CYRUS MOORS WARREN. 399 



this work was helped or hindered by the business relations. The fact 

 that his firm so extensively controlled the coal-tar of the country forced 

 them, as has been said, to prepare the naphthas therefrom when a de- 

 mand for these substances arose, and afterwards, in like manner, they 

 were called upon to produce large quantities of anthracene when this 

 compound was required for making alizarin. At a much earlier 

 period they had prepared naphthalin in a condition of almost absolute 

 purity, with the ideas that this solid substance might be put to use by 

 glass-blowers as a convenient fuel to throw into their " glory holes," 

 instead of the "dead oil " used for producing a strong reducing flame, 

 and that it could be moulded into candles, which might be burned out 

 of doors in spring-candlesticks, — both of which plans were brought to 

 naught by the speedy introduction of coal-oil and petroleum, and of 

 paraffin obtained from these oils. 



Another venture, which ended in failure, deserves mention as a 

 matter of historical interest ; namely, that the Warrens undertook to 

 manufacture anilin colors in this country at a very early period (1862), 

 when the price of these compounds was extremely high. To this end 

 they built a factory at South Boston, and equipped it with costly and 

 ingenious apparatus devised by C. M. Warren. This factory had 

 actually been put into operation, and was producing nitrobenzol, when 

 the price of the anilin dyes suddenly fell to a very low figure, from 

 which point they have never risen again to anything like the former 

 standard. The Warrens were thus compelled to relinquish their 

 undertaking. The reduction in price had been brought about by 

 certain English manufacturers who sought to crush a rival in that 

 country. 



From being engaged in all these enterprises Warren had constant 

 opportunity to make note of points that specially needed elucidation in 

 the behavior of the chemical substances operated upon, and he was 

 doubtless able to gain time in many cases as regards his scientific in- 

 vestigations by making preliminary rough studies at the manufactory. 

 Moreover, he could have at any time, for the asking, unlimited sup- 

 plies of any materials he might wish to investigate, either in the 

 crude or in the partially purified condition ; and he could always be 

 sure that his materials were precisely what they purported to be. It 

 should be remembered always, when Warren's work on hydrocar- 

 bons is contrasted with that of his predecessors, that he had enor- 

 mous advantages over most chemists both as to his methods and his 

 materials. For example, it will be seen at a glance that it was easier 

 for him than for most other investigators to make the discovery of his 



