The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-02-28
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What is the Most Valuable Metals

What is the Most Valuable Metal?
The so-called noble metals arc usually
considered the most valuable; but if we
consider that the true value Of thing
does not depend on its mere appearance,
but on its usefulness to mankind, it is
evident that neither gold, silver, nor any
of the other rare and expensive metals
deserve to be considered as the most valu-
able, but that the credit ofsuperior useful
ness over any other metal must be awarded
10 iron.
The charming fiction called "The His
tory of Robinson Crusoe" contains an
incident illustrating this. 1t records that
when the hero of the story found lump
of gold, he exclaimed with disdain that a
handful Of iron nails would be worth more
to him and the fact that the value Of a
thing must Auctuate in proportion to the
necessities of the individual, is illustrated
by the well-known story of the famishing
traveller lost in an African desert who
found bag, which he eagerly picked up,
supposing it to contain nuts, but when he
looked inside and saw that they were only
pearls and diamonds, he sank down in
despair.
In civilized and well organized society
there is never want of food. The famines
of which We read in history, and which
nowadays occasionally ravage semi-civili-
zed and barbarous countries, are, thanks
to our progress in practical science,
unknown among us. We have not only
the food, the fuel, and material for clothing
which is needed, but all the metals useful
in the arts and among these iron stands
foremost. No golden or silver railroads,
steam-engines, etc., would be as efficient
as those made Of that abundant and there
fore cheap metal, iron, which unites with
its remarkable property of malleability,
high melting point, ETC., the interesting
property Of being capable Of having all
these properties increased or decreased by
different treatment, so as to be almost a
different metal Who is not struck with
the difference between common cast-iron,
wrought-iron, Bessemer steel, cast steel,
cement-steel, and that extremely hard
variety Of cast-iron which the Germans
call Spiegel iron, and is made here from
the Franklinite ore? They all behave,
to all practical intents and purposes, as
totally different metals.
The late eloquent Edward Everett
brought the usefulness and superior value
Of iron forcibly out in one of his public
speeches, in which he compared the most
useful of all metals with the most useful
Of all classes ofsociety-the laboring class,
the toilers, to whose hands We are indebted
for everything which has value. His
words were reported thus:
81 have now in my hand gold watch,
which combines establishment and utility
in happy proportions, aud is often con-
sidcred very valuable appendage to the
person Of gentleman. Its hands, face,
chain, and case are of beautiful gold It's
gold seals sparkle with the ruby, topaz,
sapphire, emerald. / open it, and find
that the works, without which this elegant.
ly furnished case would be a mere she'll
those hands motionless, and those figures
without meaning-are made of brass.
investigating further, and asking what the
spring Is made Of by which all these are
put in motion, | am told it Is made Of
steel. | ask, what is steel? The reply
is, it is iron which has undergone GER
tain process. So, then, / find the main.
spring, without which the watch would be
almost motionless, aud its hands, figures,
and Embellishments but toys, is not gold,
(that is not sufficiently good,) nor Of
brass, Chat would not do,) but of iron.
Iron, therefore, is the most precious metal,
and this watch but an emblem of society.
Its hands and figures which tell the hour
resemble the master spirits Of the age, to
whose 'vements every eye is directed.
Its useless but sparkling seals, sapphircs,
rubies, topazes, embellishments, are the
aristocncy. Its works of brass are the
middle class, by the increasing intelligence
and power Of which the master spirits Of
the age move; and It's iron main-spring.
shut up in box, always at work, but
never thought Of, except when il is disor.
derly, broken, or wants winding up,
symbolizes the laboring clnss, which, like
handspring, we wind up by the payment
of wages, which class are shut up in
obscurity, and though constantly at work,
and absolutely necessary to the movement
Of society, as the iron main-spring is 10
the gold watch, are never thought Of
except when they require their wages, or
are in want or disorder Of some Kind OF
other. - The MangJactHrer and Builder.
One Of the first things we learn Is the
fact of our own limitations; we cannot be
everything, nor do everything, nor get
everything, and we can only accomplish
anything at all for ourselves or Others BY
working steadily, persistentIy, and faith.
4 G.Il..l l...l1 ~ n