Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-03-22
full enterprise of the Black Hills.-Dead-

full enterprise Of the Black Hills.-Dead-
wood Times.
SOUTH AFRICAN aoLD YIELDS.
The following interesting account OF
the South African gold fields, as given
by an American miner who recently re-
turned from that distant and greatly over
estimated region, appeared in a recent
issue of the Butte (Montana) Miner,
and will be of special interest to those
who are contemplating a visit to that far
away cline /:
Jasper King, the well.known mining
man, who left here last summer for the
mining fields of South Africa, returned
on the westbound Northern Pacific
train Friday morning. Mr.. King LEFT
Spokane Falls on the 22d of last August, |
and since that time has travelled over
10000 miles. He visited all the prime
ipal mines of the Transvaal, South
Africa, and returns satisfied that there
is no place which affords such advant-
ages for the prospector and miner as
the United States Of America.
Mr.. King was seen by q representative
of the review yesterday and gave the
following interesting account OF his trip:
ut is not much of a trip to go to
Africa" said Mr.. King, although it is a
long way off. 1t only took me a month
to go from Spokane Falls to Cape Town,
Africa, and the trip can be made easily
in twenty-eight days. From Cape
Town l proceeded by rail to Kimberly,
where one ofthe great diamond mines is
located q distance of 600 miles thence
by stage to Barberton, in the South Afri-
can republic.
IL then took my time in exploring
the mining region. i found several
good mines, all of which are operated
by English companies. There is one
ledge at Johannesburg which is regular
ly defined for a distance of 60 miles OF
which 80 has been worked. The for.
nation is soft granite and porphyry,
cement and white ~crystallized quartz.
"rhe average miners wages Is ZIG per
month, and they pay $3.50 per week
for board.
"There is no such a thing as in
dividual prospecting The right OF min-
ing for and disposing Of all precious
metals and precious stones be-
longs to the state. Any person
wishing TO 90 prospecting must get pei
mission from the wne Of the land he
desires to prospect, and must pay a
license of los per month, Iialf the
license goes to the owner OF the land
and half TO the government. The usual
way of prospecting is TO start with a six
mule team and take enough money
along to buy n farm.
"The laws are made in the interest of
the rich, and the government exacts
tribute in every manner possible. The
duties on mining machinery are about
so per cent, and as the nearest railway
station is Kimberly, all machinery has
TO be hauled from there by teams.
'The government will not permit any
railroads to be built in the republic, on
the ground that they would take bust
ness away from the freighters. No min
ing is allowed within six miles of any
town.
IL saw n great many Americans there,
and the country is flooded with people
from England, Australia and New Zea-
land, all of whom would willingly leave
if they had money enough TO get away.
THE South African republic is govern
ed by a president and congress similar
to the united states, being all one. 1t is
governed by the Beers, who are descend
ants OF Holland Dutch who went there
more than a century ago. The language
of the country is Dutch. The republic
has about 10000 inhabitants. The
people are not far advanced but things
have improved considerable in the last
few years. The people were formerly
too poor to do anything, but the influx
Of English capital brought sufficient
revenue to the government to en-
able il to make many improvements.
"Before i went to Africa l Was under
the impression that it was u timber,
swampy country. The country is more
like Arizona, being dry and barren.
There is no timber, and the land is
covered with brush and cactus. The in
terror is inhabited by native black, who
are too lazy TO farm more than a few
acres. Irrigation is Necessary. The
men do not do any work except in the
spring when they get out of food, and
then they 90 off and work while the
women put in the crops. AS soon AS
the crops are ready to harvest they re-
turn home and remain in idleness until
the next spring. The women are slaves
Of their husbands. There are no half
breeds except in the towns. In the
interior the black are strictly
yirtuous. The natives wear no clothing
except a sort of breech clout.
II penetrated 100 miles into the in
terror with out seeing a tree Of any size,
l don't believe there is any timber in
Africa. Travellers are not permitted to
gather any fuel without paying a license,
The license per wagon load for the
privilege of cutting wood is s.. When
/ was in Johannesburg wood was worth
SIS a load.
people not acquainted with the Gus.
toms of the country are liable to get in
to trouble with the authorities at any
time. Fortunately l was only arrested
once, and that was for washing myself
in a river about the size of the Spokane
Il vas hot and dusty, and We camped
by the stream opposite a town. Early
the next morning / went down the
bank began washing my face and hands
when | was interrupted by two black pc
licemen, who took me in. We could
not understand each others language
but they took me owe TO town. The
magistrate was asleep. One of the pc
liecemen went in where he was and
woke him up. / got tired Of waiting
for him, but finally the policeman
came back again and told me my fine
was $l,25. / paid it and was allowed tc
60.
81 got all of South Africa l wanted
and l tell you the only way to appreciate
free America is to leave it,"
aurvsv Notica