When the news came of the discovery of gold at the south pole, nobodysuspected that the beginning had been reached of a new era in theworld’s history. The newsboys cried “Extra!” as they had done athousand times for murders, battles, fires, and Wall Street panics,but nobody was excited. In fact, the reports at first seemed soexaggerated and improbable that hardly anybody believed a word ofthem. Who could have been expected to credit a despatch, forwarded bycable from New Zealand, and signed by an unknown name, which containedsuch a statement as this:
“A seam of gold which can be cut with a knife has been found withinten miles of the south pole.”
The discovery of the pole itself had been announced three yearsbefore, and several scientific parties were known to be exploring theremarkable continent that surrounds it. But while they had sent homemany highly interesting reports, there had been nothing to suggest thepossibility of such an amazing discovery as that which was nowannounced. Accordingly, most sensible people looked upon the NewZealand despatch as a hoax.
But within a week, and from a different source, flashed anotherdespatch which more than confirmed the first. It declared that goldexisted near the south pole in practically unlimited quantity. Somegeologists said this accounted for the greater depth of the AntarcticOcean. It had always been noticed that the southern hemisphereappeared to be a little overweighted. People now began to prick uptheir ears, and many letters of inquiry appeared in the newspapersconcerning the wonderful tidings from the south. Some asked forinformation about the shortest route to the new goldfields.
In a little while several additional reports came, some via NewZealand, others via South America, and all confirming in every respectwhat had been sent before. Then a New York newspaper sent a swiftsteamer to the Antarctic, and when this enterprising journal publisheda four-page cable describing the discoveries in detail, all doubtvanished and the rush began.
Some time I may undertake a description of the wild scenes thatoccurred when, at last, the inhabitants of the northern hemispherewere convinced that boundless stores of gold existed in the unclaimedand uninhabited wastes surrounding the south pole. But at present Ihave something more wonderful to relate.
Let me briefly depict the situation.
For many years silver had been absent from the coinage of theworld. Its increasing abundance rendered it unsuitable for m