New-York tribune., 1902-06-29

The Transvaal comprises about one hundred and
twenty thousand square miles and includes three
gold mining districts of inportance-the famous
witwatersrand. and the quartz mining districts OF
I.ydenburg and De Kaap The entire mineral de-
,elopn1ent of the country has taken place within
thirty years for mining in the Transvaal was pro-
h.bi:ed up to 1868 at which time the government
being In dire financial straits, threw open the gold
fields exploration and exploitation, even going so
far as to offer bonus discovery of profit
able mines. The resultant prospecting in the early
seventies led TO the discovery ot quartz veins and
the inauguration Of mining In several parts OF the
Northern Transvaal. The Lydenburg district nrst
attracted attention 1885, when exploration of the
.lvial deposits began, followed later by vein MIN
ing The De Kaap gold fields were discovered IN
1881 and the conglomerate or ''banket beds OF the
witwafersran nd-destned to supersede all others IN
ir1,portance-in 1885 In that year a small stamp
battery erected TO crush quartz from a VEN d
few miles west of Johannesburg and in this a
crushing of conglomerate made; but 1t was
not until April 1887 that battery of three stamps
was erected treat the ore of the Nitwaters-
rand banket. This followed by the erection OF
other batteries output of gold for 1881 was
% 600 ounces For 1885, the last complete year be-
the war IL 4.295659 ounces, valued al No.
III g7s and for nine months of 1899 il was 4eSS-o
ounces. There the end of 1898 seyenty-nlne
mines which 1925 produced 7-33l4i6 tons OF ORE
crushed by 4.765 stamps They employed sf'o
whites, with average monthly wage OF To- ana
sSs27 native workmen. receiving on an average l.
es Sd. each month. During the same year III the
1.ydenburg district five companies running lS'
sta,nns produced Isl $50 tons ore yielding 10s.S .SS
ounces of crude gold valued fSse3f and in the
De Kaap gold fields seven companies. running
two hundred stamps. produced SS'e9 ounces Vi
crude gold valued at f3l47s2
The companies ceased working in October lsSs
bv reason of the declaration Of war. but the late
Transvaal Government continued operations upon
its own IN some of the richest mines up 10
May 1890. In May. 1851. crushing operations Were
,.,ias frpYoS oSpl.
,,oo, a very small scale. only $50 stamps being run
at three mines The number was steadily IN
creased, and by the end of 1901 eaS stamps Were
,,,nnins representing twelve mines: during the
eight months ending with the year il2"S tons OF
ore were milled 1885 ounces of fine gold valued
at ne1s6S7 Were produced and f4l5.I2 was paid
in dividends
Notwithstanding the change IN the pohtcai
status of the Transvaal which will follow the re
Gently concluded peace and final establishment OF
british rule il may be confidently assumed tflat
fbe main features of the mining law of the South
African Republic will be retained. and certain op-
,oressze features Of monopolies etc bearing with
special weight the mining industry VIII ne aool-
fshed The dynamite monopoly was one that pore
most eavily the mining industry: and accord
ing 10 the reports State Mining Engineer.
explosives including fuse and detonators amounted
TO nearly per of the total working costs Oh
the mines Furthermore. it was impossible TO OBJ
tain the proper quality for the most economical
,,orl,:nr and often 80 per 10 per cent geia
tine had to used in many instances wnere eV per
cent geiatine would have been much cheaper
THESE indeed form part of the mining law
rroner-that is the law regulating the tenure "f
mining titles 1t is to be expected. both In the
nature of the case and in view OF the declarations
a,readx made by British statesmen that the
-aucient laws and customs of the TransVtal VIII
,,e retained under British rule. far possible
AT all events the principles OF the English common
law and the immemorial precedents OF kngLsh
viii undoubtedly require the determination
r rresenf rights according to the statute IN force
q, +he time of their inception. The mine operators
IF sta Transvaal whose titles were acquired from
the reprbc will therefore be secured IN the posi-
ton thus defined.
During the eight months ending in August 1873.
after which the commencement Of active hostlties
fu3erfered with the active working OF the mines,
the Nitwatersrand produced fi24s5,o3e AT
this rate the years production would have been
fls7s7.5as AS matter of fact. II would nave
amounted to some f2o0a009a. by of the
progressive increase in the monthly production al
ready shown during that year OF this output Al
per cent derived from what is known as the
central section extending about and fve-tenths
miles west and about eight miles east of johannes
blrs and q per cent derived from the deep
lese properties within that section The total gold
rrosuct of the Witwatersraud was 25.5 per cent Of
that of the entire world. Notwithstanding the in
creased production Of gold elsewhere, this ratio
would have been more than maintained had mining
o;serltIons not been interfered with by the South
African war. Within year after the resumption