EEPOKT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1919. 105 



summed up in the final report made to the chairman of the National 

 Research Council, which is given in part below: 



November, 25, 1918. 



Sir: Assuming that with the signing of the armistice with Germany my 

 services as special agent for the purcliase of quartz for supersonic purposes 

 will be no longer in demand I beg leave to makH> the following report : 



Acting in accordance with instructions from Secretary Walcott, and at the 

 request of Chief Signal Officer Squier and Colonel Millikan, dated February 1, 

 1918, I left Washington on February 5, proceeding to Rochester and Albany, 

 New York ; Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts ; New York City ; and Phila- 

 delphia in search of the desired material among private collectors and in pub- 

 lic museums. The available supply from all sources was disappointingly 

 small, but a couple of hundred pounds or such a matter. Incidentally, how- 

 ever, there was found in the hands of Tiffany & Co. approximately 900 pounds 

 of Brazilian material, which was subsequently disposed of to the New York 

 subcommittee of the National Research Council. 



On May 10, under the same joint authorization, I proceeded to western 

 North Carolina, visiting all the principal localities known to have furnished 

 materials of the quality desired, and was able to secure several hundred 

 pounds, of which perhaps 300 pounds were found to be of a quality suitable 

 for cutting. The combined results of these two trips were delivered under 

 proper authorization to Maj. R. W. Wood of Johns Hopkins University ; to 

 Profs. Geo. B. Pegram and H. W. Farwell of Columbia University ; and Prof. 

 Geo. E. Hale of Pasadena, California. Some 200 pounds of material now in 

 the National Museum and of doubtful value still awaits disposal. 



It having become evident that sufficient supply was not available in North 

 Carolina, among dealers, museums, or private collectors, a somewhat exten- 

 sive correspondence was entered into with parties who were thought likely to 

 be in a position to assist in all sections of the coimtry and in South America, 

 and I was able to locate two lots of material imported from Brazil, one of 

 3,500 to 4,000 pounds in the hands of W. J. Kindgen of the Mineral Products 

 Co., and the second of 3,368 pounds in the hands of Adolph Hirsch Co., both 

 of New York. 



* * :(: 4: * ^ 1: 



In view of the possible difficulties of further importation of material from 

 this source, it was deemed advisable to thoroughly investigate the resources 

 of our o^Ti country, and Prof. Austin F. Rogers of Stanford, California, was 

 authorized * * * to look into the resources of that State. Professor 

 Rogers visited the most promising localities, found nothing immediately avail- 

 able, and, in vi^ of the importance of the matter, recommended that steps 

 be taken toward reopening an old gold mine on Mokeliamne Hill which was 

 reported to have furnished excellent material while in active operation some 

 years ago. 



Further correspondence developed uncertainty both as to the expense of re- 

 opening the mine and the probabilities of its yielding the material and also 

 some question as to authorities in control. I therefore did not recommend the 

 undertaking. In view of what I have to state below, I now advise strongly 

 against it, believing such would be a very unwise and wasteful proceeding. 



Very early in my work T took steps toward gaining information regarding 

 the Brazilian sources of these quartzes, going so far as to have the Secretary 

 of the Smithsonian ask the State Department to investigate the matter through 



