The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-01-28
THE PRECIOUS METALS.
What Really becomes OF Tn thin,
OF Interest.

What Really becomes OF Them--somet thing
of Interest.
"What becomes of the precious met,
alsa" asks an Eastern journal, and then
proceeds to consider the question, and
succeeds in throwing much doubt upon
it, or, rather, leaving it in just as much
doubt as before. The question, "What
becomes of all the pins 2" has been Oft
ener asked, perhaps, and has been an
swered with about the same illustra-
ton. Ferd. Ever, many years ago in
this city, was hugely amused at a cues
ton asked by the Sacramento Union,
namely, "Where does all the water 90 %
To which interrogation the questioner
proceeded, with the philosophical so
briefly of an owl, to reply through q
long, column article, when it might
have been answered in two words-the
ocean.
But it is not 80 easy to answer salts
factorily the question as to what be-
comes OF the precious metals That
vast amount has been extracted from
the earth-acsording to an English
writer, who, OF course, must depend to
great degree upon guess-work, not less
than five thousand millions since the
days OF Noah, in gold and silver-there
can be no doubt. OF this amount, he
thinks that three billions two hundred
millions have been produced since the
discovery of America. The Chris
tan world is credited with having had
two thousand millions, most of which
has been disposed of by shipwrecks,
gliding, fire, and various other ways, as
eifectually, we might suggest, as many of
our citizens have disposed of theirs by
investing In stocks. He thinks this loss
proceeds at the rate of sixteen millions
annually, while the production he puts
at forty millions, which is undoubtedly
too low. One half of the balance, three
hundred and fifty millions, he thinks is
held III the form of plate and ornaments.
Or the balance of three billions in the
anti Christian world, wastes and losses
omitted, he thinks that over thousand
millions have been hidden in Asiatic
lands in different ages of the world, and
he continues that it is well known that q
thousand millions were thus hidden in
India and China in the six years succeed
ing 1851 that is, during the time when
wholesale murder and slaughter and
wholesale robbery and depolition were
the business OF the natives and their
enemies.
One would think that China must be
carpeted with gold leaf, paved with sill
yer dollars, glittering with the precious
metals, did he think only of the vast
sums sent there for hundreds of years
past, little or none of which ever comes
back. But somehow those metals have
fate there as they have elsewhere
they disappear. Like many other COM
modities, they serve their purpose and
disappear. What became of all the
gold with which Solomon covered his
grand temple2 What became of all the
Spanish spoils in South America and in
McKee, One might ask such questions
forever and be no wiser therefor. Gold
and silver serve their purposes and dis
appear, as 40 the human race, and old
boots, and all other material things, and
there is none so wise as can tell us accu-
rately what has become of them. When
the faucet is turned, where has the gas
light gomez one might ask, and the
question would be as reasonable and,
perhaps, as difficult to answer. We
know pretty well where our little portion
of gold and silver has gone, but that
knowledge does not give us any particll-
! lar gratification.-AUa California.