Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-03-01
A GiitterfnE Mystery.

What becomes of the precious metals?
asks an Eastern journal, and then pro-
ceeds TO consider the question, and sue
ceeds in throwing much doubt upon
il, or, rather. leaving it in just as much
doubt as before. The question, "What
becomes of all the pins?" has been oft
ener asked, perhaps, and has been an
swered with about the same illumina-
ton. Ferd Ever, many years ago, in
this city, was hugely amused at ques-
ton asked in the Sacramento Union
namely, E'Where does all the water go ?"
To which Interrogation the questioner
proceeded with the philosophical sobri-
ETY. of an owl, to reply through column
article, when it might have been an
swered in two words-the ocean. But
it is not so easily TO answer satisfaeto-
rily the question as TO what becomes of
the precious metals. That a vast
amount has been extracted from the
earth, according to an English writer
who. of course, must depend to great
degree upon guess work, not less than
$1,000 ,000, 600, since the DAYS of Noah,
in gold and silver, there can be no
doubt. OF this amount he thinks that
s3,200, 900, 900 have been produced since
the discovery of America. The Chris
tian world is credited with having had
Sl,000, ,000, 200, most of which has been
disposed of by shipwrecks, gliding, fire
and various other ways, as effectually
we might suggest. as MANY of our citi-
Zens have disposed of theirs by invest
ing in stocks. He thinks this loss pro-
ceeds at the rate of sixteen millions an
nually, 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 in the form of plate and orna-
ments. OF the balance of three thousand
millions in the anti-Christian world,
wastes and losses omitted, he thinks
that over a thousand billions have been
hidden in Asiatic lands in different
ages of the world, and he continues
that it is well known that thousand
millions were thus hidden in India and
China in the six years succeeding 1851
that is during the time when wholesale
murder and slaughter and wholesale
robbery and despoliaiion was the busi-
ness of the natives and their enemies.
One would think that China must be
carpeted with gold leaf, paved with
silver dollars, glittering with the pre-
cious metals, did he think only of the
vast sums sent their for hundreds of
years past, little or none 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
Mexico? One might ask such ques-
tions forever and be no wiser therefor.
Gold and silver serve their purposes
and disappear, as to the human race
and old boots and all other material
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 and perhaps as difficult to
answer. We know pretty well where
our little portion of silver and gold has
gone, but that knowledge does not give
us any particular qualification.