El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-11-15
.PICRIG ACID IS 4
SCARCE ARTICLE
New York's New Sheriff is
Famous for Short Speech;
Paper Dresses at Ball.
BY GOTHAM KNICkERBOCKER.

III NEO hAM hNlN
New York, Nov. 15.-"The romance OF
pierre acid" Around that title might
be woven a great romance OF business
and near business in this town The
story would have about a dozen J. Ru-
fus Waulngfords in it. every paragraph
would boast spy or a countersp4'
every chapter would tell Of fortune
won or lost. and every line would bris-
tie with action enough TO satisfy the
most eXacting publisher Of best
sellers"
For the yellow crystalline explosive
which drives mammoth shells 20 miles
and devastates a city block in an IN
slant is mighty scarce and mighty high
in price A thousand men are prospect
ing for it and another thousand are
stalking the prospectors TO jump every
claim the minute il IS staked out or "a
salt claims which will keep the seekers
busy far from the real pay dirt
Every real manufacturer OF picric is
a center Of mystery and for every hon
est-tO-goOdness maker there are at
least ten concerns which are either try
ing to concOct the explosive and cannot
or are trying to get orders which they
never intend to fill.
The acid sold for 80 cents a pound
in the far off days before the war.
Now quotations for spot" or picric for
immediate delivery are SLS0 TO 1920
pound. But the quotations are an illu-
sion because, as TO SPOT picric there
amt no SIGH animal
Real Deals Are Few.
If you are q buyer for warning gov
I ernment and get an alleged picric acid
agent TO promise immediate delivery Of
10000 tons the chances are SO to ] YOU
Will get nearer 10000 ounces Real
deals are few and far between and
when they do occur, the recovery of ?
stolen Raphael is simple by compari-
son.
Between buyer and seller there are
half dozen Intermediates and a deep
haze of mystery The manufacturer
sends his picric 10 some non-commlttal
address in New York and then bills
bank for his pay and that of the agents
The bank produces the money but keeps
q stiff upper lip as to where the coin
came from
The acid goes somewhere-perhaps to
a munitiOn factory, perhaps to some Sc
cluded storehouse where ii will stay
untouched until happier days.
There are a large. but unknown
number Of fake manufacturers. dealers.
agents and buyers in the field some
of these are there for the purpose they
pretend to be for, others are simply 10
collect information, while stir others
are meant TO block, hinder and entan-
New YOrk's New SIeuth.
Keep your ewes on AZ Smith. New
York city's new sheriff Not to men
ton that he is confidentially said to be
slated for everything from Charles F.
Murphy's job at Tammany hall 10 the
office Of mayor, governor OF the En-
pire state and president, he is the most
picturesque character among rle
younger political leaders of the east.
Like Abraham Lincoln. he has the
faculty Of knowing an infinite deal
without reading Long one Of the rec
oCniZed Tiger leaders, he has an IN
smirched record.
He was born down near the top Of
Manhattan and still thinks Canal street
is pretty far uptown, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
that he is one OF the most fOrceful men
the state 1perrEl1 fu-a has known.
Without much of an education except
such as he gave himself. he is a great
debater and ar able spokesman Ills
most IA nous speech is one Of the short
est on record
A conflict was on over the state Ia
Dor laws The canning interests OF the
state were making a great fight 10 oe
allowed TO have the women and chll-
dreu who work at gathering and put
ting up fruit and berries work from
sunrise to sunset seven DAYS week
Clergymen and educators had been
brought to Albany from the western
part Of the state TO help put the meas
ure through. Lobbyists were mar
shaled- There was much Grating and
then il came AIS turn He was down
for a tWO-hOur speech and he had II
before him in black and white on his I
desk. a carefully arranged manuscript I
"AI' looked over the crowded cham
Der moment while silence relgned-
Then he left the speech on the table.
rose and said
Nowhere in the Bible have been
able TO find: Remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy. except IN can
neries'." He sat down For an instant {
the chamber did not grasp il. Then
there was a thunder Of applause a
vote was taken and the bill was killed. :
Paper Dresses n1 Ball
Don't speak of the high cost Of liv-
ing in New York The girls Of the Julia
Richman high school have just had
dance. Every one had a new dress The
dresses cost > cents apiece They we've
made Of gay paper and were all in the
latest style.