Sharp County record., 1890-05-15
hERlcA'S GOLD FIELDS
.-,.a.rrul Discovery Recently Made In 'h'
mark Continent.

a. ~ eI Discoyery Recently Made IN t''e
ast Dark Continent
A''U'e> =, tho first African explorers
~ 40 his way across that continent
or-"B WV INT nj one place in the far in
ha 49,. +ho natives were using placer
seat ",l9t tboir old muskets as a substl-
stor lead shot 1he former was
yd A wv en no more to them than lead, ana
la tha Inference of the explorer was Vn"'
) ansa no oold must be abundant, as Vhe h"
T. has $,,os obtained it without any greaU eA.
Us Va 's Recent accounts published OF
be Mi, "a diCcoveries in the Transvaal ke-
eOsss e',11;c Of South Africa 60 far to connrm
t" ca t,o tbeory that the gold mines'yet 10 Dc
des, ~-s1orod in South Africa may be as
Y vost o+iva as those were in California
,H-G :. australia. One town has sprung up
IfrhsT roborraehurp-on the edge OF the
man, ,,od fields, that now contains 4O,ooo III.
a a'Ta va habitants The yield IN SIX moh'n' ~
the present year OF theSe lnlh0' -"'
-BOsn baen 81 100000. These mines arc oo'
dou4, eral hundred miles beyond the l"hrU"' nc,''
dor diamond mines OF hlinOerlS'
~ latter mines are already connected WIN
l. H.. The sea coast by railroad Miners
on arc now focking to the gold mines III
the Transvaal Republic in great num-
hers In all such mining eXcltemenVS
NV @ tbern is a great deal of fiction mlXeo up
elpns With the facts But far beyond the
iuBg Transvaal Republic in MaShuna lano'
ngnS tbaro are renorts of wonderful discover
ueS ;as surnassing in richness any hereto
Fore known. The natives are extreme
Is Vsi luboctile TO the whites But the latter
Id IRE pushing on to the mines. II the golo
l@& il there it may be assumed that no naIiVe
lulF hostility will keep the miners OUT Inc
MI b latest theory is that the real Ophlr IS III
hetn Masbuna land. But it may be noted
that Ophir is always moved along to the
on M richest mines that are found. However,
yingF on the theory that Solomon pro-
udDt cured his gold for the temple from the
SOlNa southWest coast of Africa Ophir mlght
ono as well be located in the mysterious
.GM Mashuna land as elsewhere, until the
cm next famous discovery is made in Africa.
ia Nothing of consequence has for some
lvears been reported about gold in Cen
H1 |tral Africa Vague accounts are given
NV from time to time of natives who have
Ha, Ta Both gold and ivory to exchange
| Y' for goods Africa, as gold-bearing
Hg 81 countrv, is virgin ground The
m theOrY mas long pfeNdlleu GudI ~ 10 UllO
IN richest gold country in the world. This
'+A theory is partly supported by tradition
and in part by such accounts as have
" Been given from time to time by ex-
mG plorers. The isolated traveller could do
little in the way of gathering informa-
lei Zion about the mineral resources Of the
eA african continent. That was not his
fn business, These early explorers only
nsh Incidentally mention the finding of gold,
OWE as if it were really of no great impor-
e lance in comparison with other objects
YEA TO be attained. But whenever the fact
aH4 Is clearly demonstrated that there are
pR great and rich gold fields in Africa moth
aa Ing in the climate nor in the hospitality
4 of the native population will keep back
those who are in search of the golden
NM fleece. The discovery of vast gold-felds
- in Afri5a might be disastrous to the
~ natives but it would introduce crude
y civilization, the pioneer of still better
one which will one day take possession
4 of the entire African continent.-San
Francisco Evening Chronicle.