The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-07-07
GOLD PRODUCTIONS.


GOLD PRODUCTION.
The worlds supply Of the Precious Metz
nj for Coinage.
Production oflgold and silver has al
ways had remarkable influence on
the trade and prices of the commercial
world. Except in remote ages or in
partly -civilized countries, these two
metals have b. en- the source of money.
Even the coin In existence at any one
time was continually disappearing.
1t was lost from the pocket, melted
mp into plate, or exported to the dense-
ly-populated regions of Asia, or the
whole stock was diminished by the
minute wear and tear on each coin.
The opening of new mines has there.
fore always had striking influences.
through its effect on the total money
supply.
1t was from Africa that the largest
supplies of gold came in the early days
of civilization; and the greatly in
creased production of gold in Africa is
now exciting attention and interest
among all the students of the none
tary question.
For many centuries after the fall OF
the Roman empire gold production, as
we'll as that of silver, ceased almost en-
, tirely. Then came the discovery oil
America, and of. the enormous boards
of precious metals in the cities of Mex
| leo and Peru.
| 1t was in those days that the streas.
ure ships" bound for the European
coast, fell constant prey to the rowing
/ English war-vessels Of Queen Elizabeth,
and to the still more famous and dan.
gerous buccaneers" of the Spanish
main.
| At last, in 1s47, we'll in season for the
revival of the worlds commercial In
dustry, came the discovery Of the great
California gold mines. Those of Aus
tralia were discovered about four years
later. and the annual gold production
rose at once to total the largest IN
the worlds history.
Even now. in our days OF improved
and scientific mining. the worlds year
ly yield of gold, in the exhaustion O.
the richest western mines, is scarcely
i two-thirds of the vast yearly produc
! ton of the .'fifties."
At the very time when the gold pro
duction of the world at large wal
showing signs of decrease, another and
very remarkable area for gold mining
was discovered. Twenty-six years ago
some explorers in South Africa discov
cred gold in what is now the Transvaa
or South African republic. Hardl,
enough was found to pay prospector
for their labor. and for eighteen o
twenty years the gold production O
South Africa remained almost a cipher
Then between 1885 and 1881 new dis
coveries of far richer mines were mad
in the same region. Companies wer
formed at once in London and othe
money centers to work the mines; i'm
migrants flocked to the new district t
make their fortune, as they did t
California in 1919 and to Australia i
1852.
The results were most remarkable
Africa's gold production in 1887 we
valued at less than three-quarters Of
million dollars. The next year iv
millions worth was taken out.
1890 the product was ten millions, an
last year South Africa contributed
the worlds stock of gold no less tina
thirty-three millions-as much as tn
United States had produced in til
preceding year, and an amount e,
ceeded in 1898 only by this country an
by Australia.
1t is not supposed that the full CT
pacity Of South Africa's gold mines ha
yet been developed. There may be di
covered other gold-Helds in districts q
yet unvisited by explorers.
This possibility played its part in th
African partition treaties" of the En-
ropean states in 1890. 1t has influence
still more powerfully the recer
Matabele war, undertaken chiefly f.
| the purpose of protecting the pionet
miners and settlers of q British con
mercial company from the raids
savages.
| Nor are there lacking signs that tn
, years gold production in other nation
. VIM be larger. The great fall in Il
price of silver, measured by gol
(which has forced many silver mines
this country to shut down, has turns
the attention of miners to long-deser
ed gold fields. The result has bet
seen already in . considerable increa
. of our own gold production of 1885,
Youths Companion.