The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1921-01-07
Mining Camps Long Asleep Are
Threatening Renewal Of For
mer Activity.
SCARCITY OF METAL IS CAUSE
Salt Lake City Thronged With Pros
pectors on Way to Mountains
Demand Is Greater Than
Available Supply.

Salt Lake City, Utah.-The quest
OF silver, which played so important
part In the development Of this
country, Is again attracting large num-
bers Of fortune-seekers TO the West.
For the first time in many quiet years,
Salt Lake. City Is fhronged with pros
pectors on their way back and forth
from. the mountains, where mining
camps that have slumbered longer
than Rip Van Wrinkle are stirring In
their sleep and threatening renewal
Of their former activity.
Silver Is once more coming into It's
own. The reason Is that the worlds
demand for II is much greater than
the present available supply, which
condition is sufficient to keep the price
Of silver at fair figure for years to
come. ~
One hears much excited conjecture
ns 10 the future Of the metal here In
Salt Lake City, which Is the greatest
smelling center In the world. As
such, 1t receives practically all Of the
silver ore produced on this continent
ore from Mexico and Canada as
well ms that from Utah Nevada and
Montana mines. The largest silver
mines are in Mexico; the largest sill
yer mine In this country Is in Mon
tana, and the second largest In Utah.
Some OF this product Is shipped by
Fway of San Francisco to the Orient,
but the greater part goes TO London.
The history Of silver, of Its rise and
fall, Is curiously romantic. Once n
king among metals. fought for by po-
tentates and pirates, and capable Of
drawing an army OF fortune-hunters
across continent, silver tottered and
fell. after decentralization In 1873, un-
I'll dozens OF silver mines were com
PEELED to close down. Before the late
war the owner of silver mine was
not 10 he envied. He was In the same
position as so many owners Of golt
claims today. who cannot afford tt
operate them. Mining costs were roc
high, and the price Of silver too low
The greatest demand for silver ha,
always been In the Orient. There are
only two great countries In the worl,
which are not on gold basis. anf
these are China and India. They nr'
the chief so-called silver nations. Thu
is because they are heavily, In deb
to other nations, and must trade will
them on whatever terms their credi
tors see tit. II China could succec,
in developing its splendid natural re-
sources so that II could GDt out o
debt. It could demand payment for III
goods In gold. But until then II will
have to take silver.
India, cthe Silver Sink.
In India the coinage Is entirely o
silver, wl.ch Ia mined by the British
government The demand for silve
for personal adornment Is also yer,
great In that country, owing to tn
preference Of the people for carryin
their wealth about with them. lThiey
cry fiourIshes so successfully In IndI
that this Is an almost necessary pre
caution. 1T the cry OF "thief!" In IN
night, the average native family mere
~ gets up and runs, carrying II
riches In the form Of bracelets. ring
and chains. The same custom is OF
served in certain parts OF our ow
West. where the men carry the!
wealth not lp the form. Of silver, bu
of diamonds.
The silver authorities In Salt LAX
City speak Of India us the silver sinh
They say they don't know what b
comes OF all Of II, but that no silve
which ever goes into India ever come
ont. While this Is slight exagecrs
tion. Of course. II is true that grea