Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-02-07
ORANGE FREE STATE.
PEOPLE AND RESOURCES OF The
TRANSvAAL'S ALLY.

stock Raising, Diamond Mining and Ag-l
riculture Its Chief Ind ustries-G
of the Boers-Produces the Best Salt
In tho World-Its Strict Liquor Law.
The Orange Free State forms one Of
the two independent republics in South
Africa. The Transvaal is the other.
The former is bounded on the south by
the Orange river, which divides it from
Cape Colony, British South African
eolony. On the north it is separated
from its sister republic, the Trausvaal,
by the Vaal river. Basutoland aud
the range of the Drakensberg dragon
mountains) divide it from Natal on the
east. On the west it is bounded by
Grioualand West. which is better
known as the Diamond Fields, re-
Gently purchased British possession.
This little republic has an area Of
about so, 600 square miles. 1t is an.
@ evated tablelaud 1000 feet above the
sea level, and is 400 miles long by 200
miles wide, running north and south.
The present population of the coun-.
try is estimated by it's government at
about 80, 600 whites and 100000 ma
iives of the Basuto and Barolong
tribes. Bloemfoutein, which is 75U
miles north of Table Bay, $50 miles
north of Port Elizabeth, and 400 north
of East London, is the capital. The
only mountain ranges in the Orange
Free State are the Stall mountains in
the eastern portion of the republic
From the Drakensberg the country
slopes gradually to the Vaal river on
the northern aud western boundaries.
The southern part of the Free State
is dotted with detached kobjes or in
dividual hills. Otherwise the interior
is an undulating prairie or prairies,
formerly covered with coarse grass.
This is changed in the south to a
scrubby brush or copse, which is excel
lent grazing for sheep, q sweeter grass
supplanting the sour OF coerssr grasses
in places. The Orange Free State is
not forest country. It is virtually
treeless. The species of forest now
found on the hillsides and in the
moist valleys of the rivers is a scant
scrub of mimosa thorn, the wild olive,
the willow, and the cnmel. thorn, which
is species of wild aca:ia.
The principal landsnre best adapted
to pastoral purposes, though there is
80 by 100-mile strip of soil on the
Basutolend border considered to be
second to none in the world for grain
producing purposes. The pursuits of
the reople being principally stock
raising and grain growing, the burgh-
ers have leisure for war. The strip
noted above produces, without irriga-
tion or fertilizing, and after planting
for nearly forty consecutive years, from
thirty to eighty bushels to the acre.
This fertile strip of lal1 is known MS
the Conquered Territory. It was taken
from the Busutos about 1864. This
little belt of land is the granary of
the Orange Free State aud of the
Trausvaal. In this belt of country,
thirty miles wide by 100 miles long,
are grown wheat, oats, barley, maize
and Kaffir corn. 1t also carries large
herds of cattle. horses, sheep, Angora
goats, and ostriches. Pears, apples,
peaches and grapes are likewise grown
to large extent. This is the Boer
base of supplies. and the mountains
which face British South Africa are
depended upon with Boer endurance
and Boer strategy to hold these fields
inviolate to the homes OF the twin
republics of the same blood.
Diamonds are extensively mined on
the fields of Jagersfontein, where the
famous 800 carat Jagersfonteina ey=.
celsior was found, on May 80, 1898.
and Koffyfontein, in the district of
Fauresmith, which is in the south
western part of the Republic. The
Importance of these mines can be
seen when it is known that the dia-
mond output of the Jagersfontein
field for January was Is, 5,lS9' carats,
valued at $15O, 900, while that for
Koffyfontein for the same period was
1850 carats, valued at $11, 900. This
is part of the contemplated war prize
in the present conflict.
The inhabitants of the Orange Free
State are, like the Beers of the Trans
vaal, o peaceful, educated and we'll
governed people. The country is
divided into 10 districts, each one of
which is presided over by q landdrost,
or magistrate. Each of these magis-
terlal districts is again subdirided
into one, two or more wards, accord
ing to it's size or Importance. Each
of these wards sends member to the
volksraad, or Legislature. In addi-
tion to this each town also sends a
member to the volksraad. In this
Legislature the people delegate the
government of the country. The
president, who is the responsible head
of the executive department, is ad-
rised by m executive council and by
the high court, which is composed of
a chief Justice and two puisne judges.
The government obtains about S2,-
600, 600 annually from the revenue OF
the state to meet its expenditures.
This revenue is mainly derived from
the following sources. Quit.rent on
farms, at the rate of 4S cents for each
100 morgen, or 200 acres, transfer
dues on unmovable of fixed property,
at the rate of 4 per cent rate on NOV
ables, that is, all goods sold by auc-
tion; hut or capitation tax of $3.50
head on natives. From the custom
house there is received about 5000, 000
year.
The Orange Free State expenda
about $3.50, 900 annually on roads,
$500, 900 on bridges, and large sums,
for so small country, on public build
ings. In fact, nearly one.third of the
entire revenue of the state is absorbed
by educational grants and public
works. This would be a very fine