The Washington times., 1919-12-13
If This Is True We Can All
Wear Golden Crowns
Professor Rutherford Says He Can Change Lead Into
Gold, Which Is Very Interesting

Professor Rutherford Says He Can Change Lead Into
| Gold Which Is Very Interesting.
You read in the cable dispatches that Sir Ernest Ruther
ford great scientist of the University of Manchester in
England has discovered the secret of achemythe turning
Of the bassr metals into gold.
Very interesting if true It would an upset of
conditions for little WHILE and then would all settle
down to the fact that gold had lost its Importance and that
platinum radium some other much precious metal
bad taken its place
lead copper be transmitted into gold then gold would
shortly Be Of greater value than lead copper and its
use for money standard for personal decoration would
cease.
1t would be just another demonstration that the real
basis Of value is the relationship of supply and demand
few years ago aluminium and expensive
metal was hard to obtain and ring made Of aluminium
would not have been looked upon out of place fair
ladys hand.
Suddenly it was found that there was aluminium in
every clay bank you pass country road, and
scientist found that by the Of electricity it easily
separated
Now you see pots and pans and kettles of the once
precious metal and you cook your oatmeal in dish that
few years would have cost much everything else
you have m the house. but which costs less than
dollar.
all the lead copper should be turned into gold we
would shortly be eating of gold plates putting coal in
gold scute and nobody would boast Of how much of the
metal he had
Three problems have engaged the attention of the
The perpetuation Of youth
The development Of perpetual motion.
The transmutahon Of the baser metals into gold
Thousands Of minds have cracked under attempts to
solve these problems Thousands of fortunes have been
wasted and millions Of hours Of study expended without
result.
The Greeks Of Alexandria were probably the first to
attempt the making Of gold and silver but the word "a"
chemy with its Arabic word ap for the first SYLLABLE
shows that the Arabs followed closely on the Greeks in
attempt to solve the mystery.
There has never been time since those historically
dark days when chemist not seeking what has
proved up to now the unattainable
Such famous names as Roger Bacon Sir Isaac Newton
Labnitx and Helcn have been associated with the
belief that combination Of the cheaper metals and
chemicals would result in the production of the yellow
king"
Of times the experiments have been declared bv
the orgatos be successful and learned societies have
gathered to listen to the explanation and the demonsa
ton Of the process
The most famous Of these discoveries (?) was that made
by James Price distinguished English chemist and fellow
Of the Royal Society BE announced that he was able BY
the Of powder which he had compounded to turn mer
emy into gold
Peers and baronets gathered witness his demonsta
hon. and to al appearances tho impossible was performed
md Of the gold was sent to King George M, who
accepted with gracious condescension Oxford conferred
degree the chems and his book telling of his discov
eries had q wide sale
But the Royal Society grew suspicious and asked him
to repeat his process and after long delay he agreed to-
But before his guests arrived at his laboratory the chemist
distilled quantity Of laurel water, deadly poison and as
they waited for the experiment to begin he drank the
sught and died before their eyes, taking with him il be
ever had it. the secret Of his formula
His critics decried him charlatan- His friends
argued that he had forgotten essential element of his
compound
All this happened in the Latter part Of the eighteenth
century, and from then until English scientists have
bean willing to listen to claims success in alchemy
It VIII be interesting to see what sort Of reception they