The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-13

in one form or another exceeded In vol tune the present gold stock of the world Ancient history abounds with aliusions to gold. We read of the abundance of gold fin King Solomon's time, of the glorles of the temple at Jerusalem, with Its gold ornaments and the gold utensils of the altar; gold is frequently referred to in the old Testament. and the refining of gold and silver by cupellation. the process of separating the precious metals from lead In a cupellng furnace. was a favorite il- illustration used by Jewish poets Beaud- full ornaments and vessels of gold brought to light by the excavations of archaeolo- glsts show the perfection to which the art of gold working was brought by Egyp- tan, Etruscan, Greek and many other ancient goldSmlths. But these relics which adorn modern museums and pri- vate collections are all we have to show of the gold of ancient times.
 What has been recovered in the past centuries in the form of ancient gold manufactures is scarcely worth mention ing in comparison with the great volume of gold that was utilized in the early days. We have proof that this is so and that the quantity of ancient gold now available Is so inconsiderable that it may be regarded as negligible. Since the dis covery of the western world fairly accur- ate statistics of the production of gold have been kept. We know approximate. ly the quantity of gold that has been added to the supply for three centuries, and the present amount of the gold stock of the world and these statistics show conclusively that ancient gold Is not rep resented in modern figures. Of course. a large amount of modern gold has been lost. but this deficit is a mere bagatelle in comparison with the great volume of ancient gold which cannot now be ac- counted for in any manner.
 Unless the chronicles of the ancient writers are largely unworthy of cre- dence. the total amount of gold that was utilized throughout the known world hn the days of the Persian Empire was not very far behind the quantity of gold that
 Is now in use. But even though we may regard these early statements as far in excess of the truth. still there is no doubt whatever that the supply fin that epoch was enormous.
 Ii is gone beyond recovery and wa rious influences have contributed 10 Jts disappearance. Gold is a soft metal and is peculiarly liable to abrasion In mak- ing our gold coin, we mix nlne-tenthG of 1ne gold with one-tenth of alloy to re- tard abrasion. But this wearing away of the metal Is only delayed. not pre- NtHltus ny lIt Nllbi tS tD ShNO IL optN Is best preserved in the form of uten- sils O. art works, which are little han dled It is constantly wea ring away when it Is in the form of coin or of other manufactured articles which are much used and manipulated.
 The anclents made gold leaf and gold thread, as we do. and in such forms the lU5s Of the metal IS accelerated. Soldiers tell us that the very thin coating of gold which gilds their epaulets IS not enCur- inE. Gold used in manufactures is vast ed in spite of the almost infinite pains taken to preserve the tiniest particle. All dentists, for example. will tell us that as they clip with scissors the bands and other forms of gold which they shape in their laboratories they cannot avoid losing little of the metal.
 Much of the gold turned into the works of art. the form In which the metal is best preserved is in time melted again for other utilities Though Benvenuto Cellini was the most celebrated gold smith of the fifteenth century, only a