The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1895-03-02
Island

Hio'Oiy VI miuinB duu meLdIurgy
Civilization followed but never proceed
ed the development of the latter. Blu
1t was not alone in furnishing tools fol-
the arts that this was shown. Fully al
distinctively and clearly it is shown in
its supply of metallic money, which fur.
nished the world with its life blood Of
commerce, aud ever as it circulated in
strong quantities did commerce i'm
prove. Before the world developed tc
the point where gold and silver were
recognized as having value in every
tribe, state or nation, the medium OF
exchange was made up ia furs, shells,
hides, cattle, horses, slaves or some
times women. When merchant wish
ed to trade with another tribe, he drove
with him his horses or cattle or loaded
his animals with furs and hides. Natur-
ally this restricted commerce to swap
ping. But when gold and silver came
into use, it was convenient, of small
bulk compared with value, and became
literally the needed tool of trade. 1t is
interesting to notice, too, that Just as
money, all the way down history, has
become plenty, prosperity has accom-
panied the plenty, and, as it became
scarce, suffering, sorrow, poverty and
crime have ruled and controlled. So,
too, the development of new lands has
been caused by the desire to dig gold
and silver. No racial exodus was ever
yet determined by agricultural or eli
matte conditions. The Phenicians
went to England to obtain its tin, then
a precious metal. Spain was ransacked
by Roman and Carthagenian for itsstore
of silver, and the new world was settled
by Spanish cavaliers in search for gold
and silver. From Mexico TO Peru it
was precious metal that caused the civil.
ization of the land. California to-day
would be sleepy, drowsy Mexican
province, and no railway lines would
connect the Atlantic and Pacific, had
not Captain Suffer one day found gold
there. Australia and New Zealand
would still be the Bottony Bay of ban
ished conviets if gold discoveries had
not called to it a civilization which is
not excelled on earth. Here, where we
write, under the shadow of the Rocky
Mountains, there would be a range of
Indians, antelope and buffalo, if gold /
had not been found one day in the Lit
tie Kingdom of Gilpin.
1t would hardly be right, and to us
impossible, to write on the benefit which
The miner has been to the world, with
out touching his influence on commerce
IN the way of stimulating activity by
adding to the volume of money in the
world. In doing this We can do no bet
er than to quote from the Dissertation
IN the Value of Silver" from Adam
smiths "Wealth of Nations,n where
he founder of political economy is at
,ains to trace with minute accuracy,
md, at the same time, with pbiosophic
the effects which the
discovery of the American mines pro-
uced upon the price of commodities in
Europe in the sixteenth century. Be-
ore the discovery of these abundant de-
osits, and the introduction Medina's
recess for separating silver from its ores
y amalgamation with mercury, wheat
] England was sold for 6s. 81. quart !.
r, beef at Id. pound, ale at Id. gall
IN and claret at Sd quart. The wages
mason or carpenter were I'D. day,
nd of day laborer I'd. !; while a clergy =
AN received 95 a year, and an Oxford
:holar 10d. a week. After these dis
'veries, and as the direct consequence
them, wages and general prices-not
England alone, but in France, in 1
pain, and generally over Europe k
ere quadrnpled, and have remained at IL
10 higher level ever since. This re- l:
arkable phenomenon occurred about n
3 year 1872. There was no war or il
disturbance, or other acct v
'ntal circumstance to account for it. is
he coinage had been reformed twenty is
ars before, and brought to very near CO
our present standard, and there was A
ither dearth nor scarcity in the land, hi
: the old chrouicler tells us that there til
IS no want to him who wanted not CT
'ney. The value of labor and com be
1dities appeared to have universally ri
en-, but in reality it was the value of
,ney which bad fallen. The change vi
8 not in the things valued. but in the vi
,asure of value.-M Mining In Industry and ~
adesman. an
Prospecting a Craze.