The herald., 1896-01-07

like in its richness. Scratch the surface
cast thereon some seed as promiscuousiv
as though you were feeding chickens. and
| a harvest of abundance is the result. Good
coal is abundant five feet below the soil.
Law in the Transvaal is little better than
! farce-it neither protects the veal; nor pun
! ishcs the roug. An English lady at one
/ of our resting places protested to me that
/ she could obtain no redress from the fraud
! and oppression of her Boer neighbors.
was informed. after careful inquiry from
reliable sources. that if a white man be
! murdered or manned by black. the land
roost and his sublrdinates instantly hunt
10 the district until some one suffers for
the crime. And if the color of injurer
/ and injured he reversed. is there the
same activity in furtherance of jus
tice?' l asked. The tacit reply of
grim smile implied volumes.
The wonderful town of Johannesburg is
situated in the midst Of an ugly. bare,
dreaiy area, which is rendered
more displeasing by the ever
cases of snimats one has to drive by in
order tn enter IT, The hotels are bad, but
influilely above the dirt and chui lishness
prevalent at the Transvaal veldt shauties.
Houses of every size, architecture and
material have been erected without the
slightest regard to public convenience and
quite untrammelled by any municipal
restrictions. A broker showed me small
room like garret for which $500 a year;
and still binding cannot keep pace with
the requirements. In 1887 Johannesburg
had population of about 1900; today it
it has one of about 100000, with
monthly influx of little short of 1000
The Exchange, 10 which / got admission as
a special favor, is far too small for its
needs, and gives an inadequate idea of the
amount of business transacted there. For
the privilege of IA tiny bar, the tenant pays
work in a carriage and pair. A pale,
sickly lad was pointed out to me as
having recently lost S35O.OOO. but he
still retained a balance of 81 800 900 to
continue his sPeculations. Offer 20 lend
money at l = per cent and a crowd will fol-
low you down'the street imploIing you for
the loan. on security as good as that of the
Standard bank. A deal fails to be attract
i've unless it promises 20 per cent in three
months
Eau-de-cologne is worth So for small
bottle. | am charged 70 cents for a small
glass of beer by barmaid who is care
lessly slipping champagne out of a small
bottle, the price of which is $3.50.
The mining section of the town is called
the "Randt'' and is a narrow ridge extend
ing many miles further than the eye can
reach. due east and west. On the crest of
the ridge the area is marked out with
lengths of old bar5ed wire attached to
shows a company's claim. l was taken
over one mine by young fellow of about
20. clad in dirty rags a tramp would dis
card, but the moment he spoke l found
that he was highly educated English gen.
tleman. He said he was 50 hard at
work he had no time TO look after his
toilet. but he was nearly done, he had
London exchange for 81 100000 and
hoped to be home in few months at his
fathers rectorv in Devonshire. The mines
are worked by Kaflirs, black and hideous
in the tiickering lights, nude, sweltering,
picking, hauling, dancing with a sort of
half-mad activity. They might be taken as
iii emblems of the SONS of Vulcan. They
possess one less classical peculiarity. The
bouquet de Kaffir'' is in its way quite as
distinct as the "bouquet de Renard," and |
more overrowering.
When the treaty OF SS1 was signed at |
the close of the last war. the British resi-
dents in Pretoria soemny and publicly
burned the national flag and erected over |
it tablet bearing the following inscription:
In loving memory of the British flag in the |
Transvaal, who departed this life on the |
second of August 1881. in her fifth year. !
IN other climes none other knew her but !
to love her. Resurgam Will this prophecy
be fulfilled. On the smallest provocation,
there breaks forth the never-varying cry, !
mo more Downing street for u.s. Next |
time we will manage our own affairs"