The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-12-21

1t ~ mainly from Africa. America and
Australia that the world draws its stan
dard of Wholesome $i0000o.OO0 worth OF
gold, won regularly every year.
Africa leads with about si50,OO0. 900; next
comes the United States with about S95,-
10000 Australia ranks third with some
sS5 100000: while Russia, both in Europe
and Asia, Mexico, Canada and several
other countries make up the balance.
New Zealand's contribution, according
TO the Van Norden Magazine, is now
nearly $10.0o000O a year. largely won by
hydraulicking on the great alluvial flats
OF the South Island.
To understand the marvellous regular
ity OF the worlds gold supply you must
go TO that wonderful mushroom city of
the high African veldt--Johannesburg. 1t
seems TO leap roaring out OF the desolate
red karoo after the d-eary northward
journey OF n thousand miles.
In the midst OF II loom the palatial sky
scrapers of Eloff street, the princely of
flee buildings of Market square with their
express elevators, telephones. electric
lights and all the pomp and circum-
stances OF wall street
Here Is a clubhouse worth half a mill
lion: An opera house. too. calling for
Melba, Paderewsld and kubelik. A Carl
ton hotel, rivalling New York, Paris or
London I'm luxury and catering for the
princes OF gold in roaring oasis of In
dustry, with a, ratable value OF 800 100000,
rising sheer and amazing in an utter des-
ert.
MAGIC CITY.
In ~xhis magic city of the Rand thous-
ands of pounding stamps thunder their
golden hymns night and day and grind
out over $l2j0O0,OOO worth Of gold every
year, with as much sureness and regu-
larity as though IL We're so much coal.
South Africa, declares the johannesburg
reef good for another $l5.0 900 100000 worth
at least. And yet IL seems but the other
day that the site OF johannesburg was
mere handful Of tin-roofed shanties on
the wind d-swepped veldt raw and ugly,
dusty and forlorn.
You will meet men who trampled heed
lessly on the 5000. 100000 worth of gold
which John Hays Hammond estimated
years ago lay in that l30-mile reef. And
yet the ore seemed mserably poor
Poor il is. yet so regular and stable IN
quality that all one need do is to put down
machinery on a big enough scale and
grind the stuff out--sure and certain OF
the profit on every ton. When the secret
OF the sloping reef leaked out there came
one of the most sensational gold rushes
of modern times. One man found that
part OF his came inside an old Dutch
church. But there was no reason for rev.
erence; he rushed in like madman and
drove his peg under the altar
Today, besides the surface companies
there are the rows of deep level mines
After these come the deep deeps and deep
er deeps are driven beyond these again 20
spear the fast saggdng reef No wonder
100000 will sometimes be sunk In shafts,
machinery and labor and q wait OF 10
years patiently endured before the gold
can even be touched.
A TRAGIC FACT.
II is a tragic fact that the golden city Is
also land of disappointment The truth
is South Africa produces gold and dia-
monds-and nothing else. There is not
another single industry TO support the
country
After the war there was a great rush
to Johannesburg. Business houses trebled
In number. Structures worth $40,000OOo
were put UP with fcverish haste. Then
came the reaction and an amazing exo-
dus of white men from the city OF gold.
In the last three years the mines have
spent over s1,O00000 recruiting laborers
I'm central Africa, with the poorest re-
suits. Only 1900 shivering negroes were
secured and as these came from a tropic
climate they could not stand the cold win
ter.
For this reason an army OF Chinese.
nearly 60,eo strong. was imported and
this raised grave political question in
the British house OF commons Yet not
withstandng all drawbacks IL is certain
the Rand's output will be maintained and
the worlds gold supply will surely in
creNse instead OF falling off.
Every year sees new neldS tdpped,
Those of Australia are as yet barely
scratched. because OF the difficulty Of
travel in the waterless interior. The inn
portation cf thousands of Indian camels.
however, has made big difference in this
respect.
New South Wales alone has 10000
square miles OF gold country which In
great part has never known a miners
pick.
What country" asked the premier in
Sydney. "can show a mountain OF gold
like Mount Morgan. that has ground out
2f7l, ,3O3 ounces OF virgin metal worth $40
an ounce? Or a mountain OF silver like
Broken Hill? Or n Golden Mile OF mar
vellousy rich reefs like Kalgurli? And
where else can man dig mp a nugget
like the great mass OF pure gold We call
cd the Welcome Stranger-that monstrous
lump that weighed 25l6 ounces and fetched
&i g0?"
ALREADY sl60OoO,O0o
The stamps OF kilgurli's Golden Mile