The Helena independent., 1893-12-16
\ Butte Mining Man Tells Of the
Mining Outlook Near
johannesburg.
e Is q Very Poor Place for the
Working American Miner
to Locate.
The Mon Who DO the Work Get Ten Doll
lars a Month and Thousands Of Mem
Arc Stranded There.


lips Of many mining men Of Colorado as
lhs most promising gold camp in the
world. Tho enormous output. the immense
area OF mineralixsd territory. the fact that
he ore 10 free milling and the reports Of
great fortunes that have been realized dur
Ing tho last i've years, hays combined to
cast glamor about The word "Johannss-
burg" which has caused hundreds of Amer
loan miners to turn thsir faces in the d.
section Of the dark continent. The long
journey Of Il. 600 miles has no terrors for
Tho men who fondly anticipate that In
few brief years at most they will board
homeward bound steamer with an inds'
pendent fortune in their possession.
II might be wise thing for persous
afflicted with a touch Of the African gold
fever to call upon G. Y. Reeder. who 10
gusst OF The Metropols hotel. says recent
issue OF the Denver News. Mr.. Resdsr 10 a
we'll known citizen Of Butts. Hs left for
South Africa last June and spent six
weeks In Johannesburg, during which he
made careful investigation Of the advan-
tskcs Of the camp. As a result Of his OBJ
servations. he advises American man to
stay away from South Africa. Tho Rocky
mountains present incomparably brighter
chances for success in mining than can be
hoped for BY outsiders who may hereafter
90 to the South African fields. Practical
mining men with money for investment
and good mining engineers and experts
might accomplish something at Johan-
nesburg," says Mr.. Rssder. but the
working miner should avoid South Africn
as he would the pestilence. The city OF
Johannesburg has $4,000 Inhabitants. at
least As. 600 OF the number being blacks.
ornamsnted with no c-othing except a
bresch- -olout or coffee sack. The work in
and about the mines is performed almost
entirely by the blacks. who are paid the
muniicent salary Of ton to seventeen shill-
ines per week. When / loft the camp tho
mine owners were preparing to reduce the
wages to standard of forty shillinRs, or
BIO, month. No white man can livs at
lhe figures named. and il is mystery how
300 mining men from Montana and other
states In this country are existing at the
present time in the Johannesburg region.
There was rush from Australia early in
the season and 5000 to 10000 Australian
miners are stranded around Johannesburg
with starvation staring them in the face.
II 10 . rich mans camp and the poo, man
had better try his luck everywhere else in
the world before taekling Johannesburg"
The district, according to Mr.. Reeder, is
about forty miles long. Johannesburg lies
near the center. with mines extending
along tho "reef.'' northeast and southwest
of the town. This region for hundreds of
miles 10 desolate, naked, rolling prairie.
with scant supply of water and ve'y little
vegetation Of any description. The vein
10 ten inches TO nifty inches wide and dips
10 that the owner of claim 200x40O feet
soon finds his share of the mineralized body
exhausted. Tho law does nos permit q
mine owner to follow the vein beyond the
measured from the side of
his claim.
The ora is handled by eighty stamp mills.
whose pounding is heard night and aay the
year around. Tho yellow metal is shipped
BY rail to Cape Town and thence to Eng
land. The first output from the Johannes
burg distrist was reported in 1888. the out
put in ounces for Eve years being as fol-
lows: 1888. 230. 1S9 ounces; 1883, 1863, Dol |
ounces; 1880. 494, $40 ounces 1891, 729, c33
ounces, and 1892. 1,210, SG5 ounces. The |
output in dollars last year was upwards OF
Mr.. Reede1 says Johannesburg IL the
most disaRreeable city in the world as a |
place Of residence. The red soil is keps in |
motion by high winds which are on ram
page almost every day OF tho year, and the
visitor imaRines be has landed in the mid
die of simeon. Tho altitude of tho camp
Is slightly above that of Denver. being
) 773 feet
Mr.. Resder states that the round trip
from Butte cost him $1,5OO. The actual
,ost is much higher than is usually stated
1t the railroad Offices. The journey iu-
1olves sea voyage of 5000 miles from
Now York via Southampton to Cape Town
md johannesburg is 1.011 miles by rail |
from tho seaport. If close connections arc
made the trip one way may be accom-
Dlished in forty days. Tho British in the
.old district do not look with favor on
Americans. "There's another id Yam
kee." and "another mining expert from
America to take the place of an English-
man." were expressions heard by the Mon
lana man whom he stepped off the cars at
Ehe end OF his journey. The Yankees ars
aoted for rounding up the best paying
positions and are recognized as being
orainier than their sleepy cousins across
Tho water.
The immediate object of Mr.. Re.der's
visit to Africa was not to locate at Johan-
nesburg. He had his eye fixed on a new
gold region 800 miles further into the in
terlor OF the continent. but his longing was
brought to sudden termination BY the |
war which is in progress between King Lo-
bsnRula and tho British South African
company. The company bought choice
|raot OF 10000 square miles of mineral
and from the festive African ruler, but
when the prospectors put in an appearance
Ehey were confronted bp an army of 80. 900 |
Africacs. 1t is thought about q year will
DO required to drive she blacks out Of the
disputed territory. When the atmosphere
ID cleared up, Mr.. Reedsr says hs will make |
second attempt to reach the interior of |
he dark continent.