Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-11-07
1900 MILES OF GOLD.
Enormous Treasure Still Tn
mined i'm the Snake-Like
Veins of the Tranvaal.

VEINS Oh the lfsttltalt.
The most enormous deposits of gold
which the world has ever heard of are
those reported BY DIR. George +.
Becker, OF the United States Geologi-
cal Survey, who has returned to
Washington after visit to the Trans.
vaal. He saws that at the present
time there are $4,000, 000,000 worth
of gold in sight within fifteen miles of
Johannesburg. This is nearly as
much as the entire volume Of gold
coin now in the world
This precious metal is found in
vein which runs along the surface. 1t
is like gigantic snake OF gold, which
wriggles its way through the Trans
vaal.
This vein is of unknown depth. DIR.
Becker inspected the vein for fifteen
miles about johannesburg. in the
interest Of some private mining COM
panies, and in the figures he quotes he
refers only to those parts of the great
Rand rect, with which he is personally
familiar.
But even more amazing than these
stupendous figures is the testimony
brought back by DIR. Becker of a
former assistant in the Geological
Survey, who is now at Johannesburg.
This mining expert says that to his
knowledge and belief the gold reef,
instead Of being thirty miles long. as
is now supposed it is practically 1900
miles long.
If thirty miles of this reef contains
So, 800, 100000 worth of gold. 1900
miles of it would contain sl40,000.-
600, 900 worth of the precious metal.
No wonder the English were anxious
TO grab the Rand reef and sent out
Jameson to rescue the widows and
orphans of Johannesburg!
The outcroppings Of this stupendous
deposit Of gold are clearly marked in
the neighborhood of johannesburg.
The top of the reef sticks above the
level surface of the country.
The main reef, as it is called, varies
in width from a few inches to several
feet in thickness. II does not descend
vertically, but at steep ircline. Not
even the deepest shaft which has yet
been sunk in the Rand district has
come to the bottom of this gold-bear-
ing reef.
Some of these shafts now 60 down
to depth Of 1900 feet, and the dia-
mond drill has brought up specimens
of the rock from a much deeper level.
According to the accepted opinion of
the hest California experts. economi-
cal mining cannot be carried on at a
greater depth than 5000 feet.
DIR. Becker in his estimate of three
and half billion dollars worth of
gold now in sight has not calculated
on the possibility Of mining beyond
that limit. In the Rand, however, it
is expected that mining can be car
ried ON at greater depth. the miners
there expecting to follow the reef
down almost into the bowels Of the
earth, no matter how costly these
operations may be.
within fifteen miles Of Johannes
burg" says DIR. Becker, ION what is
called the man reef series, there is an
amount of gold practically in sight
estimated to be worth SO, 500. 900, 900.
| say practically in sight, because
the gold is extraordinarily uniform, as
coal in an ordinary deposit, as has
been shown by the shafts.
1.-The life of a gold mine is usually
estimated at twenty-five years, and it
is safe to say that this product will be
worked in that period. For the pres
ent the gold is being taken out at the
rate of s100,0O0,000 a year, and it
would not be surprising if within
few years the South African gold out
put equalled that Of all the rest Of the
world besides.
The worlds gold product in 1894
was nearly 1881. 100000, of which
about s40,000,0 900 came from the
Transvaal and nearly as much from
the United States. The greatest
product of this country was that OF
1858, which reached s65,000,000.'
There are more than 100 important
gold mines now being operated in this
little district about johannesburg,
which is now producing more gold
than California yielded in its palmiest
days as mining State. Only some
of the mines are situated on the out
crop of the reef. In the other mines
the ore is reached by digging a con-
siderable distance to strike the bearing
level, and then they follow it.
The whole Of the region in which
lies this vast reef Of gold, SO far as it
has been identified, is controlled by
the Beers. and within the territory of
the Transvaal Republic.