The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-16
A CATHERINE MISTER Y.
WHAT FINALLY BECOMES OF THE PRECIOUS
METALS!
from the Alta Californian. !

From the Alta Calfornian.l
"What becomes OF the precious metals
asks an + .s:ern journal. and then proceeds to
consider the question, and succeeds IN throw
Ing much doubt upon it, or, rather, leaving II
IN Just as much doubt as before. The ques-
ton, "What becomes of all the pins has
been oftaner asked, perhaps, and has been
answered with about the same illumination
Ferd Ever, many years ago, IN this city, was
hugely amused at a question asked IN the
Sacramento Ini0n namely: "W Where does all
the water go?" To which interrogation the
questioner proceeded, with all the philo-
sophcI sobriety Of an owl, to reply through
long, column article, when II might have
been ans We red in two words-the ocean.
But it is not SO easy to answer satisfactorily
the question as to what becomes of the pre-
cious metals That vast amount has been
extracted from the earth, according to an
English writer, who, OF course, must depend
to a great degree on guess work, not less than
five Thousand millions, since the DAYS Of
Noah, in gold snd silver. there can be no
doubt. OF this amount he thinks that three
billions, two hundred millions have been pro
duced since the discovery of America The
Christian world is credited with having had
two thousand millions, most Of which has
been disposed of by shipRrecks, gliding, fire
and various other ways, as effect ually, we
might suggest, as many of our citzens 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 an d
nifty mlliona, he thinks is held in the form Of
plate and ornaments OF the balance Of three
billions in the anti Christian world, wastes
and losses omitted, he thinks that over a
thousand millions have been hidden in Asiatic
lands IN different ages OF the world, and he
continues that il is well known that thou
sand millions were thus hidden in Iadia and
China ia the SIX years succeeding 1871; that
is, during the time when wholesale murder
and slaughter and wholesale robbery and de-
spolia.iou were the business of the natives
and their enemies. One would think that
China must be carpeted with gold leaf, paved
with silver dollars, gittering with the pre-
cious 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 commodities, they serve
their purpose and disappear. What became
of all the gold with which Solomon covered
his grand temple? What became Of all the
Spanish spoils in South America and in Mex
leo? One might ask such questions forever
and be no wiser therefor. Gold and silver
serve their purposes and disappear, as do the
haman race and old boots and all other mate.
rial things, and there is none SO wise as can
tell US accurately what has become of them.
When the faucet is turned, where has the gas
light gone? one might ask, and the question
would be as reasonable as and perhaps as
difficult to answer. We know pretty we'll
where our little portion of gold and silver
has gone, but that knowledge does not give
US any particular qualification.