Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-10-23

EAAtAion anu n nbHllAAAH NAlNn ~ Ailf
pride or the town.
GROWTH or THE TRANsvAAt.
No longer thah ten years ago even tho
ubiquitous British locked upon tue Trans
yaal as no better than n bowling wilder
ness. Some TRACES OF gold had been found
but they were not rcgarlcd as workable
at front. The house Of Rothschild ap-
ncaled to their American correspondent TO
send tho best mlning engineer IN this
country to South Africa TO investigate.
Mr. Gardner Williams. at present tho d.
rector OF the Dclieefs diamond mines At
Kimberly, undertook this mission Ha re-
ported 10 his prinoirnis that he was SUR
priscd and disgusted at their crodulity--
there was no gold IN the Witwatctsrdnl.
Mr.. Williams WAS an authority 81 ihc
first class. but. alasl for the inralhblltty
OF science and experience. the territory
which he condemned as worthless to tho
Ltld miner Is now yielding something like
SIC. 900, 600 q year OF the yellow metal Over
two thousand heads OF stamps are at
work. day ami night, over the limo OF
barren" outcrop for n distancc or forty
miles. This vast Industry, forty mines
alone OF which nrc capitalized nj ss5,oojtOO,
has IN ten years transformed a bleak.
rtmotc and unsmlling cattle range. sparse
~ pcopled with sullen Beers and hustiin
natives. into verituble lei Dorado,
likewise. II has produced the boom In
Kuffrs and Barney Barnato.
II should be some SOP 10 American
pride, after the conspicuous failure of Mr.,
Williams Judgment. to know that this
vast Industry Is directed by American
engineers, ana that most q the mining
machinery Is manufactured by au Amer
icrn firm.
BoER GOVERNMENT.
II Is a curious fact That the Dutch
Boer has nttlo share I'm the transactions
which have enriched MIR. Baranto. ana
that his benefits from the hoom have
come to him indirectly rather than d.
| rectly. The gold mines are owned by
foreigners, and worked 10y Foreigners.
who. as has been said, have no share IN
the government which protects their
property Yet with the indirect revenue
Of the mining. the Bocr government has
built railways, telegraphs and schools,
and maintains all the accessories OF civ
| iliZauon.
The head OF this curious minority gov
crnment might fairly be called the Bis
marclS OF Dutch South Africa, He Is
| President Paul Kruger, a man without
education but POSSESSING an indomitHhle
| will and the genius of government. IL ~
| hts hand, which, aided By the marvolS
OF nature. has raised the Bocr republic
| from a petty and impoverished province
to tho rank Of Il nation. Kruger him
! self grossly ignorant OF books had the
scnse to attach himself to a certain law
| student In Holland, In whom, with GER
| tain instinct, he deserted the clements OF
strength as well az ripe culture, These
two. Kruger and Dr. Leyds, maintain the
anomalous governmental conditions which
are found in tho Transvaul but nowhere
else ON earth,
| They have made their country rich, but
are themselves comparatively poor. Their
Joint fortunes would not equal the amount
which Barney Barnato may win or lose
| by tho fluctuation In Kaftirs Of a single
point on the London stock exchange.
! Life In johannesburg, tho metropolis Of
| the kaftir mining country, Is Just now
unique The town is reached By railway
! journey Of sixty hours, covering only 1893
miles from Cape Town. II this seems slow
/ II s the speed Of n "FlyinE nu;chman"
/ compared with the old days before the
| mining town, when the distance was nc
compllshcd in a months "trekldng.'
| Benldes whites of all nations. there ara
| In town Chinese. MRlays. lilndooa and u
: miscellaneous assortment OF Oricutuls,
D besides the native lIaitirs. Those latter
| the Boers, unlike their English neighbours
| do not allow TO vote or hold property, hut
| rule with 81 hand of iron. odmonishinE
them for all offences merciiessly with the
| lash.
LIFE IN JOHANNESBURG
There Is the usual contempt In border
/ towns for small change. A penny Ii Ii
/ o. ritslty, You can not buy even ono post
age stamp, but must take at least three,
/ laying doubt the exact amount on the
| postlffice counter.
Tho Netherlands company owns the
| forty miles OF railroad connecting tho
| Free State border with Johannesburg,
| Not long ago a circus company had to pay
US much to this company Tor their forty
miles as 1t had paid Tor tho previous
/ 1909 miles from the coast to the border.
but the investment brought good returns,
/ for the circus opened tho first night to
/ 1900 In spite OF tho fact that there were
three competing shows turning away
business" IN the same week n racing
meeting was held, at which $4,000 was
| given In prizes and 1--WE times that amount
was handled by tho bookmakeis.
The town has three daily and three
weekly papers, OF which the lowest price
| ia G and the highest Il cents. Some OF the
newsboys make as much as $50 n month.
| A household servant OF even moderate
| qualifications is prize. Homework Is
done chiefly by tho Kaffirs, Zulus and
coolies. most of whom are brought in raw
from the bush. They are shoclingly In
competent but readily command $40 IA
month. A really smart eoolie walter or
cook gets $40 a month
| The rate of board at hotels ranges up
ward from $3.50 day.
| one OF tho most remunerative callings
! In Johannesburg Is that OF the barmaid.
| HOIuf OF lHtht llANIthAlHb ifHlhitH AhIl
$3.50 month. TO say nothing of large re-
| turns from "benehts" Ia the form OF
birthday parties A frequent announce
ment In tho advertising columns OF the
johannesburg papers IN such us this:
Miss Evelyn (barmaid) VIII give a dance
In honor OF her birthday, All friends in
vitnd." Bnrmaids' birthdays occur on an
average once In three months.
Water as a beverage Is almost unknown.
II you can't drink wine, beer or spirits
| you must go Thirsty.
| The churches are well attended, and II
| is common practice to attend a Sunday
| evening concert after service.
Sports are very popular. especially BIZ
cycling.
There is plenty OF weather. mixed" A
summers day begins fine and cold. Be-
fore noon raging dust storm blows. In
| the afternoon there Is rain. with terrific
lightning, and appalling peals OF thunder.
In the evening overcosts are necessary for
comfort.
Such ls the town. now seven years old.
from which rndlateH the boom that II
raoking three European capitals, driving
capitalists TO distraction and adding MIL
lions to the tons OF millions OF barney
Barnato.
Reminiscent.