Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-11-24

Gold is valuable not only on account
of its scarcity, but for the peculiar pro.
perties which II possesses and which
render II preferable TO any other mineral
for particular purposes. It's extreme
malleability rendersit il easy to be worked
into the thousand delicate and com
plicated forms which we find in articles
OF adornment and ornamentation. It's
rich color and brilliant luster render Il
peculiarly attractive in the eyes OF the
people, and it's perfect unchangability
when exposed TO the action OF the ele-
ments, property possessed in an equal
degree by no other metal, makes it at
once pleasing and valuable. When
pure, gold is 80 soft that it may be
beaten to thickness not exceeding
1-2j0000 OF an inch, that is, $50, 600 of
the sheets of gold placed one upon
another would make pile only an inch
in thickness in this form It is used for
gliding.
Col is measured or reckoned by
carats. Pure gold is said TO be twenty
four carats fine. In this condition il is
too soft to be useful in manufactured ar
ticles 80 il Is usually mixed with some
harder metal-generally silver, which
then receives the namo of alloy. If gold
has four parts Of alloy it is termed
twenty carat gold; If ten parts alloy it
is fourteen carat gold.
Gold is practically insolub!e, nitro
muriatic acid being the only substance
which will dissolve It. II l., with one
exception, the heaviest of known metals
The specific gravity Of platinum is
20.337, while that Of gold is 1928.
The next three metals in order OF weight
are mercury, 1880; lead, 1882; and
silver, l0474 Gold Is seven times
heavier than granite. One cubic inch
weighs 1.3 pounds, and a cubic foot
1900 pounds. At the present rate the
cubic inch is worth So, 700, and the
cubic foot $685., 200 Silver weighs l.G
pounds to the cubic inch, which is wor h
$3.50, and the cubic foot weighs six
hundred pounds. and is worth $40. sj2.
II is estimated that mp TO tho COM
mencement OF 1850 the amount OF gold
in existence was 5000, 600, 900, Of
which two-thirds was coin and bullion,
and onethird in iewolry, etc.
Next to gold in value, as also in NAL
Liability, comes silver. It is readily
dissolved by nitric acid. Pure water
has no effect upon It, but If it contains
any animal or vegetable matter IL black
ems the surface. This is' due to the
presence of more or less sulphur in the
water. Long exposure to the air will
tarnish silver.
The amount OF silver in existence is
estimated to be 81, 900, ,0O0, 900, of which
81, 300. 100000 is in coin and bullion,
the balance being in iewelry, orna-
menis, etc. IT all the gold and silver
in existence were made into one solid
cube it would measure less than seventy
feet on each side, and would weigh
about 1891, 400 pounds.
The United States is now producing
annually about 500, 900. 600 of gold and
silver Three-quarters of the gold now
in existence has been mined within the
last thirty-ave years. 1t Is estimated
by q writer in the Boston Economia
that from the earliest times 90 the
Christian era the amount of gold OBJ
tanned was 81. 400, 900, 900, and OF silver
s2,20O, 100000. From the Christian era
TO the discovery OF America: Gold,
81. 900, 100000; silver, $500, 600, 600.