Evening journal., 1913-10-09
CONTROL OF ALL
..RADIUM BOUGHT
BY A. /. DUPONT
Greatest Amount Of Pitch
bIende Now Owned by
Powder Co. Official
CENTRAL CITY, COL,
MINES AaE PURCHASED

DUPONT Powder Company, virtually has
obtained control of the Colorado radi-
um.producing mines, which contain the
I greatest amount OF pitchblende-
mineral from which radium is extracted
and now is attempting TO produce
pure radium in this country.
Acting under the advice OF Madame
Curie, the dscoverer Of radium Profes-
sor b. B. Boltwood, professor OF geology
at Yale University, and Docter Kelly
/ professor OF chemistry az Johns Hop
kins University, who have made reports
on the dupont mines. agents for Mr.. du-
Pont, have obtained control of four OF
the existing six mines which contain
pitchhlende. near Central City. Col
Mr. DUPONT has organized a sl,000OO0
corporation, and now is endeavoring TO
produce radium in Colorado. The crude
ore already obtained is l25,O0O tons
and is valued at sl25.000 should the
radium be extracted il would be valued
az S520O0O00 a pound. II Is understood
Mr. DUPONT ia negotiating with repre-
sentatves of the French and Austrian
Governments. and will enter into the
world combine to control the element
Hundreds of sacks OF the finest grade
ores are stored in the Rocky Mountain
National Bank Of Central City These
are valued at $3.50 a sack
These facts only became known
yesterday following a dispatch from
Denver. which stated that Gen.
I Coleman DUPONT, president OF
the powder company. had purchased
the pitchhlende mines and would
turn over any radium produced 10
scientific bodies for phnanthropic
purposes The dispatch was IN error
as r. Coleman DUPONT is not interest
ed. Alfred l. DUPONT. however. IL
has been learned is the real owner
and the mines have been purchased
as an investment.
The utmost secrecy has been main
tanned regarding the whole deal Only
the closest friends OF Mr.. DUPONT
knew OF the venture until be had
purchased the German and Belcher
mines and obtained the operating in
terests Of the Mitchell and Wood
mines-all located on Quartz Hill. ?
miles distant from Central City and
az an altitude Of 1000 feet The ad-
joining Kirk and Alps mines. the only
other mines in this vicinity which
contain pitchblende in commercial
quantities. are under option 10 the
Austrian Government.
Mr. DUPONT has been acquiring the
radium properties I'm Colorado since
the fall Of 1911. He became inter.
ested through Hugh C. Browne. o
this city. whose Offices we're in the
Drexel building. Philadelphia.
Only recently the Mitchell AM
Wood mines have come into the com
bine on an operating basis Tn
. German Gold and Uranium Compan.
: has been formed with $1,000 00
capital, Mr. DUPONT. It is understood
controlling the majority OF the stock
the other portions having been ex
| changed for the original stock OF thl
old companies. n. c. Browne Il
president Of the corporation Mr.
, Browne Is nov in Colorado william
Wright. Of Boyertown. Pa, is a large
stockholder.
Mr.. dupont visited the properties ir
May end made arrangements for ths
erection Of mills. laboratory fol
the reduction Of radium Is about 20 b'
! built the cost Of which will be in the
neighborhood Of $4,000. The forces
IN the mines are working day and
night bringing the coal-like pitch
blend to the surface from the 400
: foot shafts. The high-grade ore II
placed in bags and sent TO the loca
bank. The vaults and cellar Of thl
: institution are filled with the mate
} rial The lower grades OF ore are
4 piled in the Belcher storage houses
The weekly payroll amounts 70 NOR
than $500. This is drawn from th'
DUPONT account in the Central Cit.
Bank. II was said by stockholde
e of the company that Mr.. DUPONT al
e ready had invested more than $50,
600 in operating expenses, and tha
:" at least 100000 more would go int
d buildings and .appartus before IN
p first gram Of radium, worth S115.00(
could be extracted.
Within six weeks q representative o
the Austrian government offered 10 pur
-. chase the stock OF pitchblende Ihi
!, was refused, it is said. The Austria
F. later said the low grade orc Of tn
q DUPONT mines was Of higher qualit
than any in Austria, which are suppose
5 90 be the best on earth. Hermann G..
/. Ihafehrn, a noted French metallurgis
and a representative Of the French go,
ernment, now is nj the mines he, to'
l1ifu 10 Ilitlt0t tue t'UIhHN iH ~"
!. 70 export the pitchblende. II is believe
these men were successful, however,
u bringing the mines into the foreign con
y bine.
le Now that the company has PRACTICAL
obtained control of the best mines q
lQuartz Hill work will be rushed. III
o services OF several scientists-the nam'
are carefully guarded-are 10 be
in charge OF the laboratory With
= two months al the necessary apparati
=, will be in place and score Of worSme
a., will begin on the last stage ofprcdu
y tiun
u Whether tho entry Of the DUPONT b
on terests into the radiim FIELD had an
'n bearing on the recent advance IN q
4. price of radium has not heen ascertain
u cd. On October 2 a dispatch was r
pc ceived from Berlin saying that the pri
ne had advanced slO00o gram, due
y the unprecedented demand for the su
*. stance Today's quotations IN berl
60 are Sll5000 n gram.
es
te ACCIDENTS OF THE DAY.
III John II. Dickin on. Of No 5of we