ANDREAS KURTZ 139 



thing very important or interesting going on, 

 he would go to his work between two and 

 three o'clock in the morning, remain at it all 

 day, and sometimes all night ; he would have 

 his meals sent into the laboratory from his 

 house, and at times his food would be left 

 untouched, so absorbed was he in his 

 occupations. 



About the year 1842, he was compelled, 

 very much against his will, to become an alkali 

 manufacturer, and to take over a works at 

 St. Helens. 



A Mr. John Darcy, who had been in the 

 employ of Muspratt, at Newton, and had at 

 Newton married a Miss Dierden, came to St. 

 Helens, and on a plot of land near the canal, 

 built a small alkali works, to work the Leblanc 

 process ; he was in partnership with a relation 

 of his wife, and the firm was Darcy and 

 Dierden. The firm had business connections 

 with Andreas Kurtz, and he was induced to 

 lend them money to extend their operations. 

 They got into difficulties and Darcy tried to 

 make out that Kurtz was a partner in the con- 

 cern ; he even painted it in large letters on his 

 sulphuric-acid chambers, "Darcy and Kurtz." 

 Kurtz was compelled to take proceedings in 

 Chancery, a very costly litigation ensued, 



