Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-22
LIFE IN JOHANNESBURG.
More About the Metropolis of the
TransVaal.

From the Home Journal
The Transvaal and its wonderful cosmo-
politan center. Johannesburg, are just low
of greater interest than ever Emigration
there from all enterprising civilized nations
Is still on the increase.
The railway journey from Cape Town to
johannesburg Of about three DAYS is
through seemingly endless, sandy coun-
try, with range succeeding range of Dis
tant mountains, all alike, and strikes
greater sense of vastness and desolation
than an expanse of naked ocean itself
FIRST and second class have sleeping ac-
commodation. the third being kept for
placks and the lowest class Dutch. Well,
we reach johannesburg which has not
even yet, with all its wealth, a coyered-in
railway station; while, by way of contrast
IN the progress Of the place, Just across
the road Is huge club, with tennis, cricket
Ioot pail ana cycling grounds, gymnasium
military band, halls for dancing, operas
oratorios, ETC.. which will bear comparison
with any you please. Its members are mil
lionaires and clerks, dodgers and their Iodp-
ing mouse Keepers, all equal there; for we
nave lett behind caste cliques and cathe-
dral cities, and are cosmopolitan, or in
word, colonial. An institution like this
gives US the state OF society there in q
nutshell, Tor. as wages are very high, any
one In anything like lucrative employment
can belong to it; and the grades in society
are determined by money, and money only
johannesburg the London of South Africa
WMch was nine years ago barren veldt,
eight years ago a miners camp, is now the
center of some one hundred thousand in
habitants, and increasing about as fast as
bricks and mortar can be obtained. 1t is
situated directly on top of the gold, and.
on looking down from the high ground
above, 1t looks to an English eye like
huge, long-drawn-out mass of tin sheds
with it's painted iron mine chimneys run
a q al nyoO ba
gold reef as far you can see in either
direction. The largest or main reef runs
FOR thirty miles uninterruptediy, gold-bear-
ing and honeycombed with mines through
out. This, even were it alone, could speak
for the stability and continued prosperity
of the Transvaal gold trade. On a mail
steamer arriving only few days ago from
the Cape was said to be between 1900 900
and 100000 worth of gold, and the news
papers show that usually about fIoo,0o0
worth is consigned by each mail boat.
To young fellows going out with a few
hundreds to try their luck, the old Aus
tralfan's advice, l think, holds good for
Africa, namely, to put your money into
safety for year. and not go into business
or specializing until you know your coun-
try. johannesburg business morality is
certainly not London business morality:
and leading business men at the former
place will tell you themselves that honesty
Is not expected there. For those who go TO
earn their livelihood, or to make money I
would say, do not go out without q fixed
trade or handicraft, or money to start upon,
or good introduction to some friend al
ready there. But remember that the Trans
vaal is veritable paradise for the work.
ingman who knows his business. All the
heavy part of the labor Is put out; the
Kaffirs do it, directed by him in a few
kaffir words and generally many English
explettves. Wages are paid monthly.
Miners make their Eos ESQ a month, If
first rate, and the blacks drill their holes
for blasting where and as they order them.
Carpenters blacksmiths. masons can get
about the same: and, whenever billet is
lost or cannot be obtained, short tramp
along the mines generally brings success.