Modern Day Miracles Synthetic Chemistry, After Learning the Secret of Making Royal Purple, Succeeds in Producing All the Colors of the Rainbow w (Told In Eight Sketches) By JOHN RAYMOND No. V COLOR In the dim ages of history when man first felt the desire for beauty, traders searched the world for dyestuffs, jew els, perfumes, spices and precious woods. The risk of these voyages was great and only princes or nobles could afford the fruits of ventures to the far corners of the world. No man of humble origin could aspire to the rich crimsoned linen, the Royal Purple of ancient Tyre, retailing at S6OO a pound. ; Royal Purple is an age-old insignia of aristocracy. This dye was secreted by a small Shellfish on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean and here the enterprising merchants of Tyre formed a dye monopoly equaled only by the German Cartel. A bit of the whitish liquid secreted by this mollusk, if spread upon a cloth and exposed to the air and sunlight turns first green, next blue and then purple. If washed with an alkali soap it becomes the magnificent Crimson worn by the Cardinals and Princes of the Catholic Church. Tyrian purple vanished from the marts of the world with the fall of Tyre. Synthetic chemistry learned the se cret of making Royal Purple as, in deed, it learned to manufacture indigo, the same deep blue that may be seen today in museums, the winding sheets of Egyptian mummies. It was an achievement to snatch its distinctive color from royalty and to rival the best vegetable indigo of the an cients but modern chemistry has gone far beyond that. Today any kind of dye found in nature can be made in the laboratory. Indeed, among the 900 shades and colors being manufactured there are tints that it would be diffi cult to discern in the rainbow. \ ora® □ Modern American Chemists Have Accomplished the Wonders Which Ancient Chemists Strived for by the Utilization of Coal Tar By-Products Through the literature of the an cients runs the absorbing story of the alchemist’s patient search for the touchstone which would transform all base metals into pure gold, and the never-ending quest for the elixir which would restore youth to the aged and would cure all human ills. The alche mist, driven from cellar to garret and often put to death, had an elemental knowledge of chemistry and vaguely dreamed that it could be made to per form wonders. It was Ben Jonson’s alchemist, Subtle, back in the jearly seventeenth century who planned "to change all that is in my house toroid, and early in the morning to send to all the plumbers and pewterers and buy their tin and lead up; and to Lothbury for all the copper.’’ And more than that, by -means of this magic elixir, in eight and twenty days he planned to trans form an old man of four score into a prattling child. Certainly, chemistry has not suc ceeded in performing these marvels. The. philosopher’s stone still is an un known quantity to science, buried, per haps, with the pot of gold at the rain bow’s end, and the elixir of youth is as deeply hidden as on that far-off day when De Soto set forth so bravely from Spain to find it in the new world. But chemistry has accomplished won ders by the utilization of coal tar by products which contribute to every phase of our daily life. Take' the fairy glass of the chemist and look in to this rather uninteresting substance —coal. We put a kettle of it over a fire and we see leaving at various times what the chemist calls the Crudes-benzone, toluene, xylene, napthalene, phenol, anthracene, carbazol, and some others. But these are the most important. Some are clear liquids, some are beautiful crystals, but all are brought out of the black coal tar by the magician’s wan d, which is simply fractional distilla tion; that is, catch ing and condensing the vapors given off at various tempera tures. £\ JI X J* ' *1 ». The Better Condition. He Is happy whose circumstances suit-tils temper; hut he !s more excel* ' lent who can suit his temper to any circumstances. —Hate. Petty —Auntie, Mr. Perkins must be awful clever! 1 just heard him tell sis be could explain everything. Pavslng Show, London. These colors all come from coal tar but after it is un derstood that coal tar is the quintes sence of the forests of untold ages the feat does not ap pear to be so mar vellous. And still for cen turies this country has been wasting vast quantities of the precious mate rial. In fact,* the (Released by the Institute of American Business, New York) AY (Told In Eight SketchM) By JOHN RAYMOND No. IV THE ALCHEMISTS DREAM Now, what of the crudes? Add nitric acid, or any one of hundreds of chemi- (.Released by the Institute oft American Businew, New York) ma n u f a c t u r e of coke, in which pro cess coal tar is ob- ? , tained, is the only metallurgical oper- ji ation that America JR < /“* r s u continues to con- wad ! duct, in a large /£ I JwKfwf measure, after the j' W manner of a cen- W wajavjs/ tury ago. In 1915 / ' \JotvccoeE *t I there were 41,500,- I i‘ 1 000 tons of coke ' ("""""CM produced in this \ country for which (rVi/J almost 61,000,000 — iii.a'.j l._ tons of coal were used. Because of the enormous demands for war materials modern by-product ovens were constructed and in 1919 more than 52 per cent of our coke sup ply came from these ovens. It is esti mated that for every ton of coke made in modern b} r -product ovens there is saved in fuel alone 825 pounds of coal. When a house-holder burns a ton of coal he has sacrificed something like 11,000 cubic feet of gas, nine gallons of tar, twenty-live pounds of ammonium sulphate, 2.08 gallons of pure benzol and 0.56 gallons of pure toluol. In our industrial life the use of coal derivatives is j»st beginning to be felt. The rubber industry depends upon these products for solvents, com pounding ingredients and softeners. Practically all types of paint now use a derivative of coal. Printing inks, shoe polishes, brake linings, dry clean ers, perfumes, explosives, linoleums, glues, pastes and photographic de velopers, contain coal products as basic ingredients. The paper industry, the soap business, and the shoe manu facturer would be in serious difficulties without the by-products of coal tar. The electrical industry w’ould lose its chief source of insulating material and the doctors and druggists would be without a sufficient supply of phenol to make their supply of everyday drugs. Coal tar. the refuse of ancient vege table kingdoms, is valuable because it produces a galaxy of brilliant colors, not so much for the colors themselves but because in producing them so many' intermediates are developed that are of inestimable w’orth to the indus trial life of the nation. IRACLE cals, and either heat jDYE WORKS | i tgwwSk or cool as the case may be, and we get a host of other com- described pounds as intermediates Although some of the crudes and many of the in- termed iates are useful as such, the real develop- ment begins with the chemical treat- ment of the interme- diates. With many of these intermediates, one line of treatment will produce drugs, another high'explosives, another poison gases, still other perfumes, food flavors and photographic materials. Sonle have varying peace and war time uses with out further treatment. It should be noted that Some of these crudes re quire as many as fifteen manipulations to produce a given compound and in each manipulation a by-product is produced which again must he into something useful in order to avoid waste. It is because of this treatment and retreatment of coal, crudes and inter mediates that it is so easy to convert a dye plant into a factory for the pro duction of high explosives or poison ous gases almost over night. Germany was indeed farsighted, back in 1859, when she took advantage of Perkin’s discovery, and began the development of a gigantic dye industry so that she might never be without the crudes and intermediates so essential to success in war or peace. Germany developed the synthetic dye industry, just as she developed other industries, to create employment and wealth for her millions. But through these developments she learn ed the value of chemistry, of chemicals, and of chemists themselves. She real ized early how dependent her peace development was on chemistry and she soon saw the value of chemical in dustries to war. Germany saw that the manufacture of dyes required much chemical research and also that dve making made use of the waste prod ucts from the coke ovens, themselves a necessity to her iron and steel in dustry. She saw its value in the pro duction of explosives, gases and fer tilizers for her fields. This foresight gave Germany a forty year start on the United States, and tne rest of the world. No tourist Hate tor Him. “Joe is back from California," said the head barber, as he began the lath ering of a customer. “He told me a funny story. The day he was leaving Los Angeles he went into a drug store to buy a hair brush. The clerk told Mm the price was $1.50. ‘‘What’s that?’ said Joe. "I’m no tourist; 1 live here." “O, excuse me," answered the clerk. "The price is 50 esats.”— San Fruflps ■ Buckwheat Cakes . TWO LITTLE REASONS WHY YOU MUST HELP IUTTM - ** TwH n // f Jar Couitesy Minneapolis Journal. This photograph, taken by Ray Q. Marshall, formerly of the Minneapolis Journal, shows two little Chinese fam ine sufferers, and tells a more graphic story than columns of description. They fled from horne after their two little sisters had been sold for 4 cop pers each by desperate parents. Chi nese frequently sell their flesh and blood now rather than see them die horrible deaths from starvation. You can help save others like them by sending a check to your local commit tee or to the China Famine Fund, 121 Chamber of Commerce, Minneapolis. VINCENT AIDS CHINESE Former Head of University Pleads for Famine Victims. Dr. George E. Vincent, former presi dent of the University of Minnesota, and now president of the Rockefeller Foundation, New York City, has raised his voice in a plea to people of Minne sota to give liberally to the relief of the Chinese famine sufferers. The plea is especially effective be cause the Rockefeller Foundation is doing a vast amount of relief work in China. The Rockefeller family, too, has donated $500,000 for the famine sufferers. “There can be no doubt as to the widespread famine, disease and suffer ing in China," Dr. Vincent telegraphed to the Minnesota committee of the China Famine Relief fund. “State ments and appeals of the national com mittee may be accepted with full con fidence. Foodstuffs are now available and transportation in China is improv ing so that distribution can be guaran teed.* The situation is very critical and. It calls for Immediate and generous response.” . .. B. F. Benson, chairman o; the Min nesota committee, in commehtiug on the message said that these few words from Dr Vincent proved more than anything else that has been said of the terrib e need of the Chinese. Con tributions sent to The China Famine Fund, 121 Chamber of Comm? ce, Min neapolis, will be immediately .ransmit ed to Chi a by cable. MINNESOTA IS ALL READY State Gets Chance to Help Save the Starving Chinese. All Minnesota will have a chance to help fill 15,000.000 frtnpty bowls that starving • hinese are holding out to ward America. All signs indicate that this state is net going to turn a deaf ear to the stifled moan that is floating icross Pacific. With the Hoover campaign for the relief of starving Europe completed, Harry R Wilbern. who brought that undertaking to a successful conclusion, has taken active charge of the drive to aid the Chinese, and headquarters have been opened in Minneapolis. Organizations will be formed in every county and systematized cam paigns will be waged for funds in all. It is thought jhat tag days, such as the money that recently raised $7,500 in Minneapolis, may be ptft on in vari ous cities of the state. Advertising matter and posters are now being sent out. In the meantime, all those who wish to contribute to the famine fund, may send their checks to E. W. Decker, treasurer. 121 Chamber of Commerce, Minneapolis. THREE PRESIDENTS ASK AID FOR CHINA Harding, Wilson and Taft Appeal to Americans to Help Stricken Millions of Sister Republic. The President and two ex-Presidents of the United Stales have joined, for the first time in the history of the country, in an appeal for a philan thropic enterprise. President Hard ng. ex-Prestdent Wilson and ex-Presldent Taft are all in the forefront of the movement to send aid from America to the famine victims of China. One of Pres dent Harding’s first offi cial acts after his inauguration, taken when he had been in the White House less than two weeks, was to renew the appeal made by ids predecessor in be half of America’s sister republic In the East. President Hard ng said in part: “At this, the earliest practicable mo ment in my administration, I desire to add my own to the many appeals which have been Issued heretofore in behalf of the starving people of a large sect on of China. ♦ * * “The picture of China’s distress is so tragic that 1 am moved, therefore, to renew the appeal heretofore made ! and to express the hope that the Amer ican people will continue to contribute to this humanitarian cause as gener-1 ously as they possibly can.” In appo nting the American commit tee for China Famine Fund, with his own immediate predecessor in the White House, ex-l’resldent Taft, as ( one of the members, and Thomas W. ( Lamont of New York. as chairman. President Wilson said in his procla mation : ’ “Not only In the name of humanity, but in that of the friendliness which we £t*el for a great people in distress, I venture to ask that our cit'zens shall, even though the task of giving is not today a light one, respond as they can to this distant but appealing cry for help.” V MINNESOTA MAN IN CHINA Former Minneapolis Newspaperman Helps Starving People. All Minnesota is taking a personal interest in the relief work being done in China for the suffering paillions of the northern provinces because a well known Minneapolis man is playing a stellar role there. ’ He is Ray G. Marshall, former city editor of the Minneapolis Journal, who is working out of famine headquarters in Peking without any pay. In his 20 years of newspaper work, Mr. Marshall has seen suffering and misery in all forms, but he admits he is stupned.by the situation that confronts the work ers in the Far East. Mr. Marshall recently wrote a fer vent plea for Minnesota to help feed the famine victims. Contributions will be received by the China Famine Fund, 121 Chamber of Commerce, Minneap olis. The Red Cross has contributed a million dollars and the Rockefeller family half that amount to the Chi nese famine sufferers. If you can't give that much give what you can to The China Famine Fund, 121 Chamber of Commerce, Minneapolis. Superstition Concerning uaui. The caul Is a thin membrane found encompassing the head of some chil dren when born, and It is considered a good omen for the children them selves. This superstition probably be came widespread about the time of the Emperor Antoninus Plus. When he was bum he had a band of membrane around his forehead in the shape of a diadem, and he attributed all his good fortune to this caul, and this started the sale of them. A few sailors carry ing them who then happened to be saved from shipwreck diverted the su perstition toward mariners. As Bad as the Shower. While visiting a friend who lived quite a distance from my home, a shower threatened. and I remarked: “I guess i’ll go before I get wet.” While passing a few more remarks 1 walked backward toward the door, hut not noticing wtjere I was going, I landed In a tub of water on the floor. The shower couldn’t have gotten me aty wetter I—Chicago Journal MINER, ELY, MINN. - “ Left-Handedness Hereditary. Left-handedness is to a great extent hereditary. Au explanation of left handedness in normal structures has been sought by falling back on the fact that the cerebral hemispheres of the brain work the muscles crosswise. Ferrier’s researches have proved that when we see with the r’ght eye we see with the left side of the brain. Viewed by the light, hereditary left-handed ness may he due to the greater devel opment of the right side of the brain. “It is practically certain,” says Dr. Bastion, “that the great preponder ance of righthanded movements in or dinary individual- must tend to pro duce a more complex obganization of the left than Ihe right hemisphere of the brain.” M. Broca states that in forty brains which he examined he found the left frontal lobe heavier than the right. These investigations have not as yet been thoroughly car ried out; but possibly the explanation of obstinate left-handedness lies in that direction. Signal Fires. In Terre del Fuego news is con veyed and conversation sustained be tween the different trilies inhabiting the islands by means of fires on the high peaks of the mountains. The na tives are always on the lookout for these fires, and know just what they are intended to mean.—Brooklyn Eagle. ORDER LIMITING TIME TO FILE CLAIMS, AND FOR HEARING THEREON. State of Minnesota, County of St. Louis, ss. IN PROBATE COURT. In t EH S A LIAIaoND I.KAND PILLS-iu R::n a:il/A\ Gold metallic boxes, sealed wiiii BiucvGry Ribbon. Taeb no irrnntt. Bny of your V/ Brur-St and a-k for ('UT-CUCS-TEB t» v BlAiioxn bi:ak:> Pif.t.s, lor twenty-fl’'? rears rercrdc children and ». R. ieets every Wed nesday evening at ■<:00 at Odd Fel iows Hall. E. W. Hanson,C.C. H. Chinn, K. R. S. I