Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-12-17
Tho Noble MeraIs- Gold-Its History.

II
Tho Noble Metals-Gold-Its History.
When the human family was called
into existence, and man after and for
his transgressions was commanded by
the Almighty to live by the sweat of his
brow, he naturally was driven to turn
his attention to everything that might
assist in accomplishing this end. OF
the native metals, it is probable that
gold would first come under his obser-
walton in Eastern Asia, on account OF
its beautiful yellow color, and because
it is found mixed, with the loose soil and
the sands of rivers more frequently than
any other metal. What time was re-
quired after its discovery to develop its
applicability to the uses of social life
we cannot at this distance of time de-
termine. 1t isInore than probable that
its application'$a very gradual.
In looking over the oldest human
records that have been preserved to us
from the sacred and profane writings,
we find gold among the first mentioned
metals. Moses speaking of Abraham,
says "And he was very rich in possess
sions of gold and silver" And of the
land Of Havilath, the sacred penman
uses the following words when speaking
of the rivers which watercd the garden
of Eden: "The name of the one is
Prison, that is it which c%ompasseth
all the land Of Havilath, where
gold groweth, and the gold of that
land is very good" Moses must there
fore have had not only a knowledge Of
gold localities, but also a notion as to
the quality Of the metal. That gold
was already in patriarchal times en-
ployed for ornaments and vessels is evil
dent from Genesis: "And after that the
camels had drunk, the man took out
golden earrings, weighing two sicles
(shekles), and as many bracelets of ten
sicles weight, and bringing forth vessels
of silver and gold, and garments, he
gave them to Rebecca for a present"
The mechanical skill of the Jews in the
time of Moses, as shown in the working
of gold and silver, was considerable,
since we find in the Book Of Exodus
sufficient proof that Beseleel and other
Jews understood not only the melting
and casting of gold, but also the setting
of stones in gold, the beating and fash
ioning thereof into plates, cherubim
vessels, candlesticks, bells, wire, chains,
bre~ast-plates and wreath-work. The
amount of gold used for the sanctuary,
not including the ornaments Of the
priests and the sacred vessels, amounted
to 20 talents 1870 sicles (shekels) Of gold
and 100 talents Of silver (nearly 81 ,000,-
900 Of our money! This whole amount
was contributed by, the men above 20
years of age, and had been borrowed by
them from Egyptians, while the women
supplied Aaron with earrings in such
quantity rs Il enable him Herewith to
fashion the golden calf. In what manner
Moses burnt the calf by fire and powdered
it into dust, we need not here discuss. II
is sufficiently evident that gold cannot
have been very scarce among the Egyp-
tians, and that the Jews were indebted
to them for their skill in its manufac-
ture. 1t is asserted that the author Of
the book of Job lived in a country which
produced no gold, but this book has
several passages which bear upon our
subject, and plainly prove that he knew
not only how it was produced, but the
difference between a purer gold and
such an one as contained an admixture
of foreign substances, since he says:
''Silver hath beginnings Of its veins,
and gold hath a place wherein it is
meted." "That the earth hath dust Of
gold"-and again, "the finest gold shall
not purchase it, neither shall silver be
weighed in exchange for it." We could
show, by Il great number of passages,
that the Jews knew we'll the difference
referred to above, at least we are at a loss
to know what otherwise would be indi-
Gated by such expressions as ''fne
gold" ''fnest gold" "the gold of
Ophir," "gold from the North " 'gold
from Parvaim," etc. 1t is not improb-
BILE that the art of refining gold was
early known and practised among the
Hebrews, since there are several pas
sages of the Old Testament confirming
this view. Malachy says: "And He
shall sit refining and cleansing, and He
shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall
refine them as gold and silver. Prov.
xvii. v. 81. "As silver is tried in the
fnding-pot and gold in the furnace"
The Jews, after leaving Egypt, must
have accumulated considerable quanti-
ties of the precious metals, partly by
their conquests and partly by their COM
merce, which commenced to flourish I'M
der King David, and which was much
more intended by Solomon. The latter
traded especially with the Phenicians,
who were at that time in their greatest
prosperity. He also collected what was
for those times IN enormous quantity of
the precious metals. He received every
year 1900, 900 dollars worth Of gold.
His feet went with that of Hiram, King
of Tyre. ~ 3phir There still exists al
doubt are the land Of Ophir is stu
ateuJ and. returned every three years,
bringing him 400 talents of gold (about
$40 dollars. To what use Solomon put
his gold is sufficiently known. We will
only add that the sanctuary of his tenn
ple was covered with gold to the amount
of ST., l5O, 900; that in the decorations of
his house Of the forest of Lebanon and
for the vessels thereof, he used gold
only, and that according to the inspired
he made silver in Jerusalem as
Rev. BUTLER AND HIS APPLE.-The