The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-12
LETTER FROM AFRICA
An American Engineer Describes the
Situation in johannesburg.
HAD TO PAY DOUBLE DUTY
The Boar Government Believes In
Taxation Without Representa-
tion-Foreigners Not Allowed
to Become Citizens.

George Ames of San Francisco. who
is stopping at the Montana hotel for
few days, received an interesting let
ter from a. friend of his in South At
RIGA. The writer is a mining engineer
named Charles Raymond Johns
ton and the letter, though writ
ten before the Jameson troubles.
tells very plainly the state of
public sentiment there before the
uprising occurred. The letter is as fol-
lows. under date of Johannesburg.
Dec. 20:
Johannesburg is very dirty place.
The death rate Is high. Hotels are do
ing a thriving business here. i tried
four of them before | could find accom-
modations The food and rooms are
not good and prices are high. -Four
dollars per day. by the week, paid in
advance. Vegetables are scarce, con-
sequently we have to live on meat
most Of the time. If you drink this
water 1t will be all up with you in
short time. Imported soda or mineral
waters are the only waters you can
drink These are expensive, 20 cents
per small bottle. AS this is a climate
where one is thirsty often, IT requires
about four bottles per day to satisfy IT.
f. The climate here is not bad The
Many of the houses are made Of cor
rugated iron, others of brick with Ger
rugated iron roofs. Outside the town
there are some nice residences. Those
are occupied by the rich.
Thinking l could find a reasonably
cheap room l started out; after five
hours tramping in different directions
| found one unfinished. For this
they asked $40 per month. Reasonably
cheap restaurants or moderately cheap
boarding houses are not to be found.
To live half respectable 1t will cost $50
to 500 per month.
The mines in number and richness,
as a whole, have not their equal in the
world. The Gold Field company's reefs
extend 40 miles In more or less
straight line. Twenty miles of this Is
under development. In different places
they have bored to depth OF 1,500 to
1000 feet, and found 1T richer than at
the surface. There are a great many
mines here. scattered around the dis
trict as far as the eye can reach in
every direction. There Is ore enough
i'm these mines 30 last for the next 20
years. If not longer. Some parts OF the
country are productive, but II wants
cultivation. Trees and flowers grow
faster and larger than at home Cali
fornfa). Most of the country is not up
to much, the frosts and locusts destroy
everything. Sheep and oxen thrive in
some parts. Horses and mules die
fast.
Everything that comes into this
place Is doubly taxed, once at Cape
Town and again at johannesburg. The
farmers buys his -four instead of grow
ing wheat. They are not progressive
enough. They will not produce suffi-
cient vegetables for the market. The
products are brought in on OK teams
In, or "a
is, the successful bidder takes what he
wants. Then they bid again and so On.
There are many men here who want
to go into business, but cannot on &C
count of there being no empty build
ings. The foreigner cannot become a
citizen here. although he Is heavily
taxed; he has no say as to how the
taxes he pays shall be used. Instead
of the government improving the place
they put the taxes in their pockets.
They wanted TO bore for gold in an
other section OF the state. The presi-
dent said, No; you are taking out too
much gold now He also wanted them
to stop destroying locusts and their
eggs, stating that II would be an act
against Providence. The consequences
are that in a few days there may be a
general upheaval here with the Beers.
The mine owners and the foreigners
want a proper republic. They have had
printed what they call The Union
Manifesto They intend holding a
meeting on the 9Th of January, and as
this is against the law, the question
arises, Where are we at? Some are
sending their wives and children out
of the state. The business men do not
know what to do. Some of the Rand
mines have shut down, and reports
say they have armed the miners. There
are thousands of negroes here and in
case of trouble. If they should get liq-
uor. they would raise the devil Things
look very bad. The people say there
must be a change, If not at once, why.
later on. If the government will not
listen, they intend taking things in
their own hands.
This Is unfortunate for me. as I
may have 10 take to the hills, instead
OF making money as intended. As l
had to pay s. tax on my rifle at cape
Town and another Sc here, and as /
have GO rounds OF ammunition. if the
worst comes TO the worst. | will be
agin the government"