The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-06
OLD GOLD.
Intsrsstine Facts About Its Purchase and
Treatment

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Interesting Facts About Eta Purchase and
TroatmsnG
In The facs Of NE nusA pssphssisd gold
famine old gold ID in great demand. II ID
bought BY the reaasrs for Mechanical pur-
poses and 10 paid fer with spot sash of shs
g~reenbaok variety.
Old gold 10 very rich. net only IN none
tary value but In strange aAd iatsrsstinG
suggestions. Most Of II 10 In the shape Of
dilapidatsd jswsl1y. A worn band Of aolt
co mes In. II was once . wedding ,isR. aud
mast have bsen held 40 precious beyond all
price BY Ne bride who we're u during her
h~eneynesn. In after yearA 40 10 vas worn
and Wova until il vas almost worn away.
il must have huotaatsd many times in
value.
The viag does not cay whether its owner
vas happy or NOT. The link Of gold may
have bound together . loving husband and
wife. or u may have connected . widow
with heaven, or With the ooldness OF = steel
!. may have held he, lts . galley slave
The ring tells nothing of these things. II
10 old-fashionsd and wo n. and that shows
tha IL has seen long service. Perhaps 1t
was worn by strangers, being superseded by
another Wedding ring. or. perhaps. u was a
precious family heirloom handed down
from R0ueH6tlOu , y kVAOAneAoHs
The purchaser rubs 1t ON a smooth stone
until II leaves a yellow marx. A drop OF
nitric or compound acid disoolors this mark
90 that the expert assayer can tell the purity
of the gold. Then 1t 10 carefully weighed
and paid for ut the rate. perhaps, OF three
or four cents q carat.
All sorts of curious things are sold for tho
precious metal they contain. Old watches
that are broken beyond repair, old seal
rings and rings that were once set with
cleaning gems. A broken lockst oncs
contained . miniature and probably
holds The secret Of romance; A
still holds a look Of somebody's dark hair.
II was bought. hair aud all, and will 60
into the melting pot with Its story untold:
Some Of the gold comes already melted
into Jumps. some of IL 10 the gold ming OF
teeth and dentists scraps, and some OF itis
in The form of old plates. with sFtlncial
teeth still sticking to them.
Hood & Reynolds. the assAyers on Ire
mont street, say that old gold is very scarce
and they have hard work to collect the
amount needed in their business. The old
jswslry and scraps are melted down and
gold foil Ia bought by dentists M put into
the teeth Of their customers, and in most
cases goes back into the ground With the
owner of the teeth whom he dies. Some
day, when Boston 10 y bowling wilderness,
an enterprising miner will wash out the
earth of the cemeteries and reap o rich har-
vest.
But that 10 . matter of speculation. 1t 10
q matte OF fact that one firm OF refners
here in Boston uses up ST. 800 worth Of old
gold every week. and lately has been COM
PEELED TO buy coin TO exc out the supply
needed for mechanical purposes.
A great deal OF the jswelry Is soldered to
brass, lead AMI other metals. The quality
of the gold IL tested just % in the case of
solid jewslry, and the stuff is weighed in
bulk and paid for At the rate established
by ave aging the results OF the different
weighings. Even plated jevelry ia taken,
but, when pure brass comes in, the pur-
chasers are TO ced to draw the line.
A good deal Of the old silver 10 sold in
the same way, but instead Of being in de-
mand 1t Ia a drug on the market. It Is not
so interesting, either. as it usually comes in
the shape of spoons. knives and watches.
When the dealers get more silver thar they
can use they send it to the government
mints as quickly as they can.
Not a little platinum ia sold as old metal
and usually comes in the 70 m Of bits OF
wire and scraps from broken incandescent
lamps. 1t ia now largely used by dentists.
but IL 10 sent to New York for t. eAtmsnt. as
1t can only be melted by means of a COM
pound blow pipe. and there Ia no place in
Boston whore that is done.-Boston Herald.
There will be trouble if you don't cure those
dyspeptic symptoms. Take Hoods SArsapafillR.