New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-02
RICHES IN SOUTH AFRICA
IT'S WONDERFUL STORE OF GOLD AN
DIAMONDS.
THESE MINES FURNISH os PER CENT OF TIT
WORLDS SUPPLY or DIAMoNDs-rHE GOLD
Production OF THE RAND.

THESE MINES FURNISH os PER CENT OF III
WORLDS SUPPLY or prAMoNDs-rHE GOLD
PRODUCTION OF TIE RAND
Washington. oct (specisD.-The mining In.
terests OF Africa. especially the wonderful soio
and diamond mines which have attracted SO
much attention. are the subject OF chap'e'i
in the monograph just prepared by the Treas
ury Bureau OF Statistics on Commercial Africa
in 1886? Much Of the recently rapid develop
ment ~ Africa especially in the southern part
where there has been the greatest rapidly OF
development. is due to the discovery and open
ing OF extremely valuable mineral deposits The
most valuable Of these are gold and diamonds.
though incidentally It may he mentioned that
the iron. coal and other mineral deposits Of
South and Southeast Africa give promise OF
great value when wealth seeking man has time
10 turn his attention from the gold mines ~
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 is beyond question. The Kimberley
diamond mines. which are in -ritich territory
Just outside the boundaries Of the Orange Free
State. and about six hundred miles from Cape
Town now supply 9S per cent % the diamonds
Of commerce although their existence was I'M
known prior TO 1861 and the mines have been
in operation only about thirty years. 1t is esti-
mated that &,5OOOOOOO worth Of rough dia-
monds worth double that sum after cutting.
have been produced from the Kimberley mines
since their opening In 1Sbs-'69. and this enor-
nous production would have been greatly In
creased hut FOR the fact that the owners OF the
various mines made an agreement by wncn
the annual output was so limited as 10 meeb
but not materially exceed. the annual demand
Of the worlds diamond markets. 80 plentitu'
is the supply and so comparatively inexpensive
the work Of production that diamond digging
in other parts Of the world has almost cesseh
since the South African mines were opened
THE LONG LOST GOLD or opHIR"
Equally wonderful and equally promising ara
the great Witwatersrand gold fields II South
Africa. in the South African Republic. better
known as the Johannesburg mines. The Dutch
word "Witwatersrand' means literally White
Water Range" The strip ~ territory. a few
hundred miles long and few miles IN Width
to which 1t was applied only few years
, ago considered a nearly worthless ridge, useful
only for the pasturage Of cattle ana sheep' ann
comparatively valueess even Tor ms. ~ &C.,
however. gold discovered ana III iN,f ~
value Of the gold production was about Soo'"o'
II increased with startling rapidity, the prodncr-
lion of 1sSs being about S5OooOoo. that OF 1871
, $40 OOO 600 and in 1897 and lN'ls about 500
900 900 in each year. This wonderful develop
nent has attracted great attention 10 south
Africa and has drawn thither thousands OF peo'
ple in the hope ~ realizing quick fortunes. De
velopment however. showed that the mines
could only be successfully worked by the use
| of costly machinery. and while they have been
extremely productive whore machinery mas
been used they are not OF such character as 10
| make hand or placer mining profitable as was
the case in California. The gold production In
the Rand since 1854 has been over >3OO.Op.
600 and careful surveys Of the field by the use
Of drills and other means show that the go'
| In sight probably amounts 10 S3,'OoWa"F
| while the large number Of mines in adjacent
territory. particularly In parts OF khodesia' give
promise Of additional supplies. SO that II seems
| n-obabe that South Africa i'll FOR many years
! continue to be- as it is. the largest goih
| producing section Of the world. Recent dis
; coveries lead 20 the belief that these wonder
, fullv rich mines are The long lost gold or
| Ophir" from which Solomon obtained his sup
| plies making "a navy Of ships In Ezion-geber
| which IS opposite Eloth on the shore Of the RED
! Sea I'm the land Of Edom. and Hiram sent ~
| the navy his servants. shipmen that had knowi-
| edge Of the sea with the servants OF solomon
| and they came TO Ophir and fetched from
thence gold and brought II 70 King solomon