Science: Celestial Souvenir

When meteors smack the earth’s surface, they are called meteorites. Under their new citizenship, these celestial migrants are subject to earthly laws, even the law of supply & demand. So, at least, a rotund, retired dentist & amateur geologist last week tried to prove at Chatham, Ontario.

When an 88-pound meteorite thunked into Negro Farmer Dan Solomon’s best field on the night of July 11, Dr. Luke Smith bustled out from nearby Chatham, bought it for $4. It was jet black and “smooth as velvet” on one side, heavily “thumb-marked” on the other. Soon he had a score of offers for it—$200 from the University of Toronto, lesser sums from the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Western Ontario in London. “Numerous private collectors have standing offers in for it,” said Dr. Smith, “but only one man has come close.” Speculator Smith decided his prize was worth $10 a pound, demanded $800 or more.

Astronomers were amused at ex-Dentist Smith’s valuation of this quite ordinary specimen, pointed out that a meteorite containing iridium and diamonds had sold for $3 a pound. But Dr. Smith was as adamant as his merchandise, threatened to have the meteorite cut up into bits to be polished, dated, sold as souvenirs. Said he: “There probably are lots of people who would like to have a piece done up like that.”