The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-01
BoERs TAKE EVERYTHING.
Gold Commandeered and Receipts
Given By Transvaal Government.

UOlu Communicated ana receipts
Given By Transvaal Government.
New York, Dec. 31-Howard j.
Roth@child. an American citizen. who
was employed oR the Standard and
Diggers' News, q mining paper pub
hshed in johannesburg, has just got
back to New York from the Transvaal.
Mr. ROthschild was at Pilgrims Rest.
a little mining camp $50 miles north
east of Johannesburg, when the Beers
declared war, Oct. IL.
There were $50 whites, mostly Amer
leans and Englishmen. in Pilgrims
Rest" said Mr.. R0thschild. when the
war was declared. The gold mine there
is owned by the Ecksteins, wGo own
other mines in the Transvaal We all
asked permission TO stay, and the Beers
at nrst gave US permission to do So.
on the understanding that we would
form home guard TO protect the place
from the British or anybody else. We
accepted on those conditions. bur the
next day we were told by the burghers
that we had tWenty-fOur hours 10
either enlist in the Boer army or get
out Of the place. Most Of us decided
to get out.
There was $4,000 in gold which had
been tal1en from the mine, and the
bprghers seized this, first giving Ar.
b. F. Thompson, q ScOtchman and
secretary Of the mining company. a re-
celpt and a note promising thai the
Transvaal government would repay
the money upon the conclusion Of the
war OF course. if the TransvaaI is
beaten BY England. no return win be
made. This same proceeding took
place at all the mines not shut up in
the besieged towns.
Mr. Thompson and 7 went 20 the
stables TO get horses TO ride out 10 In
spect a mine some miles in the Gown
try, when we were approao Ted by an
American named Blake. ul--Crmed as
a second lieutenant in the Seer army.
Blake, Who had recruited 200 Amer
leans for the BOer army, showed us
proclamation which had just been is
sued by the TransvaaI government.
conhscatlng all horses. fodder. gold and
stores, to carry on war against Ems
land, and promising to pay for ZEN on
the conclusion Of the war.
thompson and / returned 10 his
house, and there We found thar the
Boer cOmmanceE- Had taken possession
Of his residence, worth $50 600. in ia
was the finest collection Of gold nuE-
gets III South Africa, worth at least
$4,000 Mr.. Thompson also had S45888
in gold Of his own. all of which went
ishmen were treated in the same way
When the Beers took possession aF
the gold mine at Pilgrims Rest they
turned out all the Kafir labOrers. broke
the pumping machinery and flooded the
mine. They also flooded the Bonanza
and the Robinson, deep mines near 10
hannesburg, two Of the richest gold
mines in South Africa
The Beers furnished us with horsas
and an armed escort for The long ride
to johannesburg. No man in the PARTY
was allowed to take away with him
more than $50. Being unable to prove
that was an American citizen. I was
treated the same as the British suo-
! jects.
The government has taken all the
most fertile lands for the raising 81
/ crops for the BOer army. The Roe7.
women, young boys and the old men
/ have left their own farms and ara
/ working the government farms. aided
/ by Kaftirs- In this way they can ken
their armies well provisioned. AT an
/ OF these government farms we eas-
\ the Boer women plOughing and doing
/ the hardest kind Of manual labor"