Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-06-04
Dull Tine. md the Causes.

The times may not be out of joint, but they are
dull-to many, discouragingly dull. With no ex-
pectation of creating panic, no attempt TO do
SO, but, per contra desiring to prevent anything
of the kind we repeat tha: the times are dull, and
that there are various reasons why they are so,
and that some of these reasons need not have e1.
listed, but are the creatures of our own foIIicS,
Frankensteins Of our own wills We have made
them, and they threaten 10 destroy us Irving
pronounces the dollar e almighty II il so. If
anything of mans invention can De. Without It,
there is nothing; with it, everything. As a friend
remarked, there is nothing in this world but
money. Some may say that the expression is i'm.
pious and untrue: that money is not virtue, and
cannot buy it. That may be true; but money
can buy the counterfeit presentment,' which 1t
would puzzle the author OF a MORAL Philosophy"
TO distinguish from the real thing Wherever
money abounds and is in circulation there y no
danger of dull times. Money makes the mare
60" and that mare may be interpreted, the pub
lie, business, commerce, mining. Money makes
them all brisk; the want of it secures their quo
tation as dull" The almighty dollar is king.
paymaster. bank, business, pleasure fashion, and
we are tempted to say, worship. The causes Of
dull times at present are general and particular
Fashion, extravaganza. luxury, dissipation: these
increase and multiply, and make almost omnipo-
rent our wants, create demands which can only
be met by importations from abroad-luxures
which habit, not nature demands, things which
the cNtr3rasances OF our mode OF life force us
into purchasing at the expense OF comfort, hap
pness and fortune, often. These habits of ex
travagant lives continually keep the country in
debt which drains it of its gold and silver. The
balance is ever against u.s. and so the almighty
dollar which gives life to everything, is compar-
atively absent The rebellion is another general
cause of dull times; for talk as we will about
California not feeling the effects Of the war, the
fact is the reverse; we do feel il. Millions Of
dollars have been drawn from California in con-
sequence OF the demands the war has made upon
the treasury of the United States, which other.
wise had remained here in circulation, doing the
work of developing our resources, aiding aSricul-
ture, commerce, trade and mining. Higher du'
ties collected in gold. and nearly all of it sent to
the East 10 pay demands there. Then the con.
trbutions TO the worthy charities OF the day, add
another large item Of drain But probably the
wild schemes concocted under the head of Mining
Companies" have contributed quite as much as
anything else to the great heaviness of business
Not that legitimate organizations and operations
of that kind are not means of wealth and ac-
tivity eventually, but that wildcat has been
so extensively cultivated that confidence has been
shaken in mining operations worthy OF all conf
dence. Many of these schemes have been the re-
sult of ignorance; many more, we fear, of inten-
tonal speculation little better than fraud They
have absorbed capital which, We're they not eX-
listing, would have been employed in legitimate
business making richer him who invested more
easy tue money ulOrc CuecTLul puUuC
Immense amounts of capital have been expended
in attempted development of mines, many of
which, although rich, will absorb still more ere
any returns can be realized and more still where
no mines at all exist, or at the best such Us will
never pay dividends. All the labor, also, thus
thrown away is capital lost leading directly 10
dull times a. much gold sunk in the ocean. And,
perhaps even worse than the loss of capital and
labor is the dsheartenng effect of disappointment
upon the mind and spirit of the adventurer. But
the heaviest upon our perity is that limited
at before-fashionable life its weak aspirations,
its foolish eItravagances its costly fOllies. Silks
broadcloth and wines-pleasures that cost for
tunes, Injuries which deplete the pocket and ruin
the constitution. Would our people, not alone
the rich and those in moderate circumstances, but
the hard working, the industrious the poor, strike
q balance between the amount they eSpend and
what their absolute necessities require them to
disburse, every one would be surprised, perhaps
astonished And although, in a civilized condi-
ton of society, many wants born of il are as i'm
perative as the primary ones of nature, still a
larger number might be dispensed with altogether,
with as much advantage to the body and spirit as
to the pocket. This should be done, especially in
the present condition Of the country. In war
time, our people go into yet wilder vagaries of
expenses than before, when peace wrapped US
pleasantly and business knew no drawback. The
lesson from all which is, economy, reason in our
habits, care in our Investments, moderation in our
anticipations, taste, not extravaganza, in orr
fashions, and balance at our bankers, If we
would hear no more Of dull times.-S. +. Cal.