The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-29
TRANsVAAL GOLD FIELDS.
An American Tells About the Beers
and Britain's Demand.

CHICAGO, Sept. 2s.-Joseph Doney, Of
Wisconsin. who has resided some years at
Germiston, South African Republic, writes
to the Record as follows:
IAN American wrote me a letter and
asked me to describe the Boer. Boer trans
lated into English means farmer, and / can
see but little IL any difference In him and
the average Missouri farmer or any of the
more Northern States the seasons and eli
mate are such as to compel the farmer to
use more energy in the SUMMER
for winter. In this country there
is practically no winter. This is a
winter month. and / am sitting with all
not worn or needed a WOODEN shirt above
ten days since i have been here. There Is
no rain in the winter and the summer are
not very hot The altitude OF about 300
feet above sea level gives cool nights. The
Boer, after he had found out the good eli
mate, was led to locete and make this
country his permanent home.
The government of the Transvaal was
formed in 1881. Sir Sidney Shepherd took
to Great Britain as a colony. Mr., Glad
stone was then prime minister OF England,
and with his honesty he would not tolerate
it and gave it back TO the Beers. All went
well up to the discovery of gold and the
consequent extensive development.
The richness of the mines is immense 1t
has been ascertained that three distinct
veins extend for thirty-five miles. and that
each vein Is workable from one shaft. some
OF the shafts are now 200 feet deep. III is
ntsU k t%enty tn or TIVE twenty-five m,nfT "y years. pns with
one exception the monthly gold production
of the Transvaal has always exceeded the
previous one. This Is declared by the Cham
Der of Mines on the 10th of last month.
America Is credited with having supplied
ish empire with the capital A lot Of tin
horn English company promoters came here
and floated most of these mines. But when
we look at the capitalization We find not
ahoua one-fffh of III has heen real CAPITAL.
the other four-ifhts having gone in VEN
doris and promoters interest. Europe has
expended, and 1t isspaying over 30 per cent.
dividends annually on its full capital.
II have several times. read where the
England in its Transvaal policy: II such Is
the case they are either corrupt or deluded.
DR.. Jameson acknowledged before a British
court he knew he was doing wrong, but
thought he would have been forgiven had
he been successful. Joseph Chamberlain
aeknoyledged In the .I British dsh House arsrsde OF Conf pm,
where they had none would have to make
one, and that he had never been able to gain
one victory over President Kruger, and 1t
cannot be lone by fair diplomatic means.
They are going to bury the words of Abra-
ham Lincoln when he said, Right makes
right
Until President Kruger can overcome
three great evils in his opponents they are
going to carry on their grievances. The
first Is the greed of the capitalists. backed
by the British government. for this gold.
Europe receives over thrce-fourths OF 1t I'M
der present circumstances. Then comes ig-
norance among the grievance-mongers.
backed by the jingoes and a~x-grinders. and
I can assure you / have satisfied myself that
not 10 per cent. OF the Europeans on the
Rand have any understanding of the reality
of those grievances from a constitutional
point of view-that Is, miners. mechanics.
and even merchants combined. Then there
is the national prejudiced mind the British
subject has brought here with him. Presi-
dent Kruger made a few speeches a short
time ago, and the franchise was one OF the
reforms asked for. He said in those speeches
that this government did not believe in
polygamy. that no man could be allowed two
wives and that no man could serve two
masters.
I'm reply to this the Chamber of Mines,
which is a body of capitalists representing
capital and water turned into capital to over
f1O0. 900. 900 sterling ($50O. 900. 00O). asked for
the following reforms: Full franchise for all
white inhabitants without naturalization or
full citizenship here without severing that
of the land OF your birth or adoption (the
thing looks almost too absurd for even a
common wage-worker to write about, but
i cannot deviate from the facts); the ap-
pointment OF a state financial adviser Cor in
reality q secretary Of the treasury by the
President, to be confirmed by the Rothschild
banking firm or some other leading banking
firm OF London.
The 'bewaresplatzen.' At present all the
precious mineral rights are vested in the
state. and at present ii has 10 be proclaimed
as such by the government before work can
proceed on it, 1t is then surveyed in claims
ard any white person wishing to register j.
the district where these claims are located
can participate in a drawing by lottery for
a block of four claims in each district, and
II you win the government gives the same
title to the property to aliens as it does to
its citizens. This does not suit the capital.
lists, as they want the power to buy the sur
face and maintain all rights to its mineral
wealth. There are a few other minor griev-
ances. Now there are a very large number
OF British subjects clearing out of the coun-