The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-02-03
THE LOSS OF GOLD
Practically None OF the Ancient
Metal In the Present Gold Stock Of
the World.


We see men every day applying gold
leaf to gns and shop windows. Many
thus used In this city every year Gold
loai makes the most attractive business
In all our busy thCroughfaTcs, even n
Broadway, wherever the shopkeeper. tho
huanciCr The manufacturer or the pro.
fcs sonaI man advertlscs his name and
utility we muv lind these gilt signs in
every St1Ge ot dllopidHton. The storms
end WINDS are playing havoc with inc
will he lost.
lions of dollars Of gold have been lost as
surely as though the metal had been sunk
in mid ocean, II Is phase OF the as
ON since the days before history was
written; for the art OF gold beating IS re.
| ferred to by Homer. and Pllny tells Of
an ounce Of gold extended TO 80 leaves.
each four fingers squire, which Is three
times the thickness of the ordinary gold
| lear Of the present day.
1t seems a startling statement but II 10
| true, that economists have held the 90.
| lief thlt nearly al tho gold Of ancient
times has entirely Disappeared; ana yer
| there Is good ground tor the conclusion
that from the earliest times OF which
! use of gold to the downfall of tho, Roman
| in ono form or another exceeded In vol
| ume the present gold stock OF the world.
| Ancient history abOunds with illusions to
| gold, We rold Of the ahurdance OF goli
| ~ " tnSS,,ic 81 inrngaIrr, win lis gold
| ornaments aud IA, gold utensils Of tho
| altar; gold IS frequently referred to In
| Tho old Testament, and the refining Of
! gold and silver by cupClation, the pro-
! cess e separating the precious metals
! n favorlte Illustration used by Jewish
! roets. Bcruuful ornaments and vessels
OF gold brought TO light by the eNcaya-
lion to which the an q gold working
| was brought ny Egyptian, EtrusCin'
| Greek and many other ancient Bo'1-
| smiths. But these relies when acorn
| modern museums and private coilectons
are Il w lnvc to snow OF me so'a w
ancient times
what has been recovered In ,,d the r pasS
inc in comp1rison with the great volume
Of gold that was utilized in the early
DAYS. We have proof that this Is so ana
that the quantity Of ancient gold now
available Is so uncomfortable that " may
he rcgTrdcl as negligible Since tho dis
covery of the Western world fairly ,accu,,
rate statistics of the production OF gnid
have been kept We know approximately
the quantity of gold that has been added
to the supply for thrr, centuries any ~ ~
world; and these statistics show con-
I cnsively that ancient gold is not repre-
| scented in the modern figures or course,
a large amount Of modern gold has been
lost but this dcncit IL mere hnBlI'iIs
I'm comparison with the great volume OF
counted Tor in any manner.
Unless the chronicles OF the anclent
writer's are largely unworthy OF credtnce;
the total amount Of gold that was uuliled
throughout the known world In the days
of the Persian empire was not very TAR
behind The quan,'t ,h ol goIa we ma, NAV Tegari
these early statements as far In excess nt
the truth sth there is no doubt what
ever that the supply in that epoch was
enormous
II Is gone beyond recovery, ana various
influences have contributed to It's dlsap-
! | pearancc. Gold IL "A soft metal ana ~ pc
culiarly liable to abrasion. IN N, nns
our gold coin, we mix niner,ehths ci my
; gold with oue-tenth OF anoy 10 Is'a,u
! abrasion. But this wearing away OF me
y metal Is only delayed MOI preVenteu, W
y the efforts to save IT. Gold ~ pest pre-.
= served In the form OF utensils utensils, OF ar.
works, which are little handled III Is
2 constantly wearing away when IL ~ N
! the form Of coin or OF other mhnutnetu.,e :,
4 articles which are much used and matp
j ulated
4 The ancients made gold leaf and gold
thread, as we do, ana in such forms the
: loss Of the metal Is accelerated Soldiers
= tell us that the very thin coating OF Bold
I which gilds their epauets Is not enduring.
y Gold used In manufactures rs Wasieu, IN
9 preserve the tinest particle All dent sii.
; FOR example, Will tell us That aS they cnp
Win essrS the Ssr bands Sse ana IN Gngr nSora
: tories they cannot avoid losing ilitle OF
!, the metal
y Much of the gold turned into the works
Of art the form In which tho metal II
: best preserved Is in time melted again
/ again for other utilities, Though Ben.
! vcntu Cellini was the most celebrated
q goldsmith of the fifteenth century, only
u "A few specimens of his rarely beautiful
g work are now to be found in museums or
y IN private hands The vicissitudcs OF for
I tune compelled many once wealthy fami.
. lies to part with these works of art for
o Tho gold that was I'm them and they were
r melted by sordld persons who wanted only
a the gold
I An ,ho nrraroa, u, i,fuerces which IN
3 aar, a re denietir% ~ goid sunnIy were.
u &C. c"nrsc 'nnnrntiv" in anctent times.
co,1 MS ,ost' in tbe orncess Of rnanufoc-
4 80. IL" IL n,ns raducad 70 drst ana lost. n
< No., Ins, IT, aaoT ,,ntor. hmriod in tnmbs
~ To- ,,n',bic,iu, ,i,,,as mis- hidda, in thc
IN ~ IN r,,ar an,area Cd H. noascd ont
oSf h, am tnd in n,any ntbar WIS NOT
IA VI nua' hnid i, ~ H." H.? 800 ~ a. 90
pit oi ~ couiu DC ,Lo 10y 81 nan 70
N Jusl ~ iuI ptSu,u w ,iiai,, v, - ~ III.
% We tpst Soiu W's 80 WHY an ,aw
"a nSttlputeu tnu' II m'uiu , maItn,npb ay ~
~ NUM- ih ot II, ~ nn ,ao, pviit'o az s sniS
- very htt,o OF w nns. a'ho ~, IL "