The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-20

are about developed on the deep levels.
The mills n big works are up and
carpenters and mechanics going there
now are likely to find no work for them.
They are now just starting the third
levels and Il will be five years before
they get these developed. No further
building Of mills will be one until then.
THE Rand company, for which
worked. has 1900 stamps dropping ana
there are altogether about 5000 drop
ping in the Transvaal and more gold
viii be produced there this year than IN
all the United States put together. but
mechanics might better stay away from
there now. unless they had influence.
Good mechanics. chief engineers or mine
foremen get 40 20 so pounds a monLh'
They must be experts In their lines. the
discipline is very strict. They can hB-
ure the life OF a mine almost 20 a day.
THE outcrop mines are running out
and the deep level mines are held 50
high that you can't touch the stock.
They won't sell less than 100 shares OF
stock and the bauNr viii not accept a
deposit Of less than 500.
The trouble with most OF our boys
IS that they can find no amusement
there except drinking whiskey ana so
are APT To drink too much. There ~
quite a colony from Butte, ana most Oh
them are doing Wei. Eight per cent
of the mines are managed by Amerl-
cans. The cyanide men are mostly
young college graduates. The mines
are run very economically. They have
little timber and there is htue water
to contend with. Most Of the -
done by natives.
u am back here to look around and
may go back. but nave not decided Tor
certain. / had "a very good place anu
my situation IS held open for me
was battery manager Of the Nourse
Deep. one Of the principal Of the RAND
mines. Dave BriCker Is out there. lie
played the races and stocks pretty
heavy and went dead broke. SIX
months ago he was staked 10 go UP the
west coast prospecting. and was mop
ing To strike something good. Charles
O. Johnson did well for a time. He was
agent for bicycles and made from S2oo
10 $500 a month. but got to playing
poker and drinking whiskey ana sot
i'm bad shape. He is selling mineral
water now. Roland Creech Is running
a small saloon and making n living.
Thousands are walking around with
nothing To do. Everything Is Tor rent
now. while when ] went out there II
was impossible To get n house. me
building boom is all over.
The natives for work In the mines
are secured In this way; Agents go
among the chiefs and bargain with
them for a few hundred head Of boys
AT c3 a head for a good, healthy boy
Passes are given them and they are
nut in a sort Of fortifiCations ana rat
tened up on mealie-mealie for a week
or two. Then they are distributed
among the mines and levels. They
work for 90 days and receive one ana
n half To three shillings per day. Ihey
do all the work. Every colored man y
given a ticket and his time put on
every night. After 80 days he can 60
hack to his kraal. He has SO and -
when he gets through. and with that
he can buy enough wives to keep nm
an the rest OF his life. They give a
certain percentage TO the chief or KING.
II is an expensive system In the enc
They run away and go TO other mines.
II hoy are found out without n pass
however. they are given 20 to p lashe'
and are put TO work on the roads. Inc
duties are very severe with them
Tho system OF mining down there Is
snIendid. They have modern machln'
erv and the cyanide process Is eNten
siNelv worked" =,
MIR Cullom would remain In Soutl
Africa. but did not like 20 move nj
family there. as II is a very bad coun
try on women.