The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-10
BRAINS N DEMAND
In the Rand, and Command
Fancy Salaries.
AMERICANS ARE THE MEN
Who Have Unlocked the Treas
ures of the TransvaaI.

erywhere manifest in South Africa In
fact, all that has been done to develop
the mines of that country during the past
| ten years has been accomplished by
! Americans II is true that British capital
/ is back Of IL all. but that same capital
| first tried Australian and English mana
gers for the mines. but until American
| engineers took charge mining in South
Africa was failure.
The first American 70 make record in
South Africa was Gardner T. Williams,
the present general manager OF the De
Beers Diamond company, at Kimberley.
Previous to his taking charge. in 1887, the
Kimberley diamond mines were in a state
of collapse. Chaos reigned supreme in all
the mines; tunnels were falling in, and
the output Of diamonds was hardly sufti-
cient to continue the work OF mining. Mr..
Williams who is from Michigan, and
whose engineering and mining experience
was secured in California, took charge Of
the works. In a year he brought the
great diamond mines to a paying basis.
In fact they became so productive that
the output must be curtailed to prevent
glut in the market Mr. Williams is,
however, an expensive man from sal
airy point of view. He receives $4,000 a
year from the diamond company, together
with his house and large stable of horses
and servants. He is Cecil ]. Rhodes
rlght-hand man IN the company.
The success of Gardner F. Williams
turned the eyes of other capitalists to-
ward American mining engineers. When
it was noised about that the Johannes
burg field was a rich one, the Roth
childs, who are interested in the Kimber-
ley mines. sent Mr.. Hamilton Smith, a
Californian, to look over the field. They
told him that his report would be relied
on and if favorable they would help de-
velop the Rand as johannesburg is
named. Mr.. Smith made an exhaustive
examination OF the mines and reported
to the Rothchilds that there was gold in
great paying quantities there. Upon his
advice the Rothchilds expended $50, 900, 900
in South Africa, and they have not had
any cause to regret it.
John II. Hammond is another Ameri-
can from California He gained a great
deal of notoriety during the Jameson
raid on johannesburg. He was placed
in prison at Pretoria on the charge of
being implicated I'm the attempt 20 over
throw the Transvaal government. John
II. Hammond was at that time the high
est-paid man in South Africa. He re
ceived from the BOer government s25, 900
year as the official mining engineer;
He was the consulting engineer to Cecil
]. Rhodes for the Mashonaland, Mata-
beleland and the consolidated gold fields
company at the Rand From the Rhodes
syndicate he received annually 500 900.
Mr.. Hammond has been remarkably sue
cessful in his engineering work. The
gold mining laws of that country were
formulated by him
There is Charles Butler, from San
Francisco, who, with his brother, went
to Johannesburg. Mr.. Butler was the
first to treat the tailings of the mines.
He introduced the cyanide process there,
and has by this method taken out hou-
sands of ounces of gold from the refuse
dumps. His brother went to Cape Town
and captured for a syndicate the right
to run electric cars in the city, a con-
cession that the Englishmen had tried TO
secure for years from the Cape Town
council.
inson gold mine, is an ex-sherin of one
Of the Nevada state counties. He was
in that state during its palmy days.
Though an old man. he has done more
for the Robinson mine than all the man
ayers before him.
Managing the Crown Reef Mining
company Is a Mr. Weber of California,
and at the Glendenhins Estate Mining
company. one of the richest on the
Rand. is Mr.. Wnstoe of Poughkeensie,
Ny
All OF these men have been successful.
They al receive enormous salaries, and
the expenditure has been justified by
their returns johannesburg has been
the making Of South Africa. and Ameri-
cans have made Johannesburg. Every
stone in each building Of that magnif-
cent inland town IS a monument to their
enterprise and accomplishment.
Besides developing the gold mines OF
the Mashonaland, Matabeleland and
T-ansvaal regions. the Americans have
and are building the railroads Of the coun-
try. c. p. Huntington. the American rail
road magnate, IS Interested in the railroad
that is being built from the east coast Of
Africa to Salisbury. This road viii he the
outlet for the great gold region OF Mata-
heleland and Mashonaland. Ii Is eStimat-
ed that for every tie in this road. which
is about 90 miles long. that white mans
life has been claimed by the fever.
Il svas an American. Mr.. Murdoch.
who secured capital 20 build the railroad
- Pessano Garcia. where the connection
Is made with the Transvaal road for Pre-
toria. Cecil J. Rhodes IS partial 20 Amer
leans. and he Is not slow 20 pick them up
When ;hey have The necessary qualifca-
tons The Americans n Johannesburg
ara about 800 strong. and they rule
financially me whole mining district
AR John 9 Manion. Of Herkimer. y
!. representing a large American firm az
JolaDnesburg. has been the means Of in
PRODUCING American engines and diamond
drills 10 Africa Mr. Manion is now the
American consul FOR the Transvaal and
Orange Free State.
Z c. Seebohm fNew Orleans, went
20 South Africa FOR The Fay & Egan COM
nany. He spent nearly a year there, and,
as a result Of his visit. American trade
was enhanced by nearly SO ooa.
The business manner OF Americans IS
far different from that % any other class.
ard success has been due solely 20 ,heir
energy.