Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-04-23
LETTER FROM AFRICA.

the other day from John Scadden,
formerly of this county. 1t was
written at Doornkop, Africa, Feb. IA,
80. John gives the following inter-
esting description of that country:
81 am getting along first rate and
like this country very we'll indeed,
and have been as we'll since l came
to Africa as l ever was in my life;
never even felt what a man might ex-
pect in the way of getting acclima-
tized. Since wrote you last have
removed from Barberton to the Jo-
hannesburg district. The distance is
about two hundred miles. This is a
very much livelier place than Barber
ton. The town OF Johannesburg is
said to contain fifteen thousand peo-
pie, and not two years yet since the
first gold was found here, and nearly
all of the town has been built in the
last three months. The gold output
for the month of January is said to
be thirty two thousand ounces for the
whole camp; not such bad showing
for new camp. am out about
twelve miles from town; generally go
in once a week. This is as pretty a
farming country as lays out of doors.
| don't think that anywhere within a
scope of fifty miles Of Johannesburg
there is place that is FIVE hundred
feet either lower or higher than the
town, and between here and there |
don't think that there Is place that
is ono hundred feet higher or lower.
For what would be called high prai-
rie land in America, hero they use the
term high veldt. This place was
once Dutchmsn's farm. Gold was
discovered on it, and it was bought
out by parties who are At present
holding it, 1t was sold to three diff.
ferent companies. The one l am
working for gave f75,OOO for tho part
they own. There is = small mine
opened on the property and ten
stamp battery erected. The ore that
has been milled has averaged one
and one-half ounces to the ton. A
good deal OF surface prospecting has
been done in this place, besides on
some other reefs, but nothing found
IS yet good enough to mill, although
they all carry little gold. have
charge OF the mine hero, and am an.
swerable to tho Board of Directors
alone. am allowed q horse to ride
around the ground belonging to the
company. The piece is about FIVE
miles across. The mine is four miles
from where I am living. l am living
in what was once the old farm house,
and there is fine orchard belonging
to it. There arc tons of peaches here
now rotting on the ground, and
ounce, apples, pears, pomegranates,
spricots, grapes and mulberries in
abundance, and walnuts and almonds
for picking. wish l could send you
n ton by telegraph. | was in johann
nosburg yesterday, and man came
after me to see if l would go out on
a property he has IN view. II he gets
it and gives me the position he was
asking me to take, there will not be
less than $500 per month in it. The
place | am now in is worth Just half
OF that. Good miners here can now
get five pounds per week of six days,
and in many cases one pound per
day. Contractors are doing better
than that. Miners in this country
have only to spot the holes and shoot
them for the Negroes, and put in a
bit of timber when wanted. Con-
tractors hire their own Negroes, and
in some mines couple of good men
get four or five contracts going at
the same time and are making lots OF
money"