The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1905-02-02
col o r,LL,nos cosr MlLlIona
Ds.tAats zach Year withdraw fron the
Country's Supply e2,OOO,OOO.


Ds.tiats Rach Year withdraw fro~ ths
Country's Supply e2,O0O,OOO
or the wealth Of this country there
Ii certain part that has never
entered into the reports OF the census
OF fiscal departments OF the govern
ment. There Is, II the estimates OF
men who should know are to be taken
AS authoritative. over $l0.000.0O0 per
sonal wealth. In the shape OF gold. OF
which the government Is entirely igno-
rant. or. II not ignorant. has decided
not to mention In its financial reports.
Each year there Is over $2.000.000
worth OF gold that disappears. that
Is lost to the moneys Of the world.
and yet II Is not lost.
More than $2,000.000 worth Of gold
IL used annually In caring for the
mouths OF citizens OF the United States
who have been neglected in the mat
ter OF their teeth. This $2.OO0.000 IL
practically wealth that Is lest. After
the gold Is once securely hyed In the
mouth Of dentists patient II ceases
to exist as a precious metal OF lmpor-
lance In the world OF finance. and Is
only plug to a tooth. base article.
lost forever as a particle OF an article
for which men have fought and died
and murdered and perjured and sold
themselves since the world began.
The figures seem vast when the
small amount used In making filling
Is considered. but they are undoubted-
ly correct. The man In charge OF the
gold department OF the largest dental
supply house in the country arrived ut
these figures after extensive researches
and calculations, and his estimate Is
verified by other men In position
to know.
Two million dollars taken out OF lis
stock OF gold Is the price that tho
country pays annually for having its
teeth cared for In an up-to-dats man
ner.
Ten years ago II Is estimated that
only rs per cent OF the people OF this
country ever went to dentist ex-
cept to have a tooth pulled. Five years
ago the percentage was 80 1-3. Now.
1t Ii declared. so per cent OF the popu-
lation pay visits to the dentists chair
for some other reason than that o.
having an aching tooth extracted.
This increase In the number OF dental
patients In the country has resulted
In q consequent increase In the amount
of gold used for this purpose. Prnc-
tically all OF the so per cent who arc
numbered As the dentists patrons have
some gold In their teeth. Thus, ten
years ago there was only 100000
worth Of gold put into the mouths Ut
the citizens a. against the 100000
Of to-day.
Using the rate OF increase each year
for the last ten year, ~ . basis. thu
average yearly consumption Of the
precious metal III this manner has
been S1.5OO.0Oo q year. This would
make S15.00O0O0 worth of gold which
has been put into teeth since 1894. For
this amount could be built three OF
he best battie-ships In the world: the
salary could be paid for
thirty years; every voter who has
sons to the polls this year could DO
,sid II for his trouble and still leave
! million for good measure.
Deaths. OF course, have cut the num-
yer of people who have had gold nlling
nut In their teeth In these years COLI
iderably. Five million dollars worth
4 gold. II Is estimated. has been
uried In the grnveynrds OF this coun-
~ In the period covered BY these ng-
res. II a total could be arrived at, =
eckoning from the time when gold
rst was used In filings. It IL certain =
nat the amount OF gold lying unused
nd dead In graves would be near to :
p 100000.
subtrscting the 100000 taken on
he earth from the total Of ft5OOO.OO0
sed In the last decade. II will be seen o
lat there must be at least {10.OOO.0OO
orth Of gold perambulating about tho
,untry in the mouths OF the citizens. a
en- million dollars In the most con- pl
,nient form in the world. in the pos Ia
ssion of the people; $4,000. 900 walk er
&. sleeping and eating with them. 2,
ID yet not cent Of II that can 10 a,
ent, not q cent of II that may 10 N
ckoned in the wealth of the In -
vidual or the country at Iargs.-Chi- =
80 Chronicle. n