Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-11-06
KING SOLOMON'S MINES.
They Have Been Undiscovered in
South Africa,
where 10000, 900 Worth OF the
yellow Metal IL Actually Gin sight,

where $1,000, 900, 900 Worth OF the
Yellow Metal Is Actually Gin sight"
DIR. George F. Becker of the geological
survey has just returned from a visit to
the golden territory of the Rand, and he
gives an astonishing description Of the
great quartzite reef which is destined
within a short time to yield as much gold
as all the rest of the mines on earth put
| tog, ther.
The certainty that this enormous ore
body will add four billions of dollars
worth of gold to the worlds supply within
| the next so years has extraordinary inter-
est Just now. Some financial experts be-
| lieve that this flood of yellow metal will
make change in the relative values of
| gold and silver before long, causing the
| latter to rise to so cents an ounce perhaps.
1t is now 60 cents an ounce. The reef in
question is itself geological curiosity, be-
ing nothing more nor less than an ancient
sea-beach. There are now 90 mines along
the reef, employing 10000 laborers, and
the output last year was S46,OOO,OOO in
gold. BY 1900 the annual output will
have reached 100000, 900. The entire
gold production Of the world in 1895 was
$780, 00,0 600. The greatest production of
| L0dJ metal III lut Oulltu Okdlco was III
1858, amounting to S65, 100000.
The deepest of the holes thus far dug in
following the reef down its incline is 300
feet. The richness is always about the
same, and to all appearance the ore body
continues indefinitely. A limit to the
practical working of the mines, however,
must be set at 1000 feet, or little less
than a mile, because the gold-bearing rock
cannot be obtained and brought to the sur
face from a greater depth prohtably. BY
means of diamond drills the deposits have
been explored far beyond the deepest ex
cavations, with the resulting discovery that
the almond cake keeps right on of the
same uniform quality. The ore is not of
extraordinary richness, but the extent of
the deposits is vast beyond anything hith-
erto dreamed of by the most imaginative
miner.
The town of Johannesburg, which has
obtained so much celebrity owing to the re-
cent disturbance in the Transvaal, is stu
ated directly upon the edge of the great
reef. The exposed reef is 80 miles long.
The ore being as uniform in quality as the
coal in Pennsylvania seam, it is possible
to estimate with close accuracy the entire
quantity of gold which the deposits NAV be
expected to yield, the limit of digging being
5000 feet. Thus is it said that there is
81 900 600 900 worth of the yellow metal
actually sin sight," as miners phrase 1t. So
1t would appear that only about half cen
tury will be required for the complete ex-
haustion of these mines.
There is something very important to be
added, however. A few years ago one of
DR.. Decker's scientific assistants took a no.
tion to try his fortune in the Rand district.
That he knows his business may be in
ferred from the fact that he is now worth
81, 5000 He told DR.. Decker a few
weeks ago that it was great mistake to
suppose that the reef was only 80 miles in
length. He gave it as his opinion that it
was probably not less than 200 miles long.
Though the outcropplng is only for 30
miles, it is believed that sthe reef continues
for several hundred miles in both direc-
tions, though underground and covered
over by barren strata. Very likely ii is not
buried deep, and to reach the unexposed
portions of it would not require much dig
ging. II this is true the greatest of all
! known bonanzas is well-nigh nexhaustible.
Deposits of coal overle the reef for part
of its extent.
The Beers, after settling in the Trans
vaal, occupied themselves with stock rails
ing and agriculture. The idea of utilizing
the mineral resources of the country never
occurred TO them. In 1884 Boer named
Marais, who had visited the Australian
mines, found traces of gold in the sands of
the Yokeskey river; but the government
published a decree forbidding prospecting
under heavy penalties. 1t was feared that
the thirst for gold would cause an influx Of
foreigners and endanger the independence
of the little republic. The edict was re-
pealed in the sixties, and the first mining
operations were begun in 1872, when over
100000 worth was obtained from the
, bed of Pilgrims Creek, some of it in Jumps
that weighed as much as 225 ounces.
! Gold-miners focked into the country,
and in 1884 the celebrated Sheba beds
were discovered; Not until half dozen
years later did the Struben brothers dis
cover the reefs of the Rand. They set up
( a stamp mill and began working the ore,
against the advice of experts, who thought
it was sheer nonsense to dig deep into the
earth for the purpose of following an an.
cient sedmentary deposit. 1t soon be-
! came apparent that rough miners could
l not work the ores at a profit, and compa-
J MES with large capital and improved ma
chinery took up the claims. Endless diff
e culties had to be overcome, including the
e transportation of implements, machinery,
g food supplies, ETC., over $40 miles of al
most impossible roads. There was no
wood suitable for fuel, but most fortunately
; coal was found in large quantities.
OF course, this particular reef was not
, worked by King Solomon and his queen.
J The region, however, was undoubtedly the
, same as that exploited for gold by the
scriptual monarch. The entire country as
far north as the Zambesi river is rich in
gold, both alluvial and quartz-reef. Pros
pectors say that from Beira, on the east
/ coast, inland to Salisbury, are discovered
indications of extensive mining done many
centuries ago. Scientists assert that Beira
was the Ophir of the Bible, from which
Solomon and thesqueen of Sheba got their
gold. Bera is $50 miles northeast of
Buluwayo, the capital of the Matabele
kings. Old shafts are still to be seen
Whereabouts, and in the ruined city of Zim-
babye, to the north of the Transvaal, have
been found ancient smelling furnaces,
crucibles and moulds for casting gold
bricks.