The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-12-27

The A"rsrerous Products OF the United STATES
There is = certain fascination ir stories Of
untold treasures, even when they arc Gcti-
tious. Old and young readers as well devour
with avidity the fanoifCl descriptions of the won
deriul cave OF Ali Baba, or hang entranced over
the my stories Of the Isle of Monte Christie But
when we come to sober matters of fact which
far outshine the widest dreams Of the romaucers-
the actual realization of the visions Of the seek
ers Of the philosophers stone-as in the record
of the products Of American gold mines pub
lished elsewhere in our impression OF to day, we
may be justified in abiding to it as the most re
markabie feature of the age. Rich deposits
which had been concealed for ages have bcca
unearthed by the stout hands OF our miners aud
an avalanche Of money has been launched upou
the world In Less than ten years the United
States Mint has coined gold to the value of over
hive hundred millions product Of our mines
averaging one million of dollars per week. or
course, the great reliance is in the California
mines, which hare been industriously worked.
both by hands and machinery, since IS4o, and
the product of which does not yet show any
signs Of diminution. The Carolina, Georgia
and Virginia mines have not been of late SO
productive Is in former days. This is owing
to the fact that the newly discovered
mines pay better return for The labor
Of working them. The new mines as
Pixies Peak, in Kansas, promise well, but are
not so rich the parties interested in the settle
ment Of the Territory would have us believe.
Great stories are told, also, Of the gold and silver
mines in the region Of the Gila river and the
new Territory of Arizona. The auriferous de-
posts found in Washington and Oregon are in
sufficient quantities to yield fair return for the
labor Of working them, and there is little doubt
that gold in vast quantities can be found through
the whole extent Of the Rocky Mountain range,
from the Columbia river to the Isthmus
Panama. So rapidly are these discoveries being
made, and SO earnestly and theoretically are our
frontiersmen at work that the yield of gold FROM
the mines within our territory during the coming
year will not be less than q million and half
per week-a sum sufficient to pay the entire ex-
penses Of the government, and build some new
ships Of war besides.
Of course, question arises as To what has
been done with all this money; and many people
will say, from superficial view of the financial
condition Of the country, that We are really no
richer now than We were ten years ago The
truth is, that with the influx Of gold all values
have steadily advanced People who formerly
hesitated to spend dollar for an article Of
luxury, now throw away tens and hundreds
Immense quantities Of gold are kept in private
hands for ornaments, souvenirs and curiosties
Great sums in coin and dust are boarded and
secreted, through natural suspicion Of the ras-
cally fnan0iers Of the day, with their swindlinx
railway, banking, mining and building com
panies. The imports OF articles Of luxury,
wines. segars, plate, jewelry, pictures, silks,
&c, have quadrupled in ten years. Broad
cloth ia es the place Of homes Jun, and MORE
antique silks, at four dollars yard, are
hardly good enough for the demoiselles whose
mothers wore shilling calicoes and gave God
thanks for 50 much Of inery as two cheap bon.
nets year. The young man Of the present day
spurns the silver watch which his father priced
so highly, and buys gold chronometer. Every
one struggles to outshine his neighbor-the al
mighty dollar is the only god. The parsons
themselves display the golden calf from the pull.
pit, and are the humbleet Of its worshippers
But the great diffusion of wealth has not been
without its refining and elevating influences The
arts, music especially, have had fair share of
benefit from it. Pianos are universal, and ,,r.mx
dome numerous The painters and seulptors get
more orders and find quicker appreciation. Bet
ter than all, the new countries open a grand
field for the hopeful. healthfnl, vigorous youth OF
the nation, who, we're it no, for the excitement
Of gold hunting, would waste the hest years Of
their lives waiting on Providence and starving
in the great cities
We opine that the California pioneers have re-
allied the dreams Of the alchemical philosophers,
and have found in earnest, well directed, perse-
yering labor, the magical elixir which will turn
everything into gold.