Year: 1859

The following extract from the San Fran
cisco News Letter is worthy of attention:


The -nnrincipled and dishonest practice of
debasing native gold is all but universal
Some assavers do not, in any case hesitate to
abstract a certain quantity of the native ar
tiele intrusted to them, and afterwards make
good the deficiency in weight by an addition
of silver. regardless in many instances, even
of that degree of ordinary preeaution which,
to passive observer, would seem to be nee
essary to disguise so palpable violation Of
confidential commercial integrity. A most
glaring case of this sort came to light very
recently, and quite without previous concert
with any of the parties interested A bar of
gold weighing eighty-four ounces, and bear.
ing stamp indicative of certain fineness,
was offered for sale by a person habitually
associated with and professionally engaged
in the exchange of bullion This being but
one of q series of transactions of n similar
character. the intended purchaser intimated
that, in European markets he failed to real
ize returns for some previous gold bars, cor
responding with the San Francisco Assayer's
stamp of fneness, observing at the same time
that the bar then the subject of negotiation,
might, as q matter of satisfaction to both
parties, be cut through the middle and
thoroughly tested. After repeated assurances
from the seller that there was no possible
necessity for anything of the kind being done,
as the gold was originally amaigltn gold, and
could not be otherwise than homogeneous
the proposition was nevertheless agreed to-
and singularly enough the necessity for tax
ing such n step became marvelously eXempli-
fled, for the cutting instrument, in its course
had passed through an irregular shaped mass
of silver nearly in the center of the gold-bar,
and which must have found its way there
while the gold was in melted state and but
n very short time before it was moulded
there being ample evidence of its having been
kept long enough in the hot crueible to reach
fusing heat periphically, although not SO
en- mdsSe.


1t must be confessed that it would be tax.
ing credulity little too much to admit the
merest probability of SO curious circum-
stance being the result of accident; on the
contrary, it betrays recklessnes5 of habit:
indissolubly associated with just such indif
ference as constant practice induces even in
some of the most desperate of CRIMINAL indul
gences. A discovery so startling did not fail
to give rise to serious misgivings on both
sides The fact of silver being found in a
solid lump, was Incompatible with the fact
that the crude article was deposited with the
uitlleI anu deSts1 CT 40 u SeitItl IHsluue vi lle
ordinary amalgamation process as commonly
pursued all over the country, and by which
it is impossible that silver, if at all present,
can be otherwise than combined with gold
as a definite alloy, Other bars from the same
source, and of precisely the same composition
were subsequently examined and carefully
tested, while the results were employed as
data of means of checking privately
agreed to- and which led, after time, to the
discovery of an undertaking system of plum
der by substitution. which the assayer failed
to explain away, when presented with a reg
lister of facts, and being requested to do so.
More, however, of this practice hereafter, to-
gether with the details of certain attempts
attempts which have been made with a view
to force banking connection, by holding
out inducements through Justification Of the
initial marks of ineness on gold.bars.