The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-07-12
COSTLY PLATINUM FIRST FOUND IN
 COLOMBIAN MINES

an god, was first discovered in South America in A section of what is now the Republic of Colombia Is not ex- uhtly a matter of common knowledge. IEnurthermore, 1t may not be generally I known that the scientists, dentists, and manufacturers of the most expen- sive 1ewelry in the United States must now depend for their supplies of the precious white gold' practically en- tirely upon the Colombian mines for the Russian sources of supply are for the time being "out of the game" Still there's no imminent danger of Colombia's resources in platinum be- ing exhausted. They have been min ing it down there for 15O years, but the output seems to be constantly in- creasing. As an instance, according to the current number of the Bulletin of the Pan American Union, Washing ton, D. c, the exports of the metal du- ring the past three years were valued as follows: In 1915 at $6O7,5 ,5OO; 1916, at $1,350, 0,OOO; and for the year 1917 at $2,160,100.
 Incidentally 1t is interesting to note that at one time-and that not so very long ago-the crude platinum grains that were mixed in with the ore of certain gold mines in Colombia were regarded as a. waste product, and thrown away. Dr. Geo. F. Kunz, Tiffany's great expert on precious stones and metals in an article re- gently contributed to the Bulletin of the Pan American Union tells of 1t IS follows:
 "The rejection of platinum as a waste product in the operation of re- flning gold led to some strange hap penings in Colombia. The platinum separated from the gold by the dry or "blowing'' system was either cast into the street or thrown through cracks in the building where the work was done. Later, when platinum be- came valuable, a. considerable quan- tity of the metal was thus discovered in Quibdo, capital of the Choco dis trict, where much gold refining was done. As result the entire town of some 1,50O inhabitants was turned in to a mine, and the natives were em- ployed in working the streets for the Government, while many property owners mined under their houses. In one case a man went so far as to tear down his store, and was rewarded by recovering enough platinum to re- build on a larger scale and clear $4,- OO0 in American gold besides"
 .Dr. Kunzs article is replete with interesting information about plati- mum and, among other things, he tells how the world first learned of the ex- istence of such a remarkable metal.
 ''In view of the many uses to which platinum can now be put and it's in creasing value, 1t, seems strange that European knowledge of its existence Is dated not farther back than 1735 when the South American deposits now within the limits of the Republic of Colombia, were visited by the Span ish traveller Don Antonio de Ulloa ir 17-16-1795), who had been appointed with Don Jorge Juan to accompany 8 French scientific expedition sent out by the Government to execute the measurement of an arc of the meridian on the plain of Quito. Although the first publication of Ulloa's observa tions was made in his "Relacion his torica del viaie a la America meri dional," issued in two volumes at Ma drid in 1748. specimens of the new metallic ore had already been brough to EinRldnu lTOI1 JdIllcilC6b elo Ce1L as 1741. by MT. Charles Wood al English metallurgist, the materia having reached him by way of Carta gena in the then New Grenada, late a part of Colombia. Of the appear ance and qualities of the new meta MT. Wood stated that the "Platina d. Pinto" otherwise called Juan Elan CO.," was smooth and brilliant, of uni form structure, and not liable to rus or tarnish on exposure to the air. H adds that the Spaniards did not talk it from veins as ore, or as metalli masses, but in powder or small grains He believed that it was rarely secur ed entirely pure, since in all example he had seen he always observed a admixture of black and shining grains similar to those found on the coasts 0 Virginia and Jamaica this being
 rich vein ore, attracted by the mag net; there were also generally certai narticles of a yellowish hue whic seemed to be of a different nature. H asserted tha tthe Spaniards had learn ed the secret of melting 1t, and sine they made many sword-guards, buck les, snuff boxes, etc, of it, he cor cluded that it must he quite abundan The designation "Platina q Pinto" had been given it because tn specimens in question came from tn River Pinto, the name "platina" fl self was equivalent to little silver from it's resemblance to the latte metal"
 The first veritable platinum ingt was made va French chemist, Cha baneua, in 17S3. Charles III of Spai had called him to Madrid and create A special chair of mineralogy, physi' and chemistry for him. In his labt ratory he found the secret of rende ing the new metal malleable, and tn ia the way he revealed the fact to or of his patrons:
 "Three months later, at the home
 tiH Count of Aranda. there appearC upon a table an ingot some 10 cent meters cube (about 4 inches), wi a beautiful metallic lustre; 1t was ma leable platinum. The enthusiast Count started to pick it up, but fail'