work that has made the United States the foremost Radium 
producing country of the world. 
While Madame Curie, by discovering Radium, wrested 
from the earth a secret that will make an epoch in the ascent 
of man to knowledge and through knowledge to physical 
power and dominion over Nature, she produced very little 
Radium. This was no fault of hers. She was denied the 
ores with which to work. With the generosity that proves 
the true disciple of science, she gave all the little Radium 
she won, to the medical profession of Europe. A very 
small portion even found its way to New York City. 
In 1911, Joseph M. Flannery, of Pittsburgh, after long 
and serious thought, determined that the United States 
and the world, should and must have a supply of Radium. 
He had demonstrated business ability and won financial 
success in improving and causing a great demand for an 
important part of the modern locomotive. He had won 
greater success, first by proving the merits of Vanadium 
as an alloy for steel; and then by one of the most dramatic 
and successful campaigns of education and salesmanship 
the steel world has known, secured its general use. 
To his restless, striving, daring spirit, Radium offered 
a new appeal. Taking Vanadium from the summit of the 
Peruvian Andes, carrying it to the seacoast, shipping it 
the long way to Pittsburgh and preparing it for the steel 
mills, had taught him much of men and of methods that 
does not come into the experience of those that win success 
within State or National limits. He determined to apply 
all of his time and his talent to the production of Radium. 
Withdrawing from all active participation in his Vana- 
dium interests, he gave all his attention to a study of the 
Radium bearing ores that might be available to him. 
The ores of Europe were out of the question. The 
Austrian Government had promptly made a monopoly of 
the ores that Madame Curie had found to contain Radium. 
The few deposits that were reported and found in other 
parts of the world were not of sufficient extent to justify 
serious consideration, and Mr. Flannery was interested in 
and determined to try for quantity production.