Well actually, it isn't just dwarves, it can be spelt dwarfs (but not dwarfes [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ) but Tolkien always spelled it dwarves. The plural of elf is elves. I don't think that Tolkien didn't like calling it elfs, it's just that there is no such word, elfs is not elves.
As for what happened to the dwarves, I don't know. But I do think that it said somewhere in LotR that some of the rings were consumed by dragons (and I assume the ringmaster went with the ring). But Sauron had a few of the rings I think. Didn't he try to offer Dain a dwarf ring in exchange for support?
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-Willie
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