The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-07-09
LOST TRADE SECRETS

Numerous are the trade secrets
handed 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 sauces and the countless ven-
doris of patent medicines.
But there is also. it must be remem-
bered, another side to the case. 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, says An
swers, for instance, what would Royal
Academician OF the present day give to
be possessed of the secret held by the
old masters-Raphael Rubens, Core
gio, Van Dyck and their compression
mixing their colors so as to render
them imperishable and impervious to
the ravages 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 ago On the contrary,
the colors of pictures painted only 100
years ago have lost their luster
Again, in the world OF music, the
manufacturers OF violins-od masters,
as one may justifiably term them, in
another branch of art-treasured a re-
cipe for a varnish that sank into the
wood Of their Incompatible instru-
ments, and mellowed it as well as pre-
served il.
Rather more than one hundred years
ago there lived in quaint old world
village in Wales a working blacksmith
who had managed by some means or
other, to bring the welding OF steel to
such pitch of perfection that the
joint was absolutely invisible, and the
temper OF the steel as fine as on the
day it left the testers hands. BY his
process he was able to join the very
finest OF sword blades, and after he
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 far
and wide and. naturally enough, he at
tanned great reputation, but he made
a point OF invariably working in soli-
tude. He was offered large and tempt
ing sums to divulge his secret, but kept
1t obstinately to himself and when his
span OF life had run it's course he took
1t with him to another world.
The ancient Greeks had "A substance
which we call Greek fire and which
they used in naval warfare.
Their method of employing il was
simply this-to throw the substance
upon the surface of the water, where
1t famed up and set fire to the ships
or the enemy What was it? The only
known substance of the present day
that would do this is the metal potas-
SUM; but to set fire to ship in the
manner described would necesstate
use of at least half ton Of this metal.
Where did the Greeks obtain the sub
stance which they used with such ef-
feet? Or how did they make it? III
Greek fire was potassium, the secret OF
he process is another that must be
with the lost.
The man who could disinter the bur-
ed recipe for Roman mortar would be |
bowed down to and worshiped by the |
builders of the present day How they |
made il is a profound secret and bids
bids fair to remain so.
The mortar is as firm as it was 1000
ears ago. 1t has calmly scoffed at the |
'avages of time and weather.