Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-04-08
THE WEIGHT OF GOLD
HoW MUCH or THE PRECIOUS METAL
+ CAN A MAN CARRY1

straaIe Fntlncies of Many Of the Fa-
mons Writers-odd Errors About the
Handling of Coin That Are Pcrpe-
SrSted In Werks of Fiction.
One of the peculiarities of civilization
is mat by the use of new methods ne
lose sight of we'll known facts that
'Tere once rs familiar in mems minds
as household words. Money is now
represented universally by bunk notes
Rnd checks but the majority of living
Californians remember the days be-
tore the resumption of specie pay
ment when legal tender was not cur
rent money on the Pacific slope and
nothing went save gold engles, double
eagles and half eagles When the Bank
of California opened its doors of q
morning there was always the sight of
the officials bringing trays of gold coin
from the safe to tables in the rear Of
the counter. Each tray held $4,000.
and the weight of the gold was thirty
one pounds four ounces. Sometimes
an Official would carry two trays. aud
there were strong clerks who could
carry three trays but OH their heads,
not in their arms. Californiuns. there
fore, are exceptions to The curious fact
that the world ut large has begun 10
confound gold ana money and This
confusion of ideas comes out curiously
iii modern fiction. Writers either
make men unable TO carry large sums
OF gold or they make them carry enor-
nous amounts as if gold weighed no
more than greenbacks.
A conspicuous error of tbs kind will
be found III Marion Cruwford's story,
"Ihe Heart Of Rome" where two
worknen propose 10 hlacEmuii Ro.
man princess. They demand 100000
lire about S20.000l. which she is TO
bring III her carriage and deliver To
two men who will be walking stendily
along the ADpan way. aud who will
wear certain sign giving things supple
mentary 10 the usual best clothes OF
Roman artisans. Ora wford makes the
curious reflection that these men did
not know tile weight of gold coin and
did not realize the impossibility of
their CARRYING off their respective
shares in their pockets. Yet each
man would have had TO carry thirty
one pounds four ounces. aud this could
have been done with ease.
Now, this is only reflection and
does not iu The least mar the story,
which is unusually interesting. even
for Marion Crawford. But fur other is
The case with Balzar's lie Cure du
Village" where the whole plot hinges
upon the supposed weight OF 100000
francs in gold This would be only
siNty-two pounds eight ounces. yet Bal
FAC imagined TINT a strong young man
required assistance TO carry II In four
trips to the river. about mile dis
rance. where he hid 1t close to n small
wooded island IN the center OF the
stream. FL.
1t is quite possible that the hardy
miners who so TO the Klondke do not
read either Bllzac or Marion Craw
ford, but If they did they would be as
tonished AT the curious ignorance dis
played we may nike II for granted
THAT the weight of gold and provisions
carried by the most successful miners
ranges from 20 to lou pounds avoirdu-
pois. We know from Gibbons de-
scription of the Roman soldier that
each man Carried. III addition 70 his
defensive Hrmor and his sword and
plum, OF pike. sixty pounds weight of
various things needed for the fortifi-
cation OF the temporary camp ut the
end of the days march. This was six
teen miles, but when the Theban le-
gion, composed entirely of Christians.
were sent from Egypt to reinforce
the army of Mnximian, the colleague
of Dincletian in his campaign against
the revolted peasants or France, they
made double march Of thirty-two
miles TO avoid burning incense before
the figure of Victory. located In front
OF the emperors tent. Next day they
were all massacrsd. Their exploit,
however. which is historical, shows
clearly that sixty pounds Is not an in
cunbrance to an active man and can
be carried for long time.
The blunder of BalzRc Is the more
inexcusable because his story was
written as a sort of challenge to the
fantasies, headed by Charles Nodier,
and the romantics, under the leadership
of Victor Hugo and Theophile eau,
thier.
Let lis now examine the other side Of
the question, the writers who have
made men carry insupportable loads
of gold. In the first rank Of these is
Prescott in his History OF the Con
quest Of Mexico" in his splendid de-
scription of the noche triste. when the
spaniGrds. besieged in the palace of
Axayacati, endeavored TO escape. Their
quarters were upon the broad boule-
ward that ran from the northeast to
the southwest dixidinp the CITY of