ed with water or glycerine to make a
ball. Give ball at once, and follow
with Fowler's Solution of Arsenic, a
tablespoonful on food three times
daily. II the animal is thin in flesh,
tonic of equal parts Of dry sulphate
of iron and powdered gentian root
may be given in teaspoonful doses
instead of Fowler's Solution OF
Arsenic, or you may give the two
alternately with good success. The
parts affected should be washed clean
with CASTLE soap and water and
thoroughly ann ointed with Dermasote
Ointment, over which should be placed
warm inseed poultice, the same to
be renewed twice daily. The poultice
may be continued for five or six days,
when the parts should be washed
clean and only the ointment applied
once daily. The Farmers Veterinary
Adviser.
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1913-06-15
Dairy Department
DAIRY NOTES FROM THE STATE
COLLEGE.

The amount of salt necessary in
butter depends largely upon the mar
ket requirements and varies from
three-fourths of an ounce to an ounce
and half per pound of butter, one
ounce per pound being the average.
The temperature at which cream
should be churned will vary accord
ing to the conditions from as low as
80 degrees in the summer time to 65
degrees In the winter. We cannot set
a temperature at which you should
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1913-06-15
BOYHOOD.

What memories must have come to
those who read the news item in the
Salina Journal, recently, about the
little boy who put pencil eraser into
his nose and kept it there for eight
years. "This," says the philosophic
reporter, gravely, ''shows the danger
of this habit"
1t is also dangerous to one barefoot