The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-07-18
ANCIENT SECRETS.
Priceless Recipes That Are Now
Lost to the World.
coLoRs OF THE OLD MASTERS.

C0L0RS OF THE OLD MASTERS.
They Arc the Envy and the Despair Of
Modern Artists, TO Whom Their
Composition 10 Mystsry-Greek
Fire and Roman Mortar,
Numerous are the trade secrets hand
ed down generation by generation
from father to son, and vast is the
capital made out Of some Of them in
the commercial world of today.
Particularly, perhaps, is this the case
among the numerous manufacturers Of
piquant sauce and the countless vend-
ers Of patent medicines.
But there is also, it must be remem-
bered. another side to the a Many.
alas, are the priceless trade secrets
buried far down below the moldering
dust of the misty past and lost to the
world, perchance never again to be re-
covered.
To cite the first example that occurs
to the mind Of the writer. for instance.
what would a Royal academician Of the
present day give to be possessed of the
secret held by the old masters-Ra-
phael. Rubens, Correggio. Van Dyck
and their compression mixing their
colors 30 as to render them. imperish-
able and impervious to the ravage Of
time?
The red colors especially Of these
artists Of a bygone epoch are every
whit as bright NOW as they were
three long centuries age. On the
contrary, the colors of pictures paint
ed only 100 years ago have lost their
luster and are faded and decayed to
q deplorable extent.
Again, in the world of music. the
manufacturers Of violins-old masters,
as n may justifably term them, in
another branch Of art-treasured a
recipe for a varnish that sank into the
wood of their Incompatible instru-
ments and mellowed it as well as pre-
served II.
With such extreme. relentless jeal-
ousy, however. did. they guard their
great secret that II, too, is lost, to all
appearances, i~rretrievably.
Rather more than 100 years ago
there lived in a quaint, old world vii
lage in Wales a working blacksmith
who had managed by some means or
other to bring the welding Of steel to
such a pitch Of perfection that the
joint was absolutely invisible and the
temper Of the steel as fine as on the
day 1t left the testers hands. BY his
process he was able to join the very
finest of sword blades. and after be
had finished with them they were alb
solutely as good and as sound as when
they had left the factory.
The ~blacksmith's fame spread Tar
and wide. and, naturally enough, he at
tanned a great reputation, but he made
a point of invariably working in soil
tude. He was offered large and tempt
ing sums to divulge his secret, but
kept it obstinately to himself. and
when his span of life had run its
course he took 1t with him to another
world. ..l ~
AAC OAS4OAt 0lOCAS A0O a SuO6LuA(V
which we call Greek fire and which
they used in naval warfare.
Their method Of employing it was
simply this-to throw the substance
upon the surface Of the water, where
it famed up and set fire to the ships
Of the enemy. What was it7
The only known substance Of the
present day that would do this is the
metal potassium. but to set fire to q
ship In the name described would
necessitate the use Of at least half a
ton Of the metal. Where did the
Greeks obtain the substance they used
with such effect7 Or how did they
make 1t? II Greek IRE was potassium
the secret Of the process is another
that must be numbered with the lost
The man who could disinter the
buried recipe for Roman mortar would
be bowed down to and worshiped BY
the builders Of the present day. How
they made It 10 q profound secret and
bids fair to remain q.
The mortar IL az 6rm o AZ It was
1900 years ago. It has calmly SCOTCH
1T the ravages of time and weather.
The above are but q few-a very
few-of the lost and buried secrets Of
antiquity which modern scientists and
mechanicians would give much to
iearn.-Lond0n Answers.
That Held Him.
One Of the young men in the board
ing house had the double fault Of slow
ness in paying his bill and ~fussiness
about the table service. One morning
he said peevishly to the landlady, Mrs.
Jones, will you tell me why my napkin
10 20 damp7"
Eyes. Nj. Wicks," replied the land
lady promptly. Its because there 4.
90 much due on your board"-Brook-
iyn Times.
HE+' k LEEsET- |TgTIl-- -f<4 ESFAEf