The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-01
THE THIRST FOR GOLD.

The desire of the human race to possess
gold runs through the worlds history. In
all ages men who have not seemed to covet
other forms of property have had an in
satiable thirst for the yellow metal. In
early ages gold was the inspiration which
made adventures and led them to brave
dangers and to face death. Expectation of
obtaining gold was the incentive of all of
the earlier voyages of discovery. 1t was
the thirst for gold and the faith that some
where it could be found in quantities which
would satisfy the dreams of avarice which
sent Columbus in search Of q new world
and filled his followers with intense desire
All of the Spanish conquests were inspired
by the expectation Of gold. Seeking it has
made the history of Spanish conquests the
most cruel and rapacious in modern times
Gold hunters have given to literature much
of its romance and tragedy. Its discovery
has made commemorative like California,
and the Unsuitable thirst for it seems to
have deprived races of the desire to keep
pace with the worlds progress. No one
will ever know how far the insane thirst
of Spanish rule for gold during the years
of it's power palsied and untitled it for the
progress which other nations have made,
but for which Spain has shown no aptitude.
The passion for the possession of gold
rules alike the civilized and the barbarian,
the rich and the poor. Tribes sunk in hope
less poverty retain the human desire for
gold and will sacrifice about every good to
obtain and hold some trinket made of the
yellow metal. The people of India, the
most poverty stricken, hold $600,00O, 900
worth of the yellow metal, not as money,
but because of the one great desire for
possession. And so in civilized countries,
the small gold ring is the most universal
and sacred possession. The rich alike have
the same passion for possession of gold,
which they own in plate. 1t is the orna-
ment of the cultivated and the rude alike.
1t is probably the strange fascination that
gold possesses which gives the miser the
accursed thirst for it which leads him to
starve to obtain it and makes its possess
sion the one passion of his life.
1t was the treasure in gold which inspired
pirates to incur the dangers of robbery on
the high seas centuries ago; it is the same
passion, even in the minds of the spiritless
Chinese, which causes the Chinese sailor to
be feared by those who are bringing gold
from Alaska. The excitement over the dis
coveries in almost inaccessible Alaska
shows that the thirst for gold still exists.
In every hamlet the matter is eagerly dis
cussed, and tens of thousands of men will
ignore dangers and privations, amounting
to almost certain death, to make the at
tempt to reach that wealth of gold.
In no sense does this quality attain to
any other metal. Gold holds place par
ticularly it's own 1t is called one of the
precious metals, but, in fact, it is now the
precious metal Is this because humankind,
since it has come to be so generally diver
sifed instinctively realizes that it is the
measure of all values and the purchase-all,
or is it because it possesses a secret power
which is called the thirst for gold?''