The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1893-06-24
CALDWELL. IDAHO. JUNE a, 1893.
$500 Per Aa'l'as.,, ! !,
TWO VIEWS.
The st. Louis Globe Democrat

TWO VIEWS.
The ST. Louis Globe-D Democrat
says:
Processes of treating silver ore
by electricity are being developed
which will have to be taken into
account hereafter in the discuss
ions of the monetary question.
The cost of transporting silver ores
to smelters is SO great that ores of
low grade yield no profit at pres
ent prices, and mines producing
such ore consequently have to be
abandoned. Under the new meth
DDS of extracting the metal, how
ever, the process will be so much
cheaper than under the old plan
that machinery for this purpose
can be established close to nun
dreds or thousands of mines which,
under the costly system in vogue
up to the present time, had to de-
pend on the distant smelters.
Thus immense numbers of mines
on Colorado, Montana, and the rest
of the silver producing states,
which have had to be abandoned
since the price of silver in the mar.
ket went down below 80 or IS, can
soon be reopened and operated at q
profit. f
Notwithstanding the fall in
prices, and the consequent aband-
onment of mines which this condit-
ion of things has brought about in
the United States and doubtless in
other countries, the production Of
the metal is steadily on the in
crease. The output in this coun-
try according to the director of the
mint, was 46,75O,OOO fine ounces
in 1889, 81. 500, 900 in 1890, So, $50, :
600 in 1891, and 100000 in
1892. The slight falling off in
1892 is believed to be apparent
only, the impression being that the
output was as great if not greater
last year than the year before. In
the world at large the output is
important and uninterrupted. The
same authority places the worlds
production at 125,420, 900 in 1889,
1873, 212,30O, in 1890, 144, 426,OOO
in 1891, and 152,O61 800 in 1892.
With the new electrical processes
in operation great numbers OF
mines recently given up will be
worked again, and the aggregate
output will be Largely increased.
In political sense this cheapen-
ing Of the production of silver is a
matter of great Importance. II
adds another element of perplexity
TO the monetary problem. As the
supply of silver will increase with
out any proportionate increase in
!, the demand, its price in the
market will continue to fall. The
gap between this metal and gold
will continue to grow wider and
wider. The peril involved in the
issue Of notes based upon that
metal will increase in gravity. Ia
continue the Sherman law under
such conditions would be the
height of folly; to adopt the ole
Bland law would be madness; L
declare for free coinage would b.
suicide. Silver absorption, in ad
vance of an International agree
n,ent as to ratio and opening o
mints, must be abandoned utterly
and permanently. In view of tn,
new conditions further dawdlinl
with this question is criminal.
That seems to close the argu
ment and leaves no alternative ex
cept acquiesence. But, a process
has been discovered whereby golt
90 fine as to be held in suspensio,
in water for hours can be saved
and the machinery to be employed
is now being manufactured on al
immense scale. Thousands AM
thousands of those machines will
coon be located along the Snake
Boise and Payette rivers, and, evi
IDENTIFY the supply of gold will in
crease without any possibility of
proportionate increase in the de
maud, Consequently. its nrice i,