Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-02-24
GOLD IN ABUNDANCE.


Every day the word comes that some
new gold discovery has been made
This circumstances 10 not always = mat
Ter OF profound consequence, for the
reason that vast majority Of these
nnds must DO indifferent ones, In some
cases aclually bad; but the prlnoipal
fact remains that tho discoveries are
continued with surprising regularity
and that at least a small percentage Of
them must be good, some few very
good. Al this rats, and with silver
mining In state Of comparative deeue.
tude, tho Interesting question suggests
itself as 10 how long the gap between
tho metals, commercially considered,
san remain. Certainly II In being mar
rowsd every day, although II may be
impereeplibly, and under such circum.
stances, n long continued, the metals
must again reach the practical equality
which they enjoyed prior TO the de-
monstlzaiion act OF 1871.
A good many Will ridloule the ldsa
aud hold, or try to, that gold being tho
more royal and generally seAroer
metal. will always be the natural
srbiter OF other values, silver
included. IL would. however.
In tho atsence Of discriniin-
Ativo legislation, puzzle these to
show how this comes about. Ihtrin.
iioally considered, there are but few
points In favor Of gold that DO not oh.
tain Ia tho case OF the other metal.
That OF greater scarcity rapidly dis
appears under tho regulation Of
search and development, As is shown
sufficiently by current events; but
little silver comparatively 10 being
found. or at least extracted, while the
yellow metal, as II In fulfilmeni OF
that more or lees fakcy prophecy OF
"Mother Shiptou." Ia literally found ut
the root OF tree and good many
other previously unlooksd-ioT places.
is this generation, or the next one,
TO have a return 10 the full re-
monetirAtion Of silver through the
equalization Of ptoduotlon7 Or IL II
among the unwriiten DEGREES In the
book Of fate that both shall eventually
be Hhorn OF their monetary power and
some new or presently unrecogniIsd
medium Of exchange take their plAc,2
We are In the midst OF strange events
and doubtless on the verge Of much
stranger ones, and such a oOnsumma.
ton as thA, spoken OF would seem 10 be-
within the possibilities. n South
Africa continues IL wondrous output
Of auriferous wealth, and discoveries
nearer home keep pace with the record
recently made, It can all have but one
meaning; gold can stand tho stress OF
commercial test longer perhaps than
any other commodity, but there Ia n
limit TO the strain which even its auto.
cratic sway could endure. Scarcity
alone keeps It In Its place, and supply
10 now gaining on scarcity with visible
strides. There 10 no noticeable differ.
ence yet, may not be for years even
with the present rate OF production
maintained and even increased; but
with additional knowledge rs to the
location and development OF mines,
Improved machinery and greater al.
tentioD TO the business than ever
before, there must come time when
abundance, like too much familiarity,
will bsgot contempt, unless, Indeed,
we shall previously have 10 depleted
the stores Of mother earth that the
equilibrium win be- restored In that
way.