ANDREAS KURTZ 129 



his science, he revelled in research. After 

 Niven left him, Kurtz encountered disaster 

 upon disaster ; whether his misfortunes were 

 the result of his own inaptitude for business 

 or whether he was out-manoeuvred by men 

 less scrupulous and more cunning than himself, 

 we cannot say, but the remaining years of his 

 life were disturbed by many worries and 

 troubles in his business, but seldom in his 

 manufacture ; in that department he was a 

 master. 



The price he got for bichromate of potash 

 when he commenced to manufacture it was 

 five shillings a pound. It did not long remain 

 at this figure, but fell from stage to stage 

 until it was sold at 8d. per Ib. ; Kurtz then 

 considered the business was no longer worth 

 following, and abandoned it. 



In Liverpool his most important operations 

 were the manufacture of bichromate of potash, 

 in works that he had in Parliament Street and 

 Sefton Street ; and borax, in Harrington 

 Street ; in addition to these he had a works 

 for general experimental purposes in Green- 

 land Street. There are numerous memoranda 

 to assist in tracing his labours. 



Take his first experiments in chromates: 

 "Good chrome ore loses only 5% in muriatic 



