HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1908-01-31, Page 8FAMONO
Wt.
California's
First Gold
tia
taIMIZIMMIO
A. question that has long puzzled coin col-
leet.ore is the meaning of the letters "CAL"
Douthrenrked on a rare variety of the gold
quartos' eagle of 1848 The answer has Just
been. diecovered.
Numismatists have loag associated the coin
with California, which was not a difficult
deduction from the letters "CAL" and the
date 1848, and yet they have not been sure.
Solan collectors included it among this pion-
eer or private gold coins of Catifornia and
even Among the pattern or experimental la-
sroMB of the United States Mint at PI:Model-
nbia.
As a matter of fact the first theory le
correct, but besides being associated with
the first California gold used at the mint
with which to strike United StateS ooins
this quarter eagle is of interest as a re-
minder of the fact that prominent Govern-
ment officials were sceptical ea to the yel-
low •metal being gold. This eceptism la
sthown by certain letters recently founci
among Government documents.
In a letter to Brig. -Gen. R. Jonee, A.d.IU-
tant-General of the tinted States Army, with
headouarters at Washington, dated September
10. 1848, Col. R. B. Mason, commanding the
military department at Monterey, Cal., &tat -
ed that he was sending samples of 8°I4 re-
ceived from a dozen or so persons, among
whom was Capt. Sutter, in the care ot Lieut.
L. Loeser, who on August 20, with the origin-
al of the letter, had sailed on the schooner
Lamhaycana for Paytu, Peru, on his way
around Cape Horn and thence to WashingSon.
In addition to these specimens of gold, the
letter went on, the Lieutenant carried e, tea
caddy containing 230 ounces 15 pennyweights
9 grains of gold. This was purchased at
San Francisco by COL Mason's orders, 'ad
sent to you as a fair sample of the gold
obtained from the mines of Sacramento, It
fa a mixture corning from the various parts
of the gold distriet."
Gen. Jones upon receipt of the tea caddy
evidently turned it over to the Secretary 01
War, 'William L. Marcy, who sent it to the
Director of the Mint at Philadelphia in care
of Lieut. -Col. Cooper, 'who bore a letter to
the Director dated Decenther 8, 1848. In
this letter the Secretary stated that the tea
caddy was supposed to contain no ounces 15
soennyweights 9 ,grains "of what is presum-
ed to be gold."
This metal, he wrote, had just been for-
warded from different localities in Califor-
nia, and doubt was expressed by several per-
sons as to its actually being the precious
metal. In the event that the metal proved
to be gold, Secretary Marcy requested that
the two medals ordered by Congress"—
what these were is not at present known,
'hut they probably bad to do with the Meat -
'can war—be struck in it, that a pound of the
:pure metal be returned by Co. Cooper, and
that the remainder, with the exception of
one or two small bars, be coined and sent
with the bars to the department.
He said that as many persons might de-
sire to procure a specimen of coin made from
California gold by exchanging other coin for
It be would suggest that the metal be made
Into quarter eagles, with a distinguishing
mark on each, if any variation from the
:ordinary iseues of the mint would be proper
end could be conveniently made.
James Ross Snowden, Director of the Mint
st Philadelphia, on December 12, 1848, wrote
to Mr. Marcy acknowledging the receipt otV
the gold., which he said had been deposited
"-ells the name or the War Department. He
further saki that a portion would be reserved
for the medals and the rest coined, subject
to bis order. The gold in the caddy after
refilling amounted to 211 ounces 46 penny-
weights of gold, of a fineness of .89454, and
seas valued at ;8,910.10.
Ft ie easy to infer that the distinguishing
mark placed upon the coins, in accordance
with the suggestion of the Secretary of
War, was the letters "CAL." A. change
In the design of a United States coin can-
not be accomplished quickly, and therefore
ft is reasonable to suppose that the Direc-
tor resorted to the simple expedient of punch -
marking the three letters on the quarter
eaglee struck from this first lot of Califor-
nia gold.
It the Director followed out the plan out-
lined by him in his letter it is probable
that the number of quarter eagles bearing
this mark was between 1,000 and 1,200,
It may seem odd, in view of subsequent
events and of the fact that for a long time
after the date of the letter of the Secretary
of War California was the greatest gold
Producing region in the world, to think
that persons high in authority should re-
gard with suspicion the first gold from Cali-
fornin, and yet many of the samples spoken
of by Col. Mason did prove to be utterly in-
nocent of the presence of the precious metal.
The mint assayere, Eckfeldt and Dubios, in
whose hands all the first samples of Cali-
fornia gold were placed for assay and valu-
ation. stated in one of their reports that
"the first sample of are was sent to us by
an officer In the ariny during the Mexican
war. and in advance of the wonderful
rumors, but so perfectly exetneit was this
considerable invoice af atones from anything
like precious meta) that we might be for-
/elven for having joined in the general in-
credulity by which so many have been de-
ceived and sortie belated. Other specimens
have since been forwarded for examination
by the lion. Secretary of the Interior, most
of which were equally unproductive, disprov-
Ing at least the common impression that
everything in the gold region is gangue for
Amid."
While it Is possible that a thousand and
snore of the quarter eaglee in question were
originally coined, still It is Ikely that few
aro UM in existence. Collectors do not con-
sider their series complete unless their cabi-
net% contain a specimen of this variety, and
as much as $88 was this year paid for
snecinien in uncirculated condition.
TUE
CU V.99110111121,41111 13111011%1171XXIII,A1
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Fi .11111,1111,11111 '
:jArlill
111111111 WIN
E
D
A
PEOPLE
Steel
Side.Walls
for Modern Homes
Far imposes wood, pints armee ha beauty--
matches perfectany MS idletlIer—any color scheme —
makes the rooms 1IEALLY sanitary—eves protection
against fire—these are some of the reasons why OUR
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PEDLAR. ttnii tirTalt
Cat litde—last indefinitely. Let us send you the
whole tale in pram and pietores. The book is free. 200
The PEDLAR People MiT.
Oshawa Montreal Ottawa Toronto London Winnipeg
/111111.01•10111.411111114,
Driving a Good Bargain.
The barber's email son was in the
habit of playing around his father's shop
and he was always keenly interested in
the patrons. Many a stray penny found
its way into the little chubby hand, and
sticks of gum were dropped in quite as
though by accident. Judge Williams
drifted into the shop the other after-
noon for a haircut. The lad recognized
the fact that the Judge was a new pa-
tron, and so was more than ordinarily
interested in him. Ile hung at the foot
of the chair and looked musingly at the
judge's bald head. Then he walked etlow-
ly to the back of bite chair and survey-
ed the scanty fringe of hair from that
point of vantage. He could contain him-
self no longer and burst out incredul-
ously: "Father, do —you—get a quar-
ter fOr cutting that —Lippincott's
Maz'
SOU N D P ROOF BOOMS.
A Subterranean Refuge prone Thimd.
Or in * Westchester House.
If Mrs, Tette° 1.4, Bate is opposed to
noises, so also ig Me, Rice, at least when
he is playing chess. LI ebe house on Wry-
iesnersoitie Dnotie
riiVS;ZrrohoLhas, just sold there
It ia hewn, out of solid rock, under the
house, and its roof and entrances are so
arranged that no noise ean reach the oc-
cupants. The room was built to gratify
Mr. Riee's chess habits. Every week for
some time the leading players of Now
York met there.
There is another subterranean room in
a Westchester mansion, The idea was to
create a room light and sound proof to
be used as a place of seclusion when
lightning flashed and thunder refixed and
the elements made things generally un-
pleasant for people who heti nerves.
It is saki that hardly a Round of the
heaviest thunder reaches the ears of any
occupant. Candles light it.—N. Y. Sun.
...,ammia...apommommoymoI
• WIN•M••••*
01.44at.atn, yottetiiih:t toasts .
,s.gormt noisia
cove a, e fs iebok
Osiwidi;
.vnitt% yotwar.-e-kior 4,
eating it tun; linc,arninoma'..and add in
ydor(ood-shik1d &nu fo r itgreet acs,,t."
"ST. 011.0ROH'S is suede of so.eo bare
cream Of Tariter.,PkT,ry
Wrilefov femsolpApftut itgro.,coo*„1/00k,
-Waifs/14i tIgintrf441tidtcl4e044trtj,";: •
Canadldt,44,s0r,,c.a..„1.94'41‘.43
I Children Enjoy It
Shiloh's itiosertbSehiwloolers'st COI
de,
Cure
Cures
Coughs
and Colds
QUICKLY
thesharpest cough
—try it on a giaar-
antee of your
money back if it
doesn't actually
CthilanRaEn y tqhuingi c kyou
r
ever tried. Safe to
taka—nothing in
it to hurt even a
baby. 34 years of
success commend
25e., 50c., $1. 316
Sh loh's Cure -
01 have wood Coltsfoote Expectorant
with the greatest satisfaction with my
children. It is a wonderful cure for
colds and sore throat. I belieee it sav-
ed the life of my little son, who was
very sick from s protracted oold on his
lungs."
MRS. ANNIE BRAMBLER,
Orangeville, March 15, 1907.
"1 am greatly pleased with the good
results we got from Coltsfoote Expec-
torant. I get great comfort with it for
my children."
MRS. WALTER HAMMOND.
171 Argyle street, Toronto,
Coltsfoote Expectorant is the great-
est home preparation for all throat and
chest troubles in the world. No home
should be one hour without it.. You
can have free sample by sending mune
to Dr. T. A. Slocum, Ltd., Toronto. All'
good druggists keep it. Price, 25e.
Send for free sample to -day,
+ +
Get
feed
dors
lay
poor
to b
now'
for
king for South American Trade.
Ig firm in tbwn, which mannfae-
delicate instruments, received an
a short time ago for a quantity of
instruments to be sent to South
can and packed in a certain owl -
The packers of the firm thought
knew best how to pack the eon-
ent of goods and accordingly
the instructions sent on with the
A while later the firm received
er from South America asking why
ods had not bean packed as order -
he letter went on to say that a
mule which had been loaded with
a uable burden had fallen over the
f a precipice and bad rolled down
de of the mountain and the instru-
were demolished.
firm had to make good the loss—'
n Record.
New Drink in Georgia.
The lint of the prohibition drinks
made its debut in Atlanta Wednesday
morning and it is understood that sev-
eral others are to follow. The new
drink, which looks like lager beer, smells
Tike it and foams like it, is called "Jack
Frost."
Soda founts which had. 'Jack Frost" on
draught Wednesday soon sold out their
supplies, for there were many who were
curious to sample the legal beer. The
drink is non-alcoholic, according to the
manufacturers, and is made, like other
soda fountain beverages, from the syrup,
with carbonated water added.
Even the old red nosed topers, who
found their favorite haunts closed New
Year's morning, were casting about for
a substitute for the amber fluid with
which they were wont to regale them-
selves, and they eagerly sampled the
new prohibition drink.—Atlanta Journal.
ISSUE NO. 5, 1908.
METEORITES.
Strange Adventures of Wonderers_
' Through Celestial Space.
A000rdbug to a prominent official en-
gaged in astronomical work for the
Government at Washington, some of the
meteorites that fall upon the earth pots -
seas a peculiar structure, indicating that
they have been more than once in a t•
molten condition. He concludes, as a re-
edit of hie eitudiee of this class of
meteorites that they mune originally
from a voice= eituated in, some distant
part of space, but that before re.aelting
the earth they were subjected to go'iwA
heat which metacnorphosed their strue-
tuee. To explain thise he 'euggeste that
in the course ed. their eeleetal journey
they, may have passed through theat-
mosphere of a sun, or may have been
fused through the sudden birth of a new
and neighboringstar. The heat devel-
oped, during their fall through our at-
ino,sphere is not sufficient to explain dna
changes they haves undergone.
Minard's Liniment Co., Limited:
Gentlemen,—Last winter I received
great benefit from the use of MIN-
ARD'S LINIMENT in a severe attack
of La Grippe, and I have frequently
proved it te be very effective in cases of
Inflammation.
At
BEIMM
of th
Of sin
ed. -71.1
swirl
asked,
a Yu
She
ma the
"plot.
riddle
kee d
doodl
dude'
sion
hosit
burst
and e
I'm
Mang
coma
in 30
It ILO
T130
annu
stack
State
Sury
oerh
e.rsei
$375,
that
was
of th
Fra
Turk
the
In
the
from
not a
white
only
0110
Ever
Min.
Th
the
tak
Yours,
W. A. HUTCHINSON,
Diamond Salesman's Secrets.
"There is no line in which more care
must be exercised than in selling dia-
monds," remarked one of the oldest deal-
ers in Cleveland. "For instance, we
don't dare show a man a larger stone
than he can afford to buy.
"Even a diamond a carat or a carat
and a half in size looks like a mighty
small affair to pay so much money for,
and i a man comes in expecting to pay
$75 f r a diamond he may get disgusted
and n • t buy et all if the salesman shows
him oraething a little larger for $200.
The lesman, if he knows his business,
will 1 nd to a certainty just how much a
isto er is willing to pay before he
him anything.
en it's better not to show a color-
euch as a ruby or an emerald
luish diamond in connection with
diamonda. If you show some cus-
s a colored stone and then put it
and show him a good white dia-
he will declare that the diamond
color. It does not seem to be a
so much as the effect on the eyes
e colors in the stones.—Cleveland,
Dealer.
BETTER THAN SPANKING.
' spanking does not euro children of bed-
wetting. There is a constitutional cans* for
thtr trouble. Mrs. M. Summers, Box W. 8,
Windsor, Ont., will send free to any mother
her successful bottle treatment, with full
instructions. Send no naoney but write her
to -day if your children trouble you in thia
way. oon't memo the child, the chances
are it cau't help it. 'This treatment also
cures adults and aged people troubled with
urine difficulties br day or night.
GUSH SPAVIN LINIMENT
ves all hard, soft and calloused
and blemishes from horses, blood
, curbs, splints, ringbone, sweeney,
, spraans, sore and swollen throat,
, etc. Save $50 by use of one
Warranted the most wonderful
eh Cure ever known. Sold by dreg -
4 a ---
lectriclty from Windmills.
Danish Government has given
attention to the matter of secur-
lectrical energy from windmills
t country. Nearly thirty thousand
a have been appropriated and au
mental station established at As-
k great deal of valuable informae
been aceumulated. Among (Ali-
nes it has been determined that
rrangement of four wings is the
effective. A smaller number does
ully utilize the wind power and a
r number makes a confusion of
currents between the wings and
to retard their movement.
4 •
k is cheap, if you don't use
8.
Eggs That England Eats.
Each Londoner eats less than an egg
and a half a oay.
English egg importations from France
have dropped in value from ZI,500,000
to £600,000.
London consumes 800,000,000 eggs.
weigh 60,000 tons and cost the eaters
£4,000,000.
Fifty per cent. of the eggs are laid
in England, 15 per cent. are French egga
and 35 per cent. come from other coun-
tries.
Eneitth fresh laid eggs now bring 2s.
3d. to 2s. 6d, per dozen. The next best
en,, the Calais variety, brings le. 9d. 2s.
These are winter prices.
The pries of eggs in England has ad-
vanced greatly an date years. The value
of hot year's home product was Zne
500,000 greater than that of twelve
years VV.
Last year England Imported 2,9,55,000,-
000 eggs from Austria, Denmark, Ger-
many, Belgium, France, Canada and=
er countriee. the total value of
was Z7,080,137.
said.
was
thing
"N
nieg
men 1
!nen
driak'
'pint o
day.
"Tel
Once wee
things forin
wen thought 11,
men's health dut the
fp them ,was to he an
Itri.sonedanhaniihed:,'
"Belt teadayein 1ftdio,'lo'Ial I,,
eneene age de int d. thee been • fennt1
"tha abetainertitartels *tine heetelen batter
thall does that:Manz wiefateleinks.naaFroitu
' rine
thp-"Phila4.00j9eiAtIlOgnneanaer
cOtitOMPinircidelliates tfutt
.isom (AO" ,trce kto Westniina'''
' ater Ialib1t1haVet '11liebine Of'411,11n
seerietliingtlikb.'n'reovenaeleen. ateofnetee The
dula:!s eineonte iinstated to 612500O0'
4: per *Manta lent ,,Wateri sithe.leftae% of ehise
ervenperty in. Belgravia 4.
come will probably be at least doubled, mols
Bathe the Baby
with Mira Skin Soap. It cures chafing,
scalp irritation anti all skin troubles.
"..1148/7
TRADE MARK REGISTERED.
SKIN SOAP
is wonderfully soothing on account of its
antiseptic, healing properties. Grateful
to the most delicate skin, fragrant and
refreshing. It is the best toilet soap as
well as the best medicinal soap.
850 acake—at druggists or sent on receipt of
price. The Chemists, Co. of Canada, T.itnited.
Hamilton. 23
•
Special Classification in Garin any.
The word "Eisenbalmbetriebstelegraph-
eninspektions-assistenten" would suggest
German humor were it not recognized in
the census of all the professions, trades
and occupations which were pursued in
the German Erl3pire in June last. The
calling in question is that of assistant
inspector In the railway telegraph sur -
vice, and is one of 15,0,16 different occu-
pations specialized by the census taken
in that month. While some of the call-
ings have naturally tens of thousands of
followers there are many eases in which
there are only a few, and in some only
one person in the whole kingdom is
earning his livelihood in some manner
which necessitates a special classification.
—London Chronicle.
Minard's Liniment Cures Garget in Cows.
Effects of the Flurry.
een course you've beard about this fin-
ancial. flurry, Mr. snot:east?"
'Yes, Miss Rockies."
"Isn't it awful the way everyone Is af feet -
ed 2"
'Why what difference can it make to
Yoe"
"What difference? Why, its dreadful,
Father says I can only run the automobile
twenty-five nruee IL day, that I muenot etre
more the two lunch parties a week, that
can only go to ono matinee, tbat-Jthat—
that—ch. you haYn't any idea what this all
rheans to me t"—Oleveland Plain Dealer.
• - •
Gossip comes in paecee, so break it
gently.
ee 7
4.
fit f.114, fr:
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