Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-04-07

Visits This Country in the Spring.
Women Of America Are Gathering
the Necessary Funds-Mme. curie
Has Found New Startling Qualities
In Mineral.
When Madame Marie Cuie arrives
here from Paris next May, says New
York dispatch, she may be presented
by the women of America, as has al
ready been announced. with tube
containing one gramme of radium-
the radioactive element Madame Curie
discovered and gave to the world In
1893. =.
The reason for this gift is the fact
that although Madame Curie knows
more concerning radium and It's pO-
tentialitles than any living soul. she
has not, because of her generosity,
one grain with which to conduct ex-
beriments and research work, which
will mean so much to the world at
large. The gramme, which will cost
100000, can be contained In small
thmble, and there will be consider
able room to spare.
DIR. Robert Able, the noted surgeon
of New York. is aiding the Nine. Curie
Radium Committee in its effort to
gather the necessary fund. He was
the pioneer In the use of radium in
this country, and is one of the few
scientists who has worked side by side
with Nine Curie In Paris. She has
frequently expressed the highest re-
gard for him.
DIR. Able has written for medical
history a book entitled mime. Curie,"
the manuscript of which was recently
completed. The surgeon has given
to The New York Times an excerpt
from one Of the chapters of this work,
which throws much interesting light
on Nine Curies discovery of radium.
Important Discovery.
mo woman engaged in purely sci
entific work." says DR.. Able, "has ever
been accorded honor for accomplish
Ing a discovery SO important to the
world and to science as Nine. Curie
has been for her discovery OF radium.
"Other women have been credited
with deeper and wider scientific knOwl-
edge; other women have sat upon
thrones, and, with royal privileges.
have made history, but no other wom-
all, by sheer force of energy and brain
power, has pursued a trail into an
unknown jungle, and brought to light
such an unsupported new factor in the
worlds make up, which has had such
revolutionary influence in science.
mo one can say that she stumbled
ON this by chance. There existed,
first of all, complete education in
chemistry and physics, without which
the first step could not have been
taken. Secondly, the energy, the DOM
mating will, the zeal In pursuit, the
indefaugable working power, the self
sacrificing bravery-the same forces
which made 1t possible for Peary to
reach the North POle-carried this ex-
plorer into an unknown wilderness.
1--WE witness, in Nine. Curie's re-
search, one of the most complete
pieces of detective work that ever un-
earthed a hidden mystery.
"She who has given 1t away freely
has none, and can get none to pursue
further discovery. Every year a new
chapter has to be written about It,.
"a still more wonderful chapter Is
unrevealed, and 1t Is the privilege Of
the women of this country to choose
this time to lay this tribute at her
feet-a gift of radium, instead Of a
wreath of laurel-with which che can,
and will, give back to them q thou
sand fold more In value, a hOped-for
revelation of its medical power, when
its forces can be tanned and used In
cancer-that dread scourge. She has
now turned her thoughts to that line
of research.
Led Simple Life.
"The story of Nine. Curie's life is
as simple as that of thousands of
other workers In the same held. New
ertheless, we will see that essential
features were preliminary training
in self-denying home life, ideally sim
pie, her father being the Professor of
Physics and Chemistry in the Uni
versity of Warsaw.
'"rhe magnetic pull of the renowned
Paris schools, where science had its
purest atmosphere Of research, brought
her, with scores of others, from many
countries, to the University Of Paris.
There she was welcome, as an ardent
student, and for two years she lived
as all students do, on the merest ne
cessities of life in the Latin Quar-
ter. Fired by the spirit of work, she
was welcomed by Professor Becquerel
in the Department Of Physics. and by
Professor Curie In chemistry, as a
clear mind and gifted student. The
former permitted her assistance In
the problem of uranium research to
see II that metal would shine when
brought into a dark room, and, II 1t
did, would that light act like the
newly discovered X-ray, which had
the power to pass through thick light
proof paper?
can experiment was prepared with
Photographic plate enclosed In a
black envelope on which piece of
uranium was laid. While waiting for
sunny day this plate was laid in a
dark drawer A fortnight of dull
Paris days passed. 1t was thought
-