davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19
Will the Enormous Flood Of New Gold
DsoTganze the Currency System Of the World?

cent greater than in 1885, but the present
year will show an increase over last year
of % per cent, and may be even greater
than is expected, in spite of the Boer war.
The most apparent reason for the In
crease is the exploitation of new gold
fields The development of the Alaskan
region both in the United States and in
Canada, has been great, but not sufficient
to keep pace with the increase in South
Africa. In 1897 the United States led in
the production of gold, with South Afri-
ca second, but in 1898 the TranSVaal
mines poured forth such a golden food
that Uncle Sam had to take second rank,
although he increased his output SO per
cent. In spite of disturbances with the
natives and the opposition of the Beers
TO mining, the output for Africa in 1893
was 1900 761, a gain over 1897 of 81, 352,
0S2, or 37.6 per cent. Nine-tenths of the
South African gold comes from single
district-the Witwatersrand. Yet the
South African fields have been scarcely
scratched. John Hays Hammond and
other engineers estimate that there is
enough gold in the Rand which could be
prOfitably worked to nearly equal the
quantity of coined gold In the world in
the year $780,
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19

famed and the stockholders of ro,nao
receive only ordinary dividends
discoveries of the last half cent,,ru
ana the application of science 70 The
INNING INDUSTRY, resulting in the incress'
Gu production of gold, have added larf,eI,,
10 the worlds stock of the metal FToro
the discovery of America In 1892 mn 10
Ioee the worlds stock was increased nv,
$l'4Sl, 600 During the last fortv VOC 70
*o54l, S55,OOG has been produced which 10
more than was produced In the last 9e7
previous years. w.
The present decade has produced an
nually nearly twice as much as the ten
years from 1880 TO 1890. The amount Of
gold coin and bullion in the world at
present is estimated to be about s4.3
Voo'VOV Which is less than the production
OF the last forty years.
1t is estimated that at present there 10
about 1880 tons of gold In the world If
winch about $3.50 tons is monetary gold
STOCK. IN 1880 the monetary gold
stock was 1920 tons; In 1870 SSz1 tons.
In 1880, 900 tons. There is at Dresent %
per cent more gold in circulation than
there was in 1896; 72 per cent more than
In 1870, and more than five times as
much as there was at the beginning If
the century.
The increase in the production Of gold
is much more rapid than the increase in
population, for while the monetary stock
or the metal has already quintupIed since
lSUO the population of the word has in
creased only two and a half times.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19

immortalize her name and throw that Of
OLeary into oblivion
Mrs Ruiz has a delicate vein of hu-
NOR In her nature, which enables her 10
see comic side to incidents that is in
Visible to ordinary mortaIs She had a
collection of brick, old iron, and 9th
missiles in her room, which she would
throw out of the window at passersby.
the Joke of the performance consisting
IN hitting the object aimed at Then
Mrs. Ruiz would laugh heartily. the
natural indignation of the person BIT
seeming TO intensity the humor Of the
Joke. Sometimes Mrs. Ruiz would vary
the joke by taking her collection of mis-
slles out in basket at night, and prac-
tice throwing them through neighbors'
windows. She said 1t was good sro.t.
and made trade good for the glaz c: s,
who thrived In the neighbo hood.
All these and other acts finally en-
minated in the neighbors swearing out
warrants for Mrs. Ruiz and she is now
in the detention hospital, wal ing an in
QUESTION into her sanity Mea ~wh Ia
Mr.. Ruiz is missing his daily spank nss.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19

police, in view of the discoveries made in
TaScotts room, to trace most Of them
to him. 1t is a surprising fact however,
that nothing has ever been learned as to
the identity Of his partners. That he had
helpers in his various raids is a certainty,
especially in the one which resulted in
the murder of A. J. Smell, but the police
We're never able to discover them.
Tascott was trailed to Milwaukee where
the detectives found his satcheI in a pawn
shop He had been there a few hours
ahead Of them, as was made plain by
the testimony Of the pawnbroker and
the employees about the railway station,
who described him perfectly, but he
covered his trail securely until he reach
ed Minneapolis, where he was again
heard Of just ahead of the arrival of the
officers. At this latter city he dropped
out of sight completely. For weeks a
score or more of the best detectives in
the West secured the country for miles
around, and turned Minneapolis virtually
upside down, but Tascott was not to be
found.
y The family of the murdered man sent
circulars descriptive of Tascott over the
world, and offered $4,000 for his deliv-
cry to the Chicago police. Every po-
liceman, town marshal and county sher-
If In the country got one, while Eu-
rope, Asia, Africa, Canada and Central
package. Immediately a flood of let
tiers and kilograms poured in, with in
formation that; the wanted man was un-
der arrest at each of the towns from
which the messages were sent. Fully
1000 men in all conditions of life were
arrested and held until the Chicagoans
could be communicated with.
Policemen who knew Tascott were sent
in all directions. Long, hard trips to
out of -the-way corners were weekly oc-
currences Canada and the Northwest
territory were searched by squads. Half
dozen were sent to Mexico on informa-
ton that placed Tascott in the silver
mines. South America was hunted over
Europe was ransacked nor did Africa
and Asia escape visits by the hunters
for the man. All the cHews were I'M
founded, and after the expenditure of
fully $4,000 and years of anxious time
the family refused to follow any tip I'M
less it We're accompanied by a photo
graph of the suspect. One trip into the
Northwest territory and along the Pa
cific coast cost $1,000, that to Mexico
nearly as much, and one man was sent
to San Francisco at cost of $4O0 In
the Northwest trip two men were fol-
lowed until they separated. One con-
| tinued northward and one went to Port
land, Or. The latter was followed and
caught, but he would not, or could not,
give any information concerning his COM
panion, from whom he had just separ-
ated the San Francisco man proved to
| be sailor who had deserted an Ameri-
can ship in the Philippines.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19
TASCOT'T DISCOVERED
SLAYER OF AMOS j. SMELL
TURNS Up AT CAPE
NOME
GOLD DIGGINGS IN ALASKA

Went to the Far North Soon After
the Crime Was COmmitted-Said
to Have Told the Story of the
Famous Murder When Supposed
to He on His Death Bed-Strange
Yarn Told by Miner.
Willie TascOtt, the long-huntcd MUIR
derer of Amos j Smell, is working as a
miner somewhere in Alaska. This is
the story that comes from Cape Meme,
and it is told with so many corrobo a.
tive details that detectives who have
studied the case accept 1t as true. Dur
ing the eleven years that Tascott has
been in hiding many alleged clews have
been offered TO the police but in no in
stance was the evidence so direct and
convincing as that which is now sent
from the gold diggings in the Cape Nome
district.
Report of the finding of Tascott is made
by William Rigler, a miner, who has
lately returned from Cape Nome One
night last fall a man too i'll to work
was carried into Rigler's cabin He
grew worse rapidly, and, under the firm
impression that he was dying, the
stranger made what he supposed was a
death-bed confession. He said that his
name was 1ascott, and that for eleven
years he had been in hiding from the
Chicago police, who wanted him for the
murde' of Amos J. Smell, of this city.
He further said that at one time there
had been a reward of 1000 for his cap
ture i'll the hope of earning which de-
tectives had visited all parts of the
world. They never got near me, how
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19

and British enterprise, should be able
to yield at least $50000,OO0 a year, and
these figures may be exceeded
IN OTHER FIELDS.
The Venezuela gold fields are another
source of supply about to be opened Lit
tie was done while the boundary dispute
was In progress, and before then mod
EN- appliances were not used. Now that
the fields have passed into the hands
or the British 1t Is to be expected that
they VIII be thoroughly exploited and
made to yield their limit
Exhaustion of the gold fields is not a
matter to be considered within the COM
ing century. Aside from the new dis
coVer1es that are made from time to time
the present fields seem almost nmitless
There is one deposit of gold in Utah. at
Mercur, which has been declared to con-
tain 5000 600 tons of ore containing $50
OOO, 0W, 600 worth of gold This would be
Twelve times as much gold as the world
present monetary stock. The statement
though startling. is not wild estimate
Tor hundreds OF samples have been taken
at different Depths and in all cases the
nnely distributed gold has been found.
The only limit to the output Is the ca
pacity Of the mills
The working of such deposits as these
necessitates the use of expensive ma
chinery, and improved methods increase
the cost. The result is that during the
last few years gold mining is being con-
quoted more on a business basis. the re-
let1on between cost and price is main
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19

the form OF sedimentary deposits, the ore
pelng coarse-grained sandstone, some of
these grains being water-worn pebbles,
the whole bound together by gold-bear-
ing cement that C )ntains per cent or less
of pyrites.
The gold is so finely divided that the
ordinary process Of crushing it and run
ming 1t over amalgam plates of quicksilver
results In the precipitation of not more
imam tn per cent. The rest forms part of
Kind of slime called "tailings" and UNI
der the old methods before the introduce
tlon OF the cyanide process this was lost
small cyanide plant, In which weak
solution of cyanide of potassium was used
10 take up the gold in the tailings, was
introduced In the Rand in 1890 Proving
successful, the process was rapidly adopt
ed by all the mines and this is chiefly re-
sponsible for the enormous inrcease in the
South African supply since that time The
same process also has made possible the
enormous production of the Cripple Creek
mines
OUTLOOK IN SIBERIA.
The effect of improved methods of ex-
tracing gold upon the worlds production
or the yellow metal is we'll Illustrated by
the case Of Siberia. Three weeks ago the
RUSSIAN government announced that the
Siberian fields would be opened to the
world and might be leased by foreigners.
PREVIOUSLY -tnere mad been no opportunity
Tor foreign capital to exploit the fields.
The Siberian gold yield has been an in
significant factor in the total production
or the world, In spite of the fact that
these new gel1 bearing regions are known
to be among the richest in the world and
were discovered before Marshall found
gold in California. The gold bearing
regions are scattered over an area of
about 5000 miles east and wesL by LOO
miles north and south, exclusive Of the
limited Ural district, from which most
of the Siberian gold mas come in the
past.
So far the method of placer mining is
the only one that has prevailed and
only the shallow surface placers such as
were worked in the river bars and foot
hall gulches of California by the early
gold seekers, have supplied gold from
these regions.
There are many quartz lodes whose
value is not appreciated by the Russians
The cyanide process is absolutely I'M
known and quartz mining is carried en- in
the most primitive fashion. One mining
expert has estimated that the Siberian
gold fields, when opened to American
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19

more than $2,524,S00 in 1888, which is not
more than came from the new Cape
Nome fields alone this year. The larger
part of the Klondike production last year
was from the Canadian side of the boun-
dairy, being $4,000 000-fgures which, it
is asserted, will be increased to 15,0000 600
when the present year shall have ended.
The gold mines of Nova Scotia also
promise the largest output they have
known. In Australia, also, where there
had been Stagnation, the yield thus far
in 1899 has been Is per cent greater than
in the previous year.
Exploitation of new gold fields has not
increased the production of gold so much
as have the introduction of new machin-
cry and the greater cheapness with
which gold may be mined, thus making
1t profitable to treat ore that previously
was thrown away. This is we'll shown
at present in Colorado, where old mines
long abandoned are opened up and new
processes of extracting the metal from
refractory ores have made even the
dump heaps from abandoned mines as
profitable IN some cases as the first
skimming of the cream from rich strikes
In some of the silver districts, notably
Leadville, the last year has seen gold
properties opened, and the working out
OF gold combined with silver made profit
able certain mines that We're not profit
able when the silver alone could be eX-
tracted.
CHEAPER PRODUCTION
While the ounce of gold is now worth
$2067, just the same as it has been worth
for over fifty Years, yet the cost of pro-
ducing the ounce of gold has declined
AS rule If a ton of rock contains half
an ounce of gold it can be mined with
profit but this is constantly decreasing
and the TransVaal mines now yield on an
average not more than seven or eight
pennyweights of gold to the ton, or 81
or IS, yet are enormously profitable.
In the Deadwood Terra mine, in South
Dakota, ore is mined, milled and con-
verified into gold bullion for $1.25 a ton,
while the famous Treadwel mine in
Alaska, which is still the most profitable
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19

property In that section, reports an aver
age total cost of not more than $3.50
Wages of miners have been reduced.
They no longer earn the boom prices,
for the same reason that the price of
labor In the Klondike is seen to fall con-
stantly and some day will reach normal
figures Supplies also have cheapened in
price, the miner paying only Is cents a
pound for giant powder, while in 1870 he
paid 81. He pays but one-eighth as much
for steel and quarter as much for
rope, and the price, of nearly everything
else has lessened since 1870.
The greatest factor In this decreased
cost of production, which has made 1t
possible TO work over the dump heaps
of other mines, is the improved machin-
cry. Nowhere has more inventive in
genuity been displayed than in the max
ing of gold mining and milling machin-
cry. The elusive. speck of gold dust
finds it hard to escape nowadays.
MINING METHODS.
Before 1860 by far the greatest part of
the gold supply came from placers The
few stamp mills were of the most primi-
tive kind. Then the Long Tom" which
handled ton of gravel a day, made its
appearance. The great Improvement in
the production of placer gold is shown by
comparing the Long Tom with a mod
ern hydraulic plant, With half dozen
giants, each capable of moving hun
dreds of tons an hour, and making pos
s1ble the working of low-grade gravel.
With the exhaustion of the placers the
gold production declined, but the spread
of railways in the United States made 1t
possible to establish large improved smelt-
ing plants at centrally located points.
Concentrating machines were invented
and attached to the stamp mills, and
under improved methods of colonization
ores once thought worthless and tail
ings We're found to contain profitable
amounts of gold.
The last great impetus in the world S
production Of gold came with the perfec-
ton of the cyanide process, which is re-
sponsible for the great production in
South Africa. The gold In the Rand is in
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19

The flood of gold pouring forth from
the mines of the world in an ever in
cre&sing stream will reach its high water
mark this year. At present the produc-
ton of gold per capita is increasing at
such a rapid rate that although only
three years ago several million Americans
believed that there could not be enough
gold in the orld 70 supply the demand
for money, there is no such fear among
those of today who know of the flood of
gold that is pouring into the minis. On
the contrary, there are some who believe
that gold will become so plentiful that
the currency systems of the world may
be disorganized. This, however, IS not
regarded as serious fear, because of the
lessening margin of profit to ton of ore
which requires greater capital and more
labor in production, says the Chicago
Tribune
The original estimate of the director of
the United States mint of the gold pro-
duction for 1899 was $3.50, 200, and from
this he deducted sos, 600 for the suspen-
sion of work in the Transvaal. But in
spite of the Boer war ii was announced
last week that the South African gold
fields have so greatly increased their yield
as to restore the original figures. Consul
McCcok, of Dawson City, expects a yie.d
OF 100000 from the Klondike, and ship
has recently arrived from Cape Nome
bringing 100000 from Cape Nome. Grip
pie Creek and other fields in Colorado
show greater yields than ever before.
Great as has been the production this
year, the next twelve months is likely to
see it exceeded. for the action of the
Russian government last month in open
ing the Siberian gold fields throws open
what is believed TO be as rich a source of
supply as Alaska, South Africa, or Col
Orado
INCREASE IN THREE YEARS
Estimating the production for 1899 at
$35O, 0OG, O0O the yield for the year will be
nearly three times as much as it was ten
years ago, and twenty-three times as
great as the average production during
the first sixty years of the century. The
figures for last year-$2S9. 147. 779-was 81
per cent greater than in 1897 and 36.9 per
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19
THE OLD WAY.

ever" the sick man added because
was in the interior of Alaska all the
time, and nobody thought of looking for
me here
Tascott gave many particulars of the
raid OF Smells house, which ended IN
the murder of the aged millionaire, and
told his story in a manner which con-
WINGED mis- hearers that he was the long
hunted man. Satisfied that he was go
ing to die, and that no good could be
accomplished by sending out messen-
ger with the news at the time, Rigler
and his companions kept the mat err
quiet. few days after the confession
was made Tascott suddenly grew better
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19
AMERICAN YIELD.

So far as discovered the gold region or
the United States is less in area than the
South African district but the ores on
the average are richer, and there are
enthusiasts who predict that through
the Colorado mines the United States will
regain its supremacy as producer of the
yellow metal.
Most encouraging reports come from
the Colorado fields. The state is easily
first, being ahead of California and
Alaska The rich mines of Ell Paso, Gil
pin, San Miguel and other counties of
Colorado were wonderfully productive
last year, the yield for the state being
s23, 800, a jump of $4,0000O0. This year
it is predicted that the figures for Col
orado will exceed $50, GOO 600, which would
be more than the yield of the KlOndike
and California combined. An Alaskan
yield of 100000 this year would be an
enormous increase for that region, for
the whole territory yielded only a little
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19

His host then saw there was a chance
for his recovery, but did not put h m
under guard, as he was still apparently
too weak to make any effort to es ape.
The next morning Tascott was missing.
having left the camp in the middle of the
night.
Rigler and his partners at once took
the trail and sent word to all nearby
mining camps, but could get no trace
of the missing man. It was plan he
had not taken refuge in any of the min
ing settlements along the coast or in the
nearby interior Cape Nome is en- the
seacoast, and after long, frui s.
search Rigler and his fellow traiIers be-
came convinced Tascott had made h
way out to sea In a small boat and
boarded some passing whaler or trading
vessel bound for the Arctic He would
hardly run the risk of remaining in
Alaska, when his story was known all
over the country.
MYSTERY IN SMELL MURDER.
The Smell murder is one of the most
sensational In the police history of this
country. 1t occurred in February, 1882
and beyond the fact that Willie Tascott
was known to be one of the principa s,
the sharpest and most persistent kind Of
detective work has failed to disclose any
further particulars. Theories Of many
kinds, some Of them of a most peculiar
nature, have been advanced, but no real
evidence to warrant them has been
brought cut
Amos j. Smell was a rich man, well ad-
Xanced in years, who lived IN an old
fashioned mansion at the corner of Ada
street and Washington boulevard. He
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19
TONIC In HER SPANKS
CHICAGO WOMAN SAYS THEY HELP
HER HUSBANDS APP
PETITE
VERY NEW IDEA IN TONES

Puts Him Across Her. Knees and
sDanks Him Every MOrntng-Used
a Volume of Carlyle, Which Was
Too Heavy, and She Took to Hill
lis SermOns-NOveI Treatment
With Which the Police Interfered.
CHICAGO, Nov. n.-Mrs. Lena Ruiz. a
stalwart and fine-looking woman of about
thirty years, was brought before Justice
Dooley one day last week, the complain
ants being several of her neighbors One
of the charges against her was that she
was cruel to her husband, the cruelty con-
sisting in spanking him twice DAY. Mrs.
Ruiz, who weighs about 1870 or 1870 pounds
and is above the average height of wom-
Ell, admitted the spanking, but denied the
cruelty alleged. She told the justice 1t
was good for her husbands health, and
improved his appetite, and wanted to en-
ter upon long disquisition on the subject
OF spanking, which his honor choked off
To a reporter, however, Mrs. Ruiz will
iDgly expounded her views on this sub
ject, which have the merit at least of de-
cided novelty.
Spanking" explained Mrs Ruiz. as
the finest tonic known. There's my hus-
band, now He's a miserable, lean little
man, and his appetite was something aw-
ful-or rather his lack of appetite. | tried
cod liver oil, Ho Ho and a dozen other
things warranted to give a man the ap-
petite and digestion of an ostrich l was
throwing away my money-and his l
could have bought a lovely bonnet with
what L spent that way. Then 1 rec
objected that when we were little ones at
home and wouldn't eat our meals-turn
up our noses at the food, as mother said
--shed give us a spanking and we'd be
glad to eat So 1 tried 1t on my husband
and it worked like a charm. He got q
splendid appetite. Then l got to spanking
him twice day, once before he went to
work in the morning and again when he
came home at night.
USE FOR HILLS SERMONS.
mo, don't think he liked it, said
Mrs Ruiz, musingly. I'm fact, to be
frank with you, he objected strongly,
but was firm. recolected that when
We were children we always objected to
a spanking, and so / never paid any at
tention to his protests. I'd Just lay him
over my knee, and If 1 didn't have my
slipper handy, Id use the palm of my
hand or maybe a book. Books are nice
things to have around the house, amt
they? They give an air of refinement
to a room, and they are very useful for
spanking purposes. I've got a nicely
bound volume Of DR.. Hollis sermons
which 1 found just weighty enough for
the purpose. 1 used to use a volume of
Carlyle at first. but he's pretty heavy.
you know. and 1 didn't want to be bru-
tai, so went back to medium weight,
like Hills
Curious how unreasonable men are
continued Mrs Ruiz, as she rocked back
and forth and pensively eyed the shoes of