The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-07-18
ROMANCE IN STORY
OF 'lWHITE METAL"
Spies Now Risk Lives For Plati.
mum, Once Thrown Away
as Waste.

Washington, D. C.-New chapters in
the romance Of platinum, once thrown
away as waste but now the most
sought after metal in the world. have
been written since the war began. Ma
tons are fighting for it. Adventures
nre risking their lives to obtain 1t.
Women spies and diplomatic agents
are playing the game of International
intrigue to control even an ounce Of
the noble metal" as it is known to
biologists, so valuable has it become
and so necessary to the prosecution Of
the world war.
The United States government re-
Gently took a hand in the game by
communicating all unworked platinum
In this country, setting therefore a
price OF sos an ounce, as compared
with Sass 10 years ago. Even this
action, however, has not obtained suf-
ficient of the metal for var purposes.
Officials who failed to heed the warn
ings Of platinum experts at the begin
ming Of the war are wondering how
they can retrieve their error in not
vigorously meeting the national ne
ceSsity by using every legitimate means
to obtain platinum. The total amount
OF known platinum throughout the
world is only 1000 ,OO0 ounces. of which
about one-fourth is in the United
States. Much of that is virtually ire
claimaLle through use in dental work
and personal jewelry, and the output,
since the Russian debacle, has fallen
to a fraction Of what it was in times
of peace.
1t is the last reaso which is giving
officials so much concern. Russia has
been the source of most Of the worlds
platinum and, In 1918, was credited
with a production Of 100000 Troy
ounces. Clumbia with $4,000; New
South Wales and Tasmania, United
States California and Oregon being
almost the only producing states) only
483; Borneo and Sumatra, 200, and
Canada, 30.
The German invasion of Russia gave
the enemy the opportunity of replenish-
ing his stocks of platinum, to the detri-
ment of the allies. Mining in Russia
virtually has ceased now, even if the
metal could be shipped out Of the
country, and the whole world looks to
Columbia for platinum. suggestions
for a government monopoly of platinum
have been advanced in the Columbian
congress. Whatever action is taken,
the fortunes of war will mean wealth
for the southern republic.
One of the most spectacular feats OF
the war was the concentration OF 20,ooo
ounces Of platinum in Russia by a
young American mining engineer, at
la " llS Siiipuco NNShSt
cognized the Importance Of obtaining
the metal. Each precious brlck,
wrapped in a leather cover, was brought
half way across the world to the United
States and turned over to the govern.
ment for use In the manufacture OF
sulphuric acid, a constituent OF ex-
plosives, for the manufacture OF con-
tact points in electrical apparatus M
other uses necessary to war. An inter-
esting history Of platinum is given Sy
the Latin American division OF che
Bureau of Foreign n Domestic COM
merce.
Platinum was uncovered in what is
now Columbia in 1875, by a Spaniard
named Don Antonio de Ulloa. who ac-
companied a French scientific ex-
petition, and his account Of 1t was the
first information regarding the metal
to be brought to the attention Of
Europeans. It's r~esistability to acids
and the difficulty of working 1t were re-
marked upon, but 1T was not considered
to be nearly as precious as gold. and
was used at times by counterfeiters
as a basis for coins. 1t was not until
the middle of the 18th century that the
demand for platinum for use in chemi-
cal laboratories and for electrical uses
brought it's value up to the point where
1t ranked as one of the most precious
metals.
In the placer mining of gold in
Columbia 1t was formerly thrown AVA
as waste, and when the rise in price
made ii more valuable than gold the
ground on which the waste nae been
thrown became in it's turn a field for
mining operations, and even the streets
Of the principal center Of gold refining
in Columbia. Quibdo, We're torn up and
the soil washed for particles Of the
new treasure. One man tore down his
store in order to get at the ground
beneath, and found so much platinum
that he was enabled to rebuild and
make an extra $4,000 for his trouble.
Platinum is recovered principally from
the beds of streams, the particles hav-
ing been deposited there through ero-
sion OF large rocks, classified geologi-
cally as tertiary conglomerates." The
platinum grains are found with gold,
the proportion varying from 5 to so
per cent of platinum. The two metals
are recovered by washing the sand and
gravel Of streams. The marked rise in
the price Of platinum in the last two
or three years has considerably stimu-
lated mining activities in Columbia, es-
pecially on the part Of the native min
ers. Present imports Of Columbian
platinum by the United States repre-
sents almost the total visible exports
of that country.