Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1893-07-29
A WONDERFUL CITY.
Tho Rapid Growth OF Johannes
burg, South Africa.
An Gel Dorado IN tho Midst OF . Tree
less Waste That Has Bccolno F0-
- NOUS for It's Mineral Wealth
and Architectural Beauty.


an elevation of 0,OOO feet above sea
and pleasant, says q correspondent of
tho St. Louis Globe-Dcmocrat. In
winter, which is from May to the end
Of August, the weather is sufficiently
cool to make ON overcoat q necessity,
and ut night and in the mornings the
air is very cold and bracing. In sum-
MGR the heat Of the sun is tempered
by. gentle winds that are constantly
blowing. In the year 1856 the govern
ment of the South African republic
proclaimed and threw open for min
ing purposes tract of land on which
gold had previously been discovered and
found to be in paying quantities. This
tract of land, which was then q tree
less prairie, with no human hnbitation
within miles of It and no railroad ia
cilitics or other means of transporta-
ton. is to-dny-scven years later-the-
site, of Johannesburg, q city of $4,000
inhabitants, with all tho improve
ments and eonvcr;cnces of tho modern
American city Of similar size. The re-
marl1ablc feature of its rapid growth
is that every bit of material used in the
construction of buildings and in the
equipment OF the mines had to- DO
transported on freight wagons, drawn
by oxen, hundreds of miles from tho
nearest railroad terminus or seaport.
Shortly after the proclaiming of the
district open for mining purposes min
ing men noclscd to the new I'll Dora
do" from oil parts Of the world. Pros
pecting was vigorously pushed in every
direction. and ere long it w;ss discov-
that the lodo bearing the precious
metal was very extensive, having
length of forty miles and q breadth
varying from onc-half to two miles, ito
thickness varying from one to, seven
feet. The. country through which the
golrl%bearing strata passes was all
stakod out into mining claims and in
numcra6lc 81 indicates and mining COM
panics were organized. In November,
1887, there were no less than Gi:Sty-cight
gold mining companies, with ;I.nominal
capital of S15,315,000 and in January,
1890. there were $50 companics. with $685.
600, 900 capital. These extensive prep
aration3 were made for. active mining.
Tho assembling of SO many people in
mushroom town made good open
iuGs for all kinds of business. a cham
hcr of mines was organized. COM
priscd chiefly of men engaged in tho
mining industry, its object being to-
collect statistics and generally to fur
thcr tho interests of mining. A cham.
Der Of commerce for the interest of
the commercial community was also
formed. Churches. theatcrS, govern
mcnt building. business blocks nnd
oil kinds of public buildings of q sub
stnntial nature were constructed, and
thus the mining camp gradually devel-
opcd into beautiful city, with broad
streets linod with magnificent storcs,
hotels. Office buildings and theatcrs in
tho business center, and in the sub
urbs bca,stiful residences of the uiostar-
tistic Architectural designs. Johannes
burg has had it's bud times also, young
rs it is. There was 4 naturol pause in
its career of prosperity when tho first.
excitement cooled down in some de-.
grcc and arSactipn sch in. But it has
entirely recovered from this temporary
hull, and assured confidence in it's
futurc is felt by NIL who rcalizc,its i'm
menBe mineral wealth. Most of the
mines at present are paying handsome
dividends. anGdeveloping is constant,
ly going along: The monthly yield of
the gold mines in. tho Witwntusrandt
district exceeds Ss:COo,O0o, md from
tho known resources it is fair. to say
that ere long tho monthly yield will
be doubled. Most of tho,worlS in tho
mines is done by negroes; there being
more than 10, 0o0' employed in this dis
trict. Their dnily wages average
about 90 CENTS, ands sufficient corn
meal is given them, to mako their
porridge, which.is thcipprincipnl food.
The white miners nre employed to act
as foremen over gangs;of negroes, and
there are really moro whites here than
there are placesfor them, Johannes
bug.is full. of strength and vitality,
andibids fair TO- be a. great. city some
day soon,.