The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-09
FACTS ABOUT THE
ORANGE FREE STATE
CHARACTER OF PEOPLE AND OF
RESOURCES.
Stock Raising, Diamond Mining and
Agriculture It's Chief Industries.
oranary of the Boers-aovernment,
Laws and Education in the Free
state-Its History.

state-Its History.
From the New York Sun.
The Orange Free state is bounded on
the south by the Orange river, which
divides 1t from Cape Colony, a British
South African colony. On the north It
is separated from its sister republic,
the Transvaal. by the vaal river. Ba-
sutoland and the range of the Drakens-
berg dragon mountains) divide 1t from
Natal on the east. On the west 1t is
bounded by Griqualand West. which is
better known as the Diamond Fields, a
recently purchased British possession.
This little republic has an area OK
about $4,000 square miles. 1t Is an ele-
waited table land 1900 feet above the
sea level. and IL 400 miles long by 200
miles wide. running north and south.
The present population of the country
Is estimated by it's government at
about $4,000 whites and 100000 vatives
of the Basuto and Barolong tribes.
Bloemfontein, which is $50 miles north
Of Table Bay. $50 miles north of Port
Elizabeth and 400 north of East Lon
don. is the capital. The only mountain
ranges in the Orange Free state are
the Stall mountains in the eastern por-
tion of the republic. From the Drak-
ensberg the country slopes gradually
to the Faal river on the northern and
western boundaries. The southern part
of the Free State Is dotted with de-
tached kopjes or individual hills Other
wise the interior Is an undulating
prairie or prairies. formerly covered
with coarse grass. This Is changed in
the south to IA scrubby brush or copse,
which is excellent grazing for sheep, a
sweeter grass supplantirg the sour or
roarser grasses in places. The Orange
Free state is not forest country. 1t
is virtually treeless. The species OF
forest now found on the hill sides and
in the moist valleys Of the rivers Is A
scant scrub of mimosa thorn, the wild
olive. the willow. and the camel thorn,
which is a species of wild acacia.
A PASTORAL COUNTRY.
The principal la nds are best adapted
to pastoral purposes, though there Is a
3Ox1OO- nlils strip of soil on the Basu-
toland border considered to be second
to none in the world for grain produce
ing purposes. The pursuits of the peo-
pie being principally stock raising and
grain growing. the burghers have leis-
ure for war. The strip noted above
produces, without irrigation or fertil-
izing, and after planting for nearly
forty consecutive years. from thirty
to eighty bushels to the acre. This
fertile strip of land Is known as the
Conquered Territory. 1t was taken
from the Basutos about 1854. This lit
tie belt of land is the granary Of the
Orange Free state and of the Trans
vaal. In this belt of country, thirty
miles wide by 100 miles long. are
grown wheat. oats, barley, maize and
Kaftir corn. 1t also carries large herds
of cattle. horses. sheep, angora goats
and Ostriches. Pears, apples. peaches
and grapes are likewise grown to d
large extent. This is the Boer base Of
supplies. and the mountains which facs
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 Jagerfontein, where the
famous 600 carat Jagersfontein Excel
sior was found. on May 30, 1898. which
is in the southwestern part Of the re-
public. The Importance of these mines
can be seen when it is known that the
diamond output of the JagerfOntein
field for January was 15,1Sa carats,
valued at $150.000, while that for Koffy-
fontein for the same period was 1900
carats, valued at $1,000. This is part
Of the contemplated war prize in the
present conflict.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
The inhabitants of the Orange Free
State are. like the Beers of the Trans
vaal, a peaceful, educated and we'll
governed people. The country is di-
vided into nineteen districts, each one
of which is presided over by a land
drost. or magistrate. Each Of these
magisterial districts is again sub
divided into one. two or more wards,
according to lis size or Importance.
Each Of these wards sends a member
to the Nolksraad or Legislature. In
addition to this each town also sends
a member to the volksraad. To this
legislature the people delegate the gov
ernment of the country. She presi-
dent, who Is the responsible head of
the executive department. Ia advise i
by an executive council and by the,
high court, which Is composed of a.
chief justice and two puisne Judges.
The government obtains about 81
100000 annually from the revenue of
the state to meet the 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 or fixed property. at the
rate Of per cent; a per cent. rate
on movables, that is. all goods sold by
auction; hut or capitatiOn tax of
$3.50 a head on natives. From the GUS
tom house there is received about $780,
900 year. This Is obtained from a ;a
per cent. ad valorum levy on all over
sea goods crossing the border These
dues are. by virtue of a treaty with
the Cape Colony government. levied on
the Natal border by Orange Free State
officers in accordance with the pro-
visions of the custom, union existing
between the Cape government and the
Free State. The former retains 3 per
cent. of the II per cent. duty levied to
recoup itself for the expense Of collect