The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-02
AFRICA,s GOLD AND DIAMOND MINES.
$3.50. OOO, 900 Worth OF Rough Diamonds and
$500, ZOO, 900 of Gold Already Taken Out.

"
$500, 100000 of Gold Already Taken Out.
WARRINGTON. Oct. 1.-The mining interests
OF Africa. especially the wonderful gold and
diamond mines which have attracted 50 much
attention. are the subject Of a chapter in the
monograph just prepared by the Treasury
Bureau OF Statistics. on Commercial Africa in
1899. Much OF the recently rapid developments
OF Africa. especially in the southern part where
the greatest rapidly of development has oc.
Cured. 10 due to the discovery and develop.
ment OF extremely valuable mineral deposits
The most valuable Of these are gold and dia-
monds, though Incidentally 1t may be men.
toned that tho iron. coal and other mineral
deposits OF South and SO theast Africa give
promise OF great value when wealth seeking
man has time to turn his attention from the
gold mines to those which promise less rapid,
but perhaps equally certain profits.
That the gold and diamond mines of South
Africa have been, and still are. wonderfully
profitable. however. is beyond question. The
Kimberley diamond mines. which are located
In British territory. just outside the bound-
aries of the Orange Free State and about 800
miles from Cape Town. now supply 90 per cent
OF the diamonds OF commerce. although their
existence was unknown prior to 1857 and the
mines have thus been In operation about thirty
years only It's estimated that 50.O0O.O0O
worth OF rough diamonds worth double that
sum after cutting. have been produced from
the Kimberley mines since their opening in
1852. and this enormous production would
have been greatly increased but for the fact
that the owners OF the various mines In this
vicinity formed an agreement by which the an
nual output was 80 limited as to meet. but not
materially exceed. the annual consumption OF
the worlds diamond markets. So plentiful 10
the supply and so comparatively inexpensive
the work of production that diamond digging
in other parts OF the world has almost ceased
since tho South African mines entered the
field.
Equally wonderful and equally promising
are the great "Witwatersrand" gold fields Of
| South Africa. located in the South African Re-
| public. better known as the Johannesburg"
mines. The Dutch word "Witwatersrand"
| m cans literally White Water Range" and the
strip Of territory. few hundred miles long
and n few miles in width. to which 1t is applied.
was but few years ago considered a nearly
| worthless ridge. useful only for the pasturage
cattle and sheep and ,or even thi. G
produetion wal wa. about sSo.619 i iner r
3 sbou Sn The that o ST. @
909 l 1872 9yss $2q3 s9g t 1922 eyer S40
+, In each year This wonderful development
has attracted great attention to South Africa
ment, however showed that the mines
| could only be successfully worked by the
use OF costly machinery. and while they
have been extremely productive where
machinery has been used, they we're not OF
such character as to make hand or placer min
ing profitable. as was the case in California.
| The gold production in the " Rand since 1884
has been over $500. 100000, and careful surveys
! OF the field by the use Of drills and other pro-
cesses OF exnerts show beyond question that
the in sight" probably amounts to S3.50O,OoO-
y q. While the large number OF mines which
have been located in adjacent territory par
ticuIarly in parts of Hhodesia. give prom.
Ise OF additional supplies; SO that 1t seems
probable that South Africa will for many
years continue to be. as i now is.
the argest god-producing section Of the
| world. Recent discoveries lead to tho belief
that these wonderfully rich mines are tho
long-lost gold OF Ophir." from which SOLO:
| mon Oh aimed his supplies. making "a navy Of
ships in Ezion- Geber. which is opposite E!oth,
on the shore Of the Red Sea in the ,land OF
| Edom and Hiram sent in the navy his
wants, shipmen that hal knowledge Of the sea.
with the servants of Solomon and they came
brought it to King Solomon