The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-07-26
Baron Humboldt Foretold
of Gold Discoveries
THE TRIBUTE FROM LAURIUM
SAVED GREECE AS CALIFORNIA
GOLD SAVED THE UNION
Boundless Wealth Hidden in Bolivia.
A Short Line to Dawson City
From Edmonton

Upon the streets and in those places
where men most do congregate the alb
sorbing topic of conversation now is the
newly discovered Clondyke gold field.
The mere fact that this new strike has
been made in that part of the new world
that by steady going stay-at-homes has
been regarded as the jumping off place
on the American continent, is SUCCESS
tive.
Firstly emphasizing the fact that
been very widely distributed; secondly,
by again substantiating the forecast of,
science, and thirdly, by drawing atten-'
ton to the fact that in the economy of
nature progress and development are
made compulsory if nation is not to
sink into state of moral lassitude which
is the prelude to the end.
THE LAND OF OPHIR"
1t has been presumed by many learned
authorities that the Phoenicians and Is
raelites derived their immense supplies
Of gold from South Africa and that "the
land of Ophir' was identical with por-
tons of the Transvaal and Mashonaland,
the seat of Barney Barnato's exploits
among the mining companies of the Rand
and the diamond fields of Kimberley. 1t
was in 1866 that the existence of extern
sive gold fields in South Africa, between
latitude II degrees and q degrees 80
minutes south was discovered by a trav-
eler and noted elephant hunter named
Hartley. He did not benefit by his dis
covery, however, but was appointed
some time later to be H. M. S. consul at
Fernando Pc, on the West African coast,
and died from the deadly jungle fever al
his post Of duty. He was closely relat
ed to the late Sir Wilfred Lawson, the
apostle of prohibition in Great Britain,
but did not espouse the theories of his
kinsman and FASTENED his death by
too free indulgence in alcohol liquors in
a deadly climate.
The gold fields actually discovered by
Hartley occupied the interior of the re-
gion between the Zambezi river and the
middle course of the Limpopo river, and
have not been worked to any extent yet
The later discoveries in the Orange Free
State the Transvaal and Natal, extend
ing between the twenty-sixth and thir-
tieth parallel, distracted attention from
the northern fields and all the more
surely as the matter of transportation,
not to mention hostile population, were
questions difficult of solution.
That the land of Ophir'' of King Solo
mons time was identica with territory
alluded to is inferred from the mighty
ruins scattered around. the style of
architecture, and in some few instances
of hc Mt ell bat how haa
found.
IN CLASSIC TIMES
The mines of Laurium of classic times
are still yielding silver, lead and zinc
and give employment to about 5000 men,
These are the mines from which Themis-
tocles got the silver to fit out the fleet
which whipped the Persians in the ia
nous naval battle of Salamis 500 B. C.
The director general of one of the two
big companies now operating these mines
has made a calculation on what the an
clients must have taken out. The silver
he has estimated, amounted to $500 tons
That, in round figures, would represent
about $4,000, 600. This vast amount of
silver was found with 2,10O,0S4 tons of
lead and both silver and lead would be
worth $500, 600.
In the palmy days of Greece these
mines gave employment to $1,000 labor
ers, of which no less than 5000 worked
in the one shift. These laborers were
almost entirely slaves, and those hired
cost an "abor per day. This amounted
to 55 drachmas a year. A drachma is
about 20 cents, so the cost of hiring slave
labor amounted to about $11 year for
each employe. Slaves could be bought
outright in Athens for from SO upwards
and considering the increased purchas-
ing power of the precious metals in those
days the prices of labor quoted above
are such as to make our modern coal
barons and trust manipulators turn
green with envy.
These mines belonged to the state and
the revenue thus derived was distrib.
uted to the citizens and amounted tt
about $1.95 per year to each Athenian
But Themistocles induced his people tc
suspend the per capita dividend and tt
vote the money instead for a navy
which whipped the Persians and saved
Greece.
GOLD OF THE INCAS
Prior to the Spanish conquest in 1882
when Peru and Bolivia were under the
AlAPClidh SN dy VI Liz iANcS, SCid w eAo e
garded as a sacred metal and, was uset
exclusively by the Incas in the adorn.
ment of their royal palaces, temples an6
sacred vestments of the royal house.
hold. Not entering, therefore. into the
circulating medium of the empire, which
had neither commerce nor money, the
Incas sought gold, not for gain, but Out
of loyalty to their rulers and unswerv-
ing devotion to their chief deity, the
sun, to whosa worship their gold was
principally consecrated.
Traditions of the Inichua and Aymars
Indians and the Oldest obtainable rec
ords dating back to the opening of the
sixteenth century, as well as recent ex.
plorations, ali agree that the northwest
provinces OF Bolivia, especially the
province of Larecoja, are rich in golt
deposits; that, while the Incas secured
considerable quantities Of this meta
+ from the province of Carabaya, Peru
the northwest provinces of Bolivia were
the principal sources whence came the
enormous supply of gold that excited the
cupidity of the Spaniarde
Long prior to the coming of the Span.
( iards the town of Ilabaya, in the pro-
vince Of Barecoja. was the seat of Ger.
tain mobiles Of the empire, who were