Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-10-18
TRANSVAAL WONDERS.
DR.. j. W. Matthews Tells of the Fabulous
Wealth for the Miner.

W6dGIl lUl' Gll6 WlIl6l.
DIR. J. w Matthews, pioneer OF
Cape Town, and for over dozen years
past a resident of Johannesburg IN the
Transvaal Republic, and who has had
many curious experiences IN South
Africa, is at the Palace, says the San
Francisco Chronicle. For time he
belonged to the Council Of Cape Town.
He has also been member of the
Sanitary Board of johannesburg, and
during nearly all of the time of his
residence in that country has been IN
terested IN the diamond and gold
fields Dr. Matthews says that in his
opinion the TranSyaal Republic Il
entering on a career Of prosperity
which the past is but the merest Ig-
gestion, much as it has hitherto ,ton
ished the world. His reasons for this
are in part the vast gold reefs recently
discovered in the new parts of the
country, which are greater by far than
those which have made the country
famous, and the extension of the Selati
Railroad from Delagoa Bay which will
enable miners to get machinery and
other supplies in quickly and with light
charges Tor freight.
"1he whole of California from 1919 to
1892" said he, "produced e230, 1000 600
of gold, whereas we, in eleven linear
miles of the gold range, will produce at
our present rate of output 1928 100000.
The gold-bearing reef is conglOmerate
from five to fifteen feet in width, and IN
some instances, as has been proved,
2,200 feet deep. Besides this compare
lively small territory in which SO much
wealth has been found, we have the
/ l. A.
Range, in which reefs 100 feet broad
and equally as rich have been discoy
cred.
"In January, 1886, we began taking
out gold at the rate Of 10000 ounces, or
$3.50, 900 a month, and now we are aver
aging l20 900 ounces month, or 81, 0UO,-
600 month. The product is SO great
that one is continually astonished, and
is compelled to stop and ponder over
it. When the mines Of the Selaba and
Murchison mountains begin to be
opened our present output will be but
a drop in the bucket.
THE best miners we have are from
the Pacific states of America. They
have an expert knowledge and are OF
| the class we most desire. For long
time we had nobody who really under
stood much about mining, but as soon
as we began to get men who were we'll
posted in it we made great progress.
Why, here is an instance, that of
Charles T.. Buffers of Grass Valley, Cal.
He went over there and started chlOr-
nation works, and the first month he
cleaned up-abOve all eXpenses-S75,-
OO0 This, remember, was the first
month. Many other Californians are
connected with leading mines and mills,
and are all doing well.
"There are three powerfully rich min
ing houses or firms in the Trausvaal, the
same as the Rothschilds the Goulds and
the Nanderbilts, generally speaking, are
prominent in finance in England and
this part of the world. They are the
EckSteinS, the BarnatoS and SlglSmund
Neuman. All these are owners of Won
derfully rich groups of mines.
eve have a remarkably good govern
ment and a safe one, though it may be
called a little slow. Still, while the
| United States pays its President S50, 900
year, we pay ours $40 900. This, when
| you consider that the whole of the
| Transvaal is nothing like so big as Cali
fornia, a single state of the American
union, it will be seen that we do not do so
poorly by ourrulers. President Kruger
is a very reliable and careful man and is
getting rich very last.
"One thing that will strike you as sur
prising is our very heavy duty. For in
stance, all our cigars come from Ha-
vana, and there is duty of 6 cents on
every single one. The duty, with the
amount charged by the dealer, makes
the total cost of cigar So cents. Yet
we smoke them right along. We also
pay duty Of 2 cents on every banana.
On hams we pay a duty of a cents a
pound, which makes hams sell for
about 60 cents on the average. On
many other things we pay proportion
ate duties, and still we thrive and get
wealthy. | think, however, it will only
be short time till the duties are re-
duced.
"Despite the guarding of the diamond
mines there is still good deal of steal
ing of diamonds. They are constantly
inventing new ways to circumVent the
guards. 1t is agreat temptation to steal.
A native findsa diamond, for instance, as
| big as walnut. Well, if he can secrete
| it it means that he has fortune and
| that he need never work any more. A
| diamond that size is worth SO, 900,
| enough to last poor native all his life.
So he sets to work continuing how to get
i away with it.
81 have known them to conceal dia
monds in their nostrils and in their hol-
| lowed-out boot heels and in all manner
Of ways scarcely to be imagined. Do
| the best the guards can the laborers will
make away with some"