Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-08-10
IT HAS INCREASED ENORMOUSLY IN
FIFTY YEARS.
4 QUESTION OF "PER CAPITA" "
PROSPECT l. FOR STILL MORE RAP
I'D PRODUCTION.
New Fields Being Discovered and Old
Fields worked Over-Rich Finds
in siberia and kamtchatka
-Scrnc Facts nS To
Coined Gold.

Vast .---r. Aux. e-tSpccialD The re-
cs-r a.sr..rGas t1.m London stating that
r.s.a.Iy l-r-e discoveries OF sold helos
h-v. been mad, iu the extreme eastern
part uf Siberia lend stlH further interest
g. tie question OF gold finds which have
fe.- a.Elr-r ullEgpoHziug the attention oil
--. -tU-r. Il.rs since the arrival OF RIM
s-s ta san ETaucisr0 from tie klondiAe
r.-.a4 win sacks fUI Of precious gold.
1ra r-.l-.- state thar a Russian cNpcdi-
-s-~ has discovered twelve gold regions
IL rrt vicinity Of the Sea OF OkotSk, and II
Is thought tHa. the peninsula OF KANT
cH-rE- VIII. when opened, bC a second Cal
ss.rrsL These statements create consid-
,-.E- Interest here. especially among
r-rs. Who are following closely the gold
production cf the world as affecting eco
-cnlc conditions
a glance 40 the map Of North America
W. s-ow that the sold fields OF Alaska
usl-r are row being so enthusiastically
developed. are but a continuation Of the
general line OF mountains which, years ago.
s-rrrled such vast amounts Of gold in Cal
srsrr.a. In fact, are but part of the
general backbone which has produced the
crI1 fsICs Of not only California. but Mex
tca. Central America and Peru Now. look
f-r at the man Of the world, and following
Tho American mountain chain nOrthward.
So NIL %. seen that II apparently crosses
from Alaska over TO Asia at the Bering
straits. and that such an extension Of the
general range over into Alaska would COW
e. the very area in which the alleged dis
cove-ies hy the Russians have been made
Nr Marcus Baker. an expert of the ge-
C-lElrai survey. IN talking upon the recent
di=-CvsTses and their probable effect upon
the gold o. the world. said:
There are two distinct gold fields to-
dzy which are producing gold In very great
ouautlties-the gold fields of South Af-
riCa and those Of North America. The
Alaskan gold fields are. of course. a part
c. the general line of mountains which de-
velrped such wonderful gold deposits in
or own territory less than half a century
ago and whether the mountains Of KANT
ckGtka and Siberia are part Of the same
CCi-e-zi system or not. IL would not be sur
p-.sing II these reports of large gold de-
pests there should be fully confirmed. In
sIr event il cannot be gainsaid that the
gold Of the world has of late enormously
ircreased. and is AZ the present time in
crsasiug IN wonderful degree.
1t Is simply a matter OF statistics that
TIE gold productions of the world have
increased steadily and rapidly during the
past few years. those Of last year having
been greater than for any year in the
known history OF the world, while at this
time all indications point TO a still greater
increased production for 1897. The fact
Is. the incentive to-day for the production
OF gold Is greater than IL has ever been
before. This is for several. reasons, the
principal perhaps being that silver is SO
cheap thar there is less and less incentive
sCr its productions; therefore, the people
sho had formerly mined silver are now
.ooking for gold deposits; ana. again, the
gold mining and gold production becomes
Easier year by year as new methods are
developed and new machinery invented.
The gold helds of California at the pres
Cut time are an example OF the probable
suyCess Of new methods. Most of these
ields were supposed 10 BE- worked out years
ago. but now the cyanide process gives
promise Of making them again highly pro-
oucuNei ana u seems probable that all the
ge1ected material which was thrown away
by the men who covered that great gold
teld will Ne worked over with profit. This
L. also very likely to be the case further
south. in Mexico. Central America and
Peru. from whose mines such quantities
~ gold were taken years ago; and where
d. is now proposed TO adopt this new chem
lCal process in the reduction of low grade
ore. When you add TO these possibilities
and actual proceedings the gold develop
menis Of South Africa. Australia, North
America and prospective Siberia IL is not
surprising that the gold production Of the
world r. more than keeping pace with the
growth Of business"
These remarks OF Mr.. Baker suggest a
glance AT statistics in relation to gold
Eiish statistiCian. who is much quoted in
the papers OF This country. states. in his
latest dictionary OF statistics that the
Eoid o. the world. coined and uncoined,
ffty wears "a 20 was less than two and a
hall biliiol dollars. Taking his figures for
lN.a. ard adding the production since that
Unls. would show the gold in the world
now coined ana unCoined to be over seven
billions OF dollars. or about three times
as much as II was nifty years ago. With
TO increase in the population Of the world
during that period. there would thus be
three times as much gold per capita as
there VAS my years ago. But the worlds
population has increased about 20 per cent
in that time. so that the amount OF gold
per capita Is about twice what it was
theu.
Bu. this relates to gold in bulk and not
sold money. A further reference TO Null
han shows that the increase I'm the COIN
aCe is as great as the increase I'm its pro-
5rrfirr. EzIC a century ago only one
frird o. the gold Of the world was in the
shape OF coin. now two-thiTds OF the gold
o. thg world II IN coin. So that, while
the amount Of gold in tho world per capita
has been doubled I'm fifty years. the pro-
gIorffon which is in the shape OF coin has
also been doubled. fhus making the gold
com n N. world four times as much per
ElrrFn a- If WAS fifty wears ago.
ff.~ great increase of gold, coupled with
- equally great increase in the percent
axe ~ that metal which is IN coin. Is an
important fact which must be considered