The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-03-01
A Glittering Mystery.

"What becomes of the precious met
ais ?" 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 p has been often
asked, perhaps, and has been answered
with about the same illumination. Fred
Ever, many years ago, in this city, was
hugely amused at a question asked in
the Sacramento Union, namely, "Where
does all the water go?' To which inter-
rogation the questioner proceeded, with
the philosophical sobriety Of an owl, to
reply through column article, when it
might have been answered in two words
the ocean. But it is not so easy to
answer satisfactorily the question as to
what becomes of the precious metals
That 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 $4,000, 600, ,0O0-since the days of
Noah, in gold and silver, there can be
no doubt. Of this amount he thinks
that So, ,200, 600, 900 have been produced
since the discovery of America. The
Christian world is credited with having
had $4,000, ,000, 900, most Of which has
been disposed of by shipwrecks, gliding,
fire, and various other ways, as effect
ually, we might suggest, as many OF our
citizens have disposed of theirs by invest
ing in stock. He thinks this loss pro-
ceeds at the rate of Sig, 900, 600 annually,
while the productions he puts at $4O,-
600, 900, which is undoubtedly too 10
One half of the balance, $3.50, 600, 900, he
thinks is held in the form of plates and
ornaments. Of the balance of 81, 600, 900
in the anti. Christian world, wastes and
losses omitted, he thinks that over
81, ,OO0, 100000, have been hidden in
Asiatic lands in different ages of the
world, and he continues that it is we'll
known that 81 600, 900, 900 were thus hid
den in India and China in the x years
proceeding 1S51-that is, during the
time when wholesale murder and
slaughter and wholesale robbery and
despOlitiOn was the business of the ma
tives and their enemies. One would
think China must be carpeted with gold
leaf, paved with silver dollars, gIittering
with precious metals. did he think only
of the vast sums sent there for hundreds
of years past, little or none ever coming
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 temple !?
What became of all the Spanish spoils in
South America and Mexico? One might
ask such questions forever and be no
wiser therefor. Gold and silver serve
their purposes and disappear, as do 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 gaslight gone ?
one might ask, and the question would
be as reasonable, 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.