The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-31

cause 1T seems possible that 1T Will be
the king pin around which the great
political fight of 1895 will revolve and
because of the enormous quantities that
will have to be got together by the Chi
nese to pay their enormous war debt to
the victorious Japs. There are lot of
curious facts about silver, and herein I
shall simply collate some of the least
known of these out Of the way bits. 1t
would be impossible in any space of less
extent than an entire newspaper to in
telligently treat of SO big a subject as
silver in any other way.
First of all, it seems not to be gener-
ally understood that in some ancient
states silver was held in much higher
esteem than gold, yet such was undoubt-
eddy the fact. 1t was certainly so in an
cient Arabia and in ancient Germany
During the whole period termed antiq-
uity, silver was almost universally at
least equal with gold in value, and
there was no change in their relative
worth until the silver mines began to
show signs Of giving out Owing to tho
greater softness of gold, the yellow
metal was not much used for coinage
prior to that time, silver and copper be-
III S11B1Ny00 Chiefly 4OL 11On0y DuI
poses. But when silver began to grow
scarce gold was pressed into service,
legally declared to be worth more,
weight for weight. than silver, and
hardened by alloys, SO that it would
bear the wear and tear Of circulation.
Down to the seventeenth century the
two metals were still held to be of
equal value in Japan, the country into
whose Golfers China will shortly pour
all the silver she can rake and scrape
anywhere.
Another curious point about silver is
the alleged fact that, if the total cost of
its mining and the actual value of the
product Of the mines were written on op-
posite sides of ledger page and a balance
were then struck, it would be found
that the worlds supply has cost many
millions more than it is worth, even at
the 6 to l ratio. At the present COM
mercial rates the selling value of the
silver in existence bears a still smaller
relation to the cost of digging and rein
ing. This should not be considered detri-
mental to silver as compared with gold,
however, for gold is alleged also to be
produced at a loss, everything cOnsid-
cred, and figures have been published
showing that considerably more than
So, 900, 900, 900 in money have been ex-
pended in getting out the So, 0OO 900, =
900 worth of the two metals that has
been yielded up by the mines of Cali
fornia, Australia and Nevada.
Like gold. silver has always been
much more plentifully produced in new
countries than in old ones, and this is
easy to understand, since the mines are
always we'll worked out before a land
attains age. But there is this difference
between gold and silver, While there
are very important gold mines in Aus
tralia and Africa, almost all the great
silver mines in the whole world are in
America, north and SOUTH the United
States, Mexico and Peru being the chief
producing countries at this time. 1t is
not possible to make an accurate state
ment regarding the total annual output
Of silver because its production. unlike
its coinage, being free" no govern
ment supervision is made. 1t is esti-
mated, however, that the present yearly
production is not far from so, 600, 900
| ounces. but he would need to be an ex-