The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-16
is BACK FROM AFRICA
England Will Eventually Win
the Fight.
THE BOERS ARE CONFIDENT
Nearly All of the Mine Managers Are
Americans = Bradley Had a Talk
With Dom Paul-Is Going
to the Philippines

M. ]. Bradley has just returned from
johannesburg, having left the South
African Boer metropolis on the Esd of
September. Mr.. Bradley left Butte for
the Transvaal on the 18th of November,
1888. in company with his brother, Fl. j.
Bradley, John Robinson, Robert
Blackie, Sam Finlayson, William Camp
bell, William Mcleod and James To-
chcT of Butte, Archie McGregor, ]. H.
Laird, Winn Newton and Allen Cam
eron of Anaconda. There were IL in
the party, and they styled themselves
the IL disciples. They went under
contract to the Simmer & Jack Mining
company a large and powerful Eng
fish corporation. Subsequently Nc
Leod, Campbell, Cameron Robinson
and H. J. Bradley returned to the
United States. Allen Cameron went to
Canada. Vim Newton one of the
party, was stricken with fever and he
was insane for several months. Now
he is In Johannesburg. making pig
wages as chief timberman in the Rob-
inson mine He is completely restored
to health
Mr.. Bradley left the Transvaal be-
cause the outlook was not promising
the order having been given to close all
the mines, in anticipation of martial
law, which has since been declared in
the Transvaal. The ship on which he
took passage was loaded with Amer-
cans. Dutchmen and Englishmen. On
the way he stopped at Naples, Rome and
Paris, taking liner from Cherbourg,
France, to this country. In Iowa he
visited his mother and brothers and ar
rived in Butte last Sunday, being SO
days en- route, exclusive of stops
"ft is the opinion of the majority of
the inhabitants of tire Transvaal that
the English will eventually win the
fight" said Mr.. Bradley, but the Beers
are as confident of victory as we were
when we went against Spain. Seventy
five per cent of the population in the
colony are English, that is men from
England and the colonies, and the other
2S per cent is made up of Americans
and Germans, not counting the Kaffirs.
Nearly all of the mine managers are
Americans: in fact. the important posi-
tions in all branches of industry are
held by Americans. Our people. view
ing. the conditions in a superficial light.
are assuming a neutral attitude in the
controversy, but the fact Is pertinent,
nevertheless, that the majority of them
are in sympathy with your old friend
Dom Paul just the same"
Mr.. Bradley said that as far as he
was concerned at all times the conal-
tons suited him, that the taxes We're
no higher than they are in this coun-
try, except, perhaps, so far as they
affected the owners of mines, who, of
course. We're required to pay a rather
stiff tribute to the government. The
carpenters, of which he was one, make
pound a day on the average. while
many of them holding superior posi-
tions, receive 25 shillings a day. The
climate he says, is not up to the stand
ard of perfection, and from what he has
heard of the climate in the Philippines
he is led to believe that the Transvaal
has the worst of it.
''There is no doubt" said Mr. Bradley
''that Cecil Rhodes Is at the bottom of
all the trouble in South Africa. He has
been the cause of the decrease in immi-
grafton to that country during the past
two years. In that time there have
been very few arrivals from America,
for the present trouble has been ex-
pected for long time. After it Is all
over, and the English take full possess
sion of the Transvaal, wages will, as
a matter of course, be high for a time,
but English occupation and supremacy
will mark the beginning of the de-
cline in wages, and this will be per-
manent.
81 had the pleasure of meeting Dom
Paul last summer. He is just the kind
of man the newspapers say he is
pleasant, courteous and affable, be-
loved by everybody, whose dominant
characteristic is humanitarian. I con-
versed with him on commonplace SUBJ
jects, and after we had talked. he in
vfted me into the house to take a cup
of coffee. custom he has always fol-
lowed. Then l caught him in his ac-
customed attitude talking with an
other man, and took snap shot. of
him. I have it STILL and now that he
is being attacked from every side, I
prize it more than ever. And the old
gentleman is partial to the Americans,
too.
Johannesburg is city quite UP to the
standard of the metropolitan American
city, having all the conveniences and !
benefits of applied science and late m
Ventions. This, however, is at vari- |
ance with the conditions surrounding
the exclusive Boer towns. The Beers
are not progressive. Most of them are |
ignorant and religious to almost de-
gree Of bigotry Still, they are indus |
trious and scrupulously honest.
II do not think that 7 will return
to that country; rather I should pre-
fer to try my luck in the Philippines, |
which ] may do next year
II did not see c. Q. Johnson but I |
was told that he was in Johannesburg
doing pretty well. Hugh Mcmillan is |
doing well and so is Dune McAuley, !
who used to work for the Parrot. He |
has his family with him. and I guess
he intends to make that his permanent |
home. He is the only man from Butte |
] think who took his family with |
him.
Snow, did you say? No, not at this |
season of the year, Christmas is usu-
ally one of the hottest DAYS in the wear |
I have seen a slight snowfall and frost |
in July which is the winter month |
down there"
Mr.. Bradley went to work the day
after he arrived here and is still work
ing. He said that his brother told him |
that there was a new city ordinance
which made Il a misdemeanor, prnisb
ment by imprisonment, to remain idle
more than "a hours in Butte Since he
went to work. however, he has learned
that his brother has acquired the fac |
ulty of joshing since he left the Trans
vaal.
For the holidays order a case OF |,
IVY 1lh I'D hnt raI loa