Show SEEKING A LOST ant modern scientists baffled in efforts to temper copper fame and fortune await awalt the lucky individual who can rediscover the corn earn bi bir atlon ration of 0 metals from which the egyptians the aztecs and the incas ot of peru made their tools and arms though each of these nations reached a high state of civilization none of them ever discovered iron in spite of 0 the the tact fact that the soil of all these coun tries was largely impregnated with it their substitute for it m was as a bombina tion of metals which had the temper of steel despite the greatest efforts the secret of this composition has bat fled scientists and has become a lost art the great explorer humboldt Huni boldt tried to discover it from an analysis ot of a chisel found in an ancient inca silver na tie but all that he conlu could find out was that it appeared to be a combination of a small portion of tin with copper this combination will not give the hardness ot of steel so it Is evident that tin and copper could not have been its only component parts whatever might have been the nature of the metallic bombina tion these ancient races were able so to prepare pure copper that it equaled in temper the finest steel produced at the present day by the most scientifically approved process with their bronze and copper instruments they were able to quarry and shape the hardest known stones such as a granite and porphyry and even cut emeralds and like substances A re discovery ot of this lost art would revolutionize lutlo lut ionize nize many trades in which st steel eel at present holds the monopoly it if copper could thus be tempered now its lt advantage over steel would be very great and it would no doubt be pre fared to the latter in numerous indus tries it Is a curious fact that though this lost secret still baffles modern scientists it must have be been en dincov pred independently by the three races made use of it so long ago |