Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-07-06
Gold Hides Romance

Where did the gold in your ring. in
the slender chain that holds your
layalliere. in your watch, or in any
of your other personal adornments
which are made Of this precious
metal. come from? An answer to
this question would probably reveal
a romance more strange and beauti-
full than any the Imagination could
evolve.
. And it is a question that is not
without a timely interest because in
every period marked by the slightest
economic depression golden articles
of every conceivable kind and age
are reduced TO ingots through the
medium of the melting pots OF Jew
elers and goldsmiths. Trade in old
gold is particularly brisk now, owing
to the unsettled condition of the
world in general and to the fact that
the same condition has brought
about an appreciab BILE decline in min
ing operations.
SO countless objects of gold--ob-
jects of curious and interesting his
tory from all parts of the world--are
being melted down. and the gold
will soon be on the market again IN
the form of new and up-to- date ar
ticles of adornment. For gold, to all
practical purposes is indeStructlble,
and once II is mined the chances of
it's remaining in human posse sslon
for many, many centuries arc in It's
favor.
From the beginning of history the
beauty and value of gold as me-
dunn of personal adjournment OF COM
mercial exchange have been recog-
nized; wherever the ruins of civlliza-
ton are brought to light ornaments
of gold invariably are turned up.
In Egypt. Mexico. Peru or India, the
utilitarian objects that reward the
patient toll of the antiquarian are
mingled with bracelets, pendants
poblets. rings, chains and even mir
rors of gold.
One of the most tragic romanceS
in which gold played primary part
was the conquest of Mexico and Peru
bv the Spaniards. And without
question great part of the metal
wrested from their unfortunate VIC
tins is still in existence Mexico IS
particularly rich in precious metals,
and the Incas and the other aborlg-
jnal inhabitants had learned carry
how to mine and reduce gold. Ana
there were skiilful craftsmen among
the natives who knew how TO lash-
ion many beautiful ornaments IheS
layished these on CorteZ ana ms III
trepid band, believing that they couia
satisfy the invaders by these Noiuh-
fairy offerings. But the apparent a
hundance of gold supply simply
vbetted the appetite of the span
iards. and for many years the natlNes
of Mexico suffered misery uhdef tue
Ia shes of their unsuitable taskHias-
tefS
If is conn aratively simple mat
fer to trace the descent of much oil
the gold that came out of Mexico AZ
tbs+ time. Many a galleon ladch
With bars Of bullion was selled oH
British buccaneers. VINO cairleu
+beir spoils back TO their native lahu'
where it was either coined OF hia"c
;,,o n,ate or other articles OF luAu-
tons design. And much OF TINS pid'e
and many of these ornaments ha\e
o,one into the melting pot In Eng
duripg the last five years anu II vi,
there into the uses of commerce "iiu
industry. 49,. .,ro or
In Russia during the last TWO Oh
+,,ree wears. millions OF doiiaiS
18th Of plate and jeweIry has peeh
=, .,ted down and converted ilito
torns in which it will serve the u''',
ita Ran purposes of trade rms s ',i
;s seeming into the new world ~
l.dv will soon be wearing a ring ~
,ava,,;ere composed of GOLD "hiei,
nnsw the glories of old kuss,a am !,
~, has lost it's former identity III
t tne' settling furnace of Bolshevism.
W., "a who can tell whence II wac
to Russia? No one inns 10
a field for romantic conjecture.
Go YOU can look with a new ana
curious interest on that ornament OF
ooIa YOU wear. Beyond doubt there
e :, i,rled in it metal that knew the
lawn Of history; around which the
ia NOR of a thousand battles has re-