The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-18


as the region is further developed the
miners will have to go deeper and deep
er into the earth and the cost Will be
much greater AS 1t is, the prospects
OF an enormous quantity of gold from
South Africa are excellent Hamilton
Smith, who is perhaps one of the best
mining engineers of the world and who
was here not long ago as the agent for
the Rothschilds, to look up their Amer
lean investments, estimates that the
Rand gold district of Africa will pro-
duce a billion and a quarter dollars
worth of gold. He says that gold has
been found there as far down in the
earth as $500 feet, and that it exists
In all probability to the depth of 1900
ieet; Much of the mining will have to
De done at this depth, and according to
MS estimate 1t would take about $3,00O,-
ooo TO equip mine working at depth
or 3,OOO feet. He expects the product
OF the African mines to exceed $50, 000,-
000 year by the close of the century.
and he believes that they will be profit
able for years to come. Today all Of
the African mines must be economically
managed in order for them to pay
dividends. A great part Of the gold
mas to go back into the mine in the
shape OF machinery and labor, and up
10 the present only about fifth of
the gold gotten out has been clear
pront. There are now employed in this
African gold district 5000 white men
and $4,000 blacks. Wages are low and
everything is done on the largest and
most economical scale
MINING IN AUSTRALIA.
A number of new cyanide mills are
being put up in Australia. I am told
that new mines are being discovered
III dlnerent parts of that country and
recent report to our director of the
mint states that the Australian gold
n t nave hardly been scratched.
Some of the best mines of TODAY are
In West Australia, in a district whe1~
there is little water. In the Coolgardie
gold region, for instance, water some
times brings as high as 25 cents a. gall
ION, as there are no great quantities
OF water within three hundred miles
OF the gold fields. There is a. great
gold ree1 IN this district. 1t was dis
covered by two young men, who found
a torty-f1ve-ounce nugget sticking out
OF mountain of quartz, They took
bag OF nuggets off Of a single claim
and came back to their camp loaded
with gold. The Mercur mining dis
trlct south of Salt Lake, is also affect
ed by the lack of water, but this has
been remedied by forcing water over
the mountains from a stream on the
other side. The parties who own the
water works have a fortune in them.
water, in fact, costs so much in Mer-
cur that the mills using it do not allow
the steam to escape, but run it off into
pipes up the mountain. AS the steam
strikes the cold pipe it condenses and
flows back SO that it can be used
again.
HINDOOS ARE BOARDING.
An enormous amount of the gold of
the world is locked up in India. Dur
ing a visit to that country a few years
ago L found that gold had gone out of
circulation. The people seemed miser-
ably poor, but they had quantities of
JeWelry. Girls dressed in cotton often
wore gold and silver bracelets and
anklets, and many barefooted girl
had gold rings and gold bells on her
toes. For ages the East Indians have
been oppressed. They have not dared
to loan their money for fear they
would lose it, and they have preferred
to put 1T into ornaments. This custom
prevails today. even though there is
now. under the English, security of
property. Among the chief hoarders
are the Indian rajahs, who wear the
most expensive of jewelry. I saw
many gold rings set with precious
stones worth a thousand dollars and
upward, and I found gold chains for
sale everywhere. Sir David Barbour
estimated the amount of the gold
boarded in India during the half CEN
fury previous to 1885 at $780, 900, 00O
This was the accumulation of only fifty
years He estimated that $500 600 900
worth Of silver was boarded in this
time, and states that nearly all the
gold and silver which came into India
In return for its exports was thus kept
NI,n L do I,,+
countries. He lives on rice or coarse
grains. A cotton rag in most cases
forms his clothing. All the money he
gets he keeps, and if this boarding is
to continue it is certain that a great
part of the gold will eventually be
absorbed by the East Indians The
English have realized this for a long
time. They have attempted to remedy
it, but in vain. About ten years ago
they tried to get the boarded gold and
silver into circulation by Offering high
rates of interest for money, but the
natives would not respond. They are
about 100000 native bankers in India.
who lend to the peasants, but the most
of their business is done in kind, the
money lender advancing so much grain
with the understanding that he shall
receive so much back when the crop
is harvested.
TREASURES OF THE RAJAHS.
The wealth of the native princes of
India is known only to themselves. A
recent report from an English officer
i'll the Indian pOStOffice shows that
one native prince has been storing away
gold at the rate of from two hundred
to three hundred thousand dollars a
year. He buys gold mohurs, a coin
worth about SIS, with his silver rupees,
and puts the gold in a strong vault in