| Show The Gold Gold of of Japan TO relatively modern days das gold UP was a rarity In Japan Consid Considerable erable supplies supplies' were obtained from tram river gravels gravel and some Borne from quartz deposits that were crushed and panned out In the way placer gold would be washed from sand but the I country's country needs needs' for tor monetary purposes pur put poses posea and for royalty made mude It necessary necessary sary to relit restrict rId the use ule of ot gold by hy private private vate rate persons The old fashioned mining opera opera- operations In Japan w were re paid for tor In a remarkable remarkable remarkable re re- manner Laborers employed employed em em- to wash the gravel avel did not re re- celt cehe e any pay at all on the theory that enough gold would adhere to their clothes clothe to repay them for tor their effort And seemingly this was true i At any rate the mining continued and I Ithe I the lack lark of ot payment persisted for ninny many mallY years year In the early days after the opening t westerners tIPA there was a n Japan av o belief that tremendous amounts of ot gold were to be found round In that land This fallacy had It Its roots In the fact tact that In Japan Japal there were many golden ornaments In temples templE's and palaces ala es which were not however true gold but copper copler covered rO with gold gohl by nn an extremity extremely clever process originated by bythe the Japanese and aDd It still III In u use e In that country The Japanese plating process was wa really oue one of amalgamation rather ratu tl Inn n of actual plating as BI It Is done today The copper base baBe was heated ted after having b been ln Immersed In plum vinegar to clean It thoroughly When the tile copper was still hot hut mercury was wan placed on It forming an nn amalgamated surface Gold leaf tuf was then placed over tl the mercury and the whole object oh ob heated to a Mill still higher point t ti to get rid lit f the he mercury The god o d then remained rIO In n a rather thorough mixture mix lure ture the surface of or the copper of I this kind U tit said sold to have han been extremely lel durable Many statues stat scat ues so coated hundreds of or years ago are stilt still In an as good condition nj of alien i they were wert a w w. w I EX tn J VV t rn Union |
