The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-04
BEWARE OF soura AFRICA.
Letter Fresh . Mar Who Has Been
There. to Els sorrew.


There. to Its sorrew.
SEATTLE. Jan 81, 1894.
To THE ERROR: Viii yca k;ndly insert
in your valuable paper the following re-
mark in regard 10 South Africa. for the
benefit ofthose coarem plating soiny there
sailed from London January p. is3s.
for Cape Town, returning TIE latter part
Of May. ana was only too Glad when
reaehed the States again. Miners think
ing of goin< 10 johannesburg would do
better BY sfsyiag at home. even il times
are very anist here. The average OF miners
landing IN Caps Town IS about ter weekly,
and they are nearly ati from England.
They nearly all branch ont for Johannes
burg and naturally the employers prefer
an Enrlishman before an American. and
you viii ind this in all branches Of husi-
ness. professional or otherwise. The coll
ored people do al tee IaboTious work in
toe mines. and. as for the positions the
white man wonld take. ! suppose there
are about tifsy waiting for one opening 4
good miner can earn So week, and
think good miner can earn more here.
and then again he can live considerably
cheaper here He would have 20 pas for
board In Johannesburg about $40 weekly.
This Is speaking of board alone.
When | left Cape Town last May there
were hundreds OF men in Cape Town from
ail parts OF South Africa looking for en-
ployment. Lots OF them manage to get
down from the interior, and the first
chance they have of returning TO England
either working their passage or otherwise.
they will. The boat came back with TO
London was the Tartar, and eleven
worked their passage home, aud, having
so many applications. had 20 refuse a good
many. A stowaway is q common occur
renee.
Board in Cape Town Is S. . week. and
II you wanted a position as clerk, book
keeper, telegraph operator, etc, they
would offer yen wha, they call "a start"
That is to say. it doesn't matter how CON-
petent you may be. you have TO commence
with - or So week, and you think your
self lucky If you can get that There are
on an average of 100 applicants for each
one situation.
/ took my brother-in law from England
with me. He was earning there SO
week. and he tramped around Cane Town
seven weeks and finally got position and
/ have just heard from him and he is at
present earning S. q week at tue same
place.
As many people are returning from
South Africa as there are going: that is.
between 100 and so weekly. Men that do
get positions. alter they have saved, IL ever
they do. 500 to $500. return to England for
good.
Employers will not accept any diploma
from the United States OF any kind. it
doesn't matter how high tie reputation of
the college may be, and any one heading
there will only be too sorry he ever lett
home, as it costs more TO get from there
than it does to reach there. The whole
thing is. there is too much English about
il ali round, and after having the freedom
of this country you will find great differ
ence between South Africa and here.
There are two or shres prices on some of
the necessaries in Cape Colony, and this is
the cheapest place to live: House rent,
from IS weekly; -four. 6 cents per pound
potatoes. 80 pounds for 81 butter. so cents
to 30 cents per pound, bacon, IS cents per
pound AIrHE