Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18


depth. and according to his estimate it
would take about 100000 to equip a mine
working at a depth of 1900 feet. He ex-
poets the product of the African mines to
exceed $60.000,0OO year by the close OF
the century, and he believes that they will
be profitable for years to come. To-day
all of the African mines must be econom-
ically managed in order for them to pay
dividends. A great part of the gold has to go
back in the mine in the shape Of machin-
cry and labor. and up to the present only
about one-fifth of the gold gotten out has
been clear profit. There are now employed
in this African gold district 5000 white men
and 5000 blacks. Wages are how and
everything is done on the largest and most
economical scale.
Mining I'm Australia.
A number of new cyanide mills are be-
ing put up in Australia 1 am told that
new mines are being discovered in different
parts of that country, and recent report
to our director of the mint states that the
Australian gold fields have hardly been
scratched. Some of the best mines of to-
day are in West Australia, in a district
where there is little water. In the Cool
gardie gold region, for instance, water
sometimes brings as high as % cents gal
Ion, as there are no great quantities Of
water with 300 miles of the gold fields.
There is great gold reef in this district.
1t was discovered by two young men. who
found forty-five ounce nugget sticking
out of a mountain of quartz. They took a
bag of nuggets off of a single claim and
came back to their camp loaded with gold.
The Mercur mining district, south of Salt
Lake, is also affected by the lack Of water,
but this has been remedied by forcing
water over the mountains from a stream
on the other side. The parties who own
the water works have fortune in them.
Water, in fact, costs SO much in Mercur
that the mills using 1t do not allow the
steam to escape, but run it off into pipes
up the mountain. AS the steam strikes
the cold pipe 1t condenses and flows back
so that 1t can be used again.
How the Hind0os Are HOardinH Gold.
An enormous amount of the gold of the
world is locked up in India. During a visit
to that country a few years ago found
that gold had gone out of circulation. The
people seemed miserably poor, but they had
quantities of jewelry. Girls dressed in cot
ton often wore gold and silver bracelets
and anklets, and many barefooted girl
had gold rings and gold bells on her toes.
For ages the East Indians have been op-
pressed. They have not dared to loan
their money for fear they would lose it,
and they have preferred to put it into orna-
ments. This custom prevails to-day. even
though they are now under the English Sc
OIL property. AHOuS 1uc CHieL
hoarders are the Indian rajahs. who wear
the most expensive of jewalry.
l saw many gold rings set with precious
stones worth a thousand dollars and up
wards, and I found gold chains for sale
everywhere. Sir David Barbour estimated
the amount Of gold boarded in India dur
ing the half century previous to 1855 at
$3.50. 100000. This was the accumulation Of
only fifty years. He estimated that $780,
1rkI I'll, ko InI to r. Fs
time, and states that nearly all of the gold
and silver which came into India IN re-
turn for its exports was thus kept. The
Hindoo buys but little from other coun-
tries. He lives on rice or coarse grains.
A cotton rag in most cases forms his
clothing. All the money he gets he keeps,
and If this boarding is to continue 1t is GER
tain that a great part Of the gold will
eventually be absorbed by the East In
dams. The English have realized this for
a long time. They have attempted to rem
edy it, but in vain. About ten years ago
they tried to get the boarded gold and
silver into circulation by offering high
rates of interest for money, but the ma
tives would not respond. There are about
100000 native bankers in India. who lend
to the peasants, but the most Of their busi-
ness is done in kind, the money lender
advancing so much grain with the under
standing that he shall receive so much
back when the crop is harvested.
The Treasures of the Rnjahs.
The wealth of the native princes of India
is known only to themselves. A recent
report from an English officer in the In
dian postoffice shows that one native prince
has been storing away gold at the rate of
from 100000 to 100000 year. He buys
gold mohurs, a coin worth about IS. with
II, ill, Nd he eyo1I In,
strong vault in his palace. Once there IT
stays and is lost to circulation. Not long
ago two native princes died in India, each
leaving, 1t is supposed, about $4,000, ,O0(
worth of gold. One Of these princes, who
had his twenty millions stored up in his
vaults, borrowed from the government OF
India something like s2,OO0.O0O to carry or
his establishment. He preferred to pay in.
terest to going back on his pile. and when
he was asked if he could pay his loan or
demand he replied yes. and that they might
call for it at any time.
Another gold hoard was discovered no,
long ago upon the death of the maharajat
of Burdwan. This was opened up on tht
death of the mahajarah. 1t consisted OF
seven rooms filled with gold and silver
and precious stones. Three of the rooms
were locked and the doors bricked up. Ont
room, IS feet long, IA feet wide and 13 fee
gold and silver ornaments and preciou.
stones In nearly all of the rooms vault:
were found containing money, and in one
vault there were 10000 gold mohurs. AL
of the vaults were so protected that Il
was not possible for the government t.
find out exactly how much they held, ant
even the exact number Of the vaults is no
known. This treasure is now in the hands
of the maharajah's descendants.
The Gold of China.
There is undoubtedly a vast amount O.
gold in China. There are mines in differen
parts of the empire, and great deal o
gold is brought down every year from 81
beria- 1t comes to Peking and Is Their
melted down into small bars of about th
size of the little cakes known as lad!
fingers. 1t is almost pure, often runnin.
over twenty carats in fineness. 1t is cas-
in this small shape in order that it may b.
boarded and easily passed from hand t
hand. The officials, who in many case
make fortunes out of their offices, bu.
| these gold bars and secrete them. They d
not dare to put their money into the bank
| for fear that their brother officials ma.
| discover their wealth and confscate il
| The result is that such gold bars will brini
! per cent more in Peking than they vii
| in Shanghai. There are said to be NOR
| than 100 places in China where gold /
| found. In Mongolia there are a number o
| mines, and in the southwestern part Of tn
| empire there are gold workings which ar
| 100 feet deep. The Chinese cannot under
| stand the fall of silver. I was often aske
| as to it during my stay in the country tw
years ago-the Chinese many times puttin
| to me this question in their queer pigeo
English: What for makee gold so dear?
| They did not speak of the fall of silver
| but of the rise of gold. At that time silve
| was Just about as low as it is now. / car