The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-08

pleasant Celtic face. and former en-
ployee of the Ontario mine in Park
City. got back from the Rand district
in South Africa yesterday
A year ago last Christmas Mr.. Harley
left for johannesburg, and reached the
great diggings in the month of March
following He secured employment in
the Simmer & Jack mine and worked
continuously for about year. when
he had an attack of homesickness and
returned to America after spending a
little time in the home of his nativity
in Ireland.
Mr.. Harley states that most of the
mining in the Rand is done by con-
tract, the miner agreeing on a stipu-
miners who work on the rock drill is
e 1 per day. Others who work with the
native Kaffirs receive 15s Cd, the latter
receiving half a crown as their wage,
equivalent to so cents. The Kaffirs and
their bosses monopoiize all the heavy
work around a mining camp. A law of
the country prohibits the natives from
engaging in any employment necessi-
tating the use of powder and dyna-
mite, fearing that their ignorance and
carelessness in the use of explosives
would endanger the lives of white
men. Neither are the Kaffirs employed
around machinery, except as "hewers
of wood and drawers of water
While the wages of the Rand are
better, Mr.. Harley says the method of
living is no comparison to the board
inghouse fare of the Park City miner.
There is plenty of bread and beef, but
little of anything else, and no milk but
condensed milk. For this fare the
miner pays $50 per month. The fare
of the Kaffirs is mainly Indian corn.
There is no agricultural region closer
than the Orange Free State, and most
of the beef comes from Australia The
transportation of the country around
the mining district is by OK teams,
strings of 16 and 20 oxen often being
observed in a track, driven by Kafiirs.
The price of grain keeps out the horse
and mule.
Among the miners there is a liberal
representation of Americans, but the
English miners stand as 20 to 1 in
comparison. The American, however, is
regarded the better miner. The super
intendent of the Simmer & Jack is a
Californian named Walton.
A good miner can make twice as
much by the contract system than he
can by the day wage, but there are
many who fail to make even $50 a
month, either owing to their lack of
skill or ignorance of the formation. The
mills and machinery of Johannesburg
may be seen in Park City Nothing in
is equal to the Ontario.
johannesburg in other respects is like
all mining camps There are the same
number of high rollers and people who
live fast lives. But there is no way to
lose a dollar on the high or low card,
and if one must gamble he must choose
mining stocks or race horses.
To give an idea of the cost of a trip
to johannesburg by man with a scant
purse seeking employment, Mr.. Harley
says it costs S45 from New York to
second-class; s27 steerage;
from London to CaDetown, 10 guineas,
or about $51; from Captetown to johann
nesburg, $22, but a party of ten may
club together and ride for SIS each. !
The fare from Salt Lake to New York |
is not included, but would be about $50 /
Although there are more men in the
Rand now than can find employment, |
Mr.. Harley thinks it would not be diff |
cult for good miners to secure employ |
ment there.