The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-06-04
THEY ONCE SAID.


The following is an extract from
an article entitled ''Silver" and pub
lished in Harpcr's Magazine in De-
cember, 1878:
When in 1850 adventurous explorers in
Nevada found among the barren. stony
mountains masses OF gray quartz with
brown veins shot through the stones, they
passed them by in ignorant neglect.
They looked for gold, and MS the stones
were only hindrance TO their work threw
them aside unheeded and toiled on in
search Of the only treasure they knew.
Even in these later and wiser days pros
pectors looking for gold have thrown
away MS useless black lead ores. thinking
them Of no value, when they were worth
more than all the grains of golden dust
they could find. 1t seems law IN Ma
ture that the most useful shall be the last
found. Coal was only stone Of the
fields until intelligence discovered its
brotherhood with the diamond. Flakes
of gold and scraps of native silver were
found before history began and by the
time traditions crystaizcd into history
these two metals were in use as coins and
ornaments. OF the two silver is the more
widely distributed and the more useful
1t mingles and combines with nearly
every element and yet with all it's wide
atilnities and rady loves for things COM
mon and unclean, silver is wife of Its
lover gold, and in spite OF its universal
appearance in every imaginable shape
and form II has truly noble soul.
The search for silver has IN its story
something deeply pathetic and melan-
choly. The history of its winnings has
been marked by wars, by slavery. cruel
tasks and immense disasters to whols
states and nations. 1t shines white and
bright on the tables but it has cost the
blood OF whole peoples. Small wonder
that 1t will turn black in the face in the
sunshine for thinking of its cost 1t is
only now that science and human skill
have come to its aid that silver mining is
more than q grievous burden. Useful as
silver has been in the arts and trades, it
may still be doubted, in humanitarian
sense. ii it has been worth the price that
has been paid for IL up to the beginning
OF the presnt century, OF the price still
paid for ii in some countries, Certainly
those countries that have had the most OF
II have been the most unhappy and are TO
this day bearing the burden of its posses
sions. Generations of slaves have died in
toll that the silver mines of Europe might
be worked Mexico and South America
have been ruined by ceaseless civil wars
Tor the sole right TO gather their wealth of
silver The greed for silver has has com
PEELED whole peoples to toll in the midst
OF dangers that the modern miner would
resent as inhuman seltishness. To break
out the stubborn rocks hundreds of feet
under ground with the most unfit tools
aud insufficient light; to load the ores on
The backs OF men and women and bear
them up rough timbers rudely hacked
into the semblance OF ladder; TO be in
constant dread of falling walls and rising
water; to bear heavy burdens from place
to place among cold mountains; to break
up the stones with the hands aud mix the
crushed ores with the naked feet-these
thing have been the lot of the silver
winner. Silver is called a precious metal.
AT least it has cost blood and tears. and
these are precious. The Sierra Nevada
mountains, extending nearly north and ,
south through Mexico and part of Cali |
fornia aud Nevada look eastward over "A
vast basin, waste and hungry land, tree
less, stony. rumpled up here and there
into mountain folds or stretched out into
naked plains and glistening with sand or
white with alkali These mountains
that stand in parallel rows. rough and
fantastic in shape, stare in vacancy AT the !
intense blue sky, and over the plains whirl |
sprawls OF alkali duSt-uncanny ghosts in |
the white sunshine. One of these noun I
tain ranges, looking west TO the snow |
capped Sierras and gazing at the glisten-
ing deserts ON the east. split and torn with |
deep canyons pited with volcanic disease.
and alike valueless to the farmer and |
herder. has become famous the world |
over and has made the nation rich. Other |
ranges still 10 the east have won lesser |
Tame smaller wealth. Here in this stricken |
land and among these mountains are Cit [
les, active populations aud vast works.
civilization living in spite of nature
wholly given up to insane toll by night |
and day, knowing no time of rest. The |
exhaust steam from hundreds OF engines
waves It's white banner in sunlight and
starlight alike. These cities, with every
appearance OF modern science. with hotels.
water works, schools gas mains and every
luxury, have not sprung up here because
OF the beauty or convenience of the situ-
alton. There is no river. no sea. 10 bring
commerce or Tie arts,no springs Of health