Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-02
THE MINES OF AT RIGA
Wonderful Wealth Upon Which Covetous
Eyes Are Bent.
"White Water Range" Gold Fields,
Which May Bring Political Ruin
to the Trausvaaf.

The mining interests Of Africa. especially
the wonderful gold and diamond mines
which have attracted So much attention,
are the subject OF a chapter in the mono
graph just prepared by the treasury bu-
reau of statistics on commercial Africa in
1899. Much of the recent rapid develop
ment of Africa, especially in the southern
part where the greatest raridity Of devel-
opment has occurred, is due u the discov-
cry and development of extremely valu-
able mineral deposits. The most valuable
of these are gold and diamonds. though in
cidentalIy it may be mentioned that the
iron, coal and other mineral deposits of
south and southeast Africa give promise
Of great value when withdrawing man
has time to turn his attention from the
gold mines to those which promise less
rapid, but perhaps equally certain profits.
Gold and Diamond Mines.
That the gold and diamond mines Of
South Africa have been and still are Won
derfulIy profitable, however. is beyond ques-
ton. The Kimberley diamond mines which
are located in British territory just outside
the boundaries Of the Orange Free State
and about Go0 miles from Cape Town, now
supply 9s per cent of the diamonds Of com
MERGE although their existence was UNI
hHtHu prior 70 tHp', anu tti' ItIiItS ia We
thus been in operation but about thirty
years. 1t is estimated that $35r,nu,, 900
worth of rough diamonds, worth double
that sum after cutting. have been produced
from the Kimberley mines since their open
ing in 1S'is-9, and this enormous prOGuc-
ton would have been greatly increased
but for the fact that the owners of the
various mines in this vicinity fromed an
agreement by which the annual output was
limited to meet but not materially
exceed the annual Consumption of the
worlds diamond markets So plentiful is
the supply and so comparatively inexpen-
sive the work of production that diamond
digging in other parts of Jht. world has al
most ceased since the South African mines
entered the field. and the result is as
stated above, that they now supply over
9s per cent of the diamonds Of commerce.
White Water Range.
Equally wonderful and equally promis-
ing are the great 'Witvatcrsrand'' gold
fields of South Africa, located in the South
African republic, better known as the
Johannesburg mines The Dutch word.
"Witwatersrand." means literally white
Water Range" and the strip Of territory
few hundred miles long and a few miles
in width to which 1t is applied was but
few years ago considered nearly worth
less ridge. useful only for the pasturage
OF cattle and sheep. ana for even This com
paratiVely NaiueiesS In Isl; however,
gold was discovered. and in lN~I The value
of the gold production was about $5D,o'n
Il increased with startling TapII:ty. the
production of 1883 being about S5Nul, ,ErJ:
that IF Ie.u $40 pJu uup; lS,F2. o. er $4,000.
Ooo, 1873, over $totagit+n. and iSy7 and 1898
about $j5On,tsO in each year.
This wonderful development has attract
ed great attention to Spurh Africa and
drawn thither thousands Of people in the
hope OF realizing quicl, fortunes. Develop
ment. however, showed that the mines