Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-04-01
Gold


| patriarch Abraham. was ono TO eight: at the
period of u. L. 1000. II WIS one tp twelve: B. y.
0un, II was one 10 thirteen; at tho commencement
Of the Christian Era. il was one 10 nine: 4, ID 500,
II WINS ono to eighteen A. u. 100. il was ono to
| eight A. ID. ll,O, il WINS ono to eleven; A. u.
1913, 1t was one to thirteen; A. ID. 1900 II was
ono to fifteen and half which latter is about tho
| present rate Gold was considered bullion in
Pnlestione Tor hong period after silver had been
current rs money" The first mcntion Of gold
money i'll the Bible is in David's reign. (B. q.
lo56 when that king is said to have bought the
threshing floor Of Ornan FOR six hundred shekcs Of
gold 10y weight, In the early period Of Grccian
history the quantity the precious metals ncreas
cd but slowly; the circulating medium did not
nu.mcn, in proportion with the quantity Of bullion.
ln the days of early Greece. the prccius metals
existed in great abundance in tho Lcvnnt. Cabul
and Little Thihet tB C. 5o0) werc abundant in
gold. 1t seems I" be II well ascertaincd fact that
was obtained near the surface; that countries
which formerly yielded the metal in great nbun-
dance are now entirely destitute OF It.
There are only nbont twelve ancient Greek gold
coins snl to br IN existence. nnd of those
in the British Museum. In tho year 3o7, B. G.,
gold coins we've Ii 1t struck of ut Rome aud were
dcnomnatcd dpci, -four specimens uf which nre in
tho inst tuition before alluded to. Their wei xht
was one hundred AMI twenty four grains, With
regard 10 the formation oi gold correspondent
of the Snn Franrisc" Aqiiondi Is or upin'uu TINT
buried for about four years. wns dug up tho other
dav, with plenty Of pod dust ndhcrng to it,
That may well be- ~ by somo abrasive power.
the line aurcnl dust IN tho surrounding earth
| might have adhered Ia the corroding iron--but IN
for tho deduction drawn from it, it IL not for u
moment credible, rs tho sciences of geology and
mncrnlngy show that gold occurs in granite. the
oldest rock known To IL, aud in nil rocks derived
from II; IT is also found IN the vein stoies which
traverse other geological formations, hut hna never
been found in any secondary formation. 1t IL,
however, much more common in the alluvial
grounds than among the primitive and pyroge-
NOUS rocks. 1t IL found disseminated under tho
form Of spangles in the silirius, nrpilluceous,
mud erruginious snnds of certain plains aud rv-
crs, especially IN their junction. NJ the senaon Of
low water nnd nitcr storms nnl tenn lnrary Hoods.
Thus it would appear that gold was molten into
veins by tho primal fires Of our cnrh's crcnton,
uud whether in masses of granite. yeincd STONE
o' in PARTICLES Of snnd or moudstll. ~ il seems
To- as, the same cause of more than neandcsocnt
| heat must hc referred H.
! The mincs and phccrs in California and Aus.
tralla nre too we'll known to need descriptive rep
rcsennonN, bnt we enoldng doubt that discoveries
will hc mnlc of nurifcrous regions to nm almost
illmitablc extent, in similar geological formations
on our continent probably all tho way from the
| Arctic to Cape Horn. The Russian gold mines
however. nrc very productive, aud extend over one
third OF the circumference of the globe, upon tho
parallel ot $50 of north latitude Those Of North
America extend from $40 to $40 OF north latitude,
| upon the Pacific coast. Those of Australia extend
| from 3l' /" 81 of south ln,itude. The Russian
mines werc discovered in 1909, the Californian
| April, l85S,and the Australian IN February 1851
| The finest gold is obtained NJ Ballnrat and tho
largest nugget in tho world weighs twenty-five
| hundred md seventeen ounces, and is valued at
forty-onc thousand dollars. In shape, it rcsem blcs
| n continent with peninsula attached by n narrow
| nrtuul frnm h,uh us trul lin
nnd California since the discoveries, were to the
close Of lS57-from California, Sij3, ,655, $50, and
from Australia. $500 .093 7I2 or together, $773,-
79i,022 and adj Sl00,00o,000 for 1853. And
now few remarks on modern coinage in various
! nations.
Since 1892. the gold coinage of the United
| Stntes mint hns amounted to five hundred and
! fifty millions Of dollars, of which four hundred
and sixty four millions have been issued since
1850. The gold coinage of the French mint, since
| l12o, has amounted to sixty-onc hundred aud for
| ty.thrcc millions IF francs. Of which thrty.ono
hundred and thrty.two millions have been issued
since 1900 The gold coinage Of the British mint
since 1903 has amounted to two hundred and ff-
ty ono millions ol pounds sterling of which sixty
one millions have been issned since 1850. The
! gold coinage oi the Russian mint. since l6G4. has
mounted to four hundred and ftty.three millions
! of rubleS, Of which one hundred aud eighty mil
! lions have been issued since 1850 BY expert
mcnts male at the United States mint, it has been
asc''rtained that the wear and tear Of half-ea-
| Rles Is n tenth OF one per cent. per annum. Ea-
giles exhibit less, whilst quaitcr.cages and dollar
pieces exhibit more The supply Of gold has in
creased scycnfold within the last fifteen years, and
the probability is that during the next fifteen
years it will be much lnrgcr and yet strange to
| say, the immense additional yield that has been
81 rapidly thrown into the monetary circulation Of
the world hos thus far had but little influence on
the money markets and the prices Of goods gen.
craly contrary to all former prophecies of fnan.
ciers and political economsts-HH Eng
| THE GRowING WHEAT CnoP Our exchanges
| from all sections of the State report the growing
wheat crop to be in most promising condition.
During many years the winter wheat never looked
well in March, ~ at the present time. IL 10
most likely, also, that more spring wheat will be
sown than usual.
Conversation with gentlemen who have had op-
portunitics for extended observation during the
last few weeks, fully confirms the reports of the
newspapers. A citizen of Detroit. who is a most
| attentive observer, as well rs a thoroughly prac-
tical buiness men. and who has Just returned
from tour through Ohio, Indiana, Northern Ken
lucky, and the Southern counties of Michigan,
says that during his entire experience he has
never known such uniform promise of good
crop, as exists at present. The peculiarly Of the
season is that there appears to he scarcely any
poor fields. 1t il not merely in n lvana,, To-
cations. but throughout entire sections TINT this
favorable condition Of the crop prevails. OF course
it is far too early to predict any calculation Of the
next yield, but can safely say that if present
appearances are not disturbed by some untoward
calamity the next crop Of wheat will be unequal.
ed in this country. y.-Defrot Tribune, March 23d.
MuRDERERs PaKDoNEp.-The Governor Of Mis-