Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-31
Special CORRESPONDENCE.

4 Special Correspondence,
" JOHANNESBURG, oct. 81 write
thisin the golden capital of South
Africa johannesburg rests on q
reef out of which has been taken
sghO.eto,oOn worth of the precious metal
;an,l which Is supposed to have Two or.
three billions left There is more gold
about it than about any other city
OF the world. and moro Is coming from
it than from any other gold region.
Z Johannesburg is the Denver Of Africa,
and. Ike orr Denver lis about a
,Iiilr above the sea. Indeed, 1T IS even.
highGs than the great mining city on
the edge oil the Rockies: II Is close q
1000 feet and If YOU could stretch a
wtre about the earth at its altitude, II
Would amcst cut the top of Mount
Washington.
+ nGNNER VS.. JOHANNESBURG
Denver and Johannesburg have many
Things In common. They are both on
high Plains ana not far from bleak.
senii.coserts they arc both IN tbe
hearts of the continents to which they
helons. Denver Is about half way
agrfss the United Stutes. II is a little
hi eyer the edge perhaps, veering to-
ward the west. which, after ALL Is the
best rait of our big country. johann
ncsbGrg Is about huff way between the
Asltnlic and Indian oceans, and II is
iiutntr north " the Cape Of Good mono
tlfap SANDY Hook tx cast OF Chicago,
Its nearest port Is Delagoa bay ON the
INDIAN ocean, which Is about 400 miles
i distant. and II can also be reached by
railroad from Durham, which Is a little
Y@Inorn than SAmlles further.
Both cities are based upon gold, and
ale led by the mines. Tho territories
which support Denver lie in the Rocky
mountains at It's back. extending a long
distance to the north and south, Those
which support Johannesburg are right
under tho city and, they run III d great
Harrow strip east and west. They cou-
9aist 81 several veins, covering a dis
TANGO of 100 miles. The hest part or
the whole has only q length of 60 miles,
ard itis night in the center of this
that johannesburg is situated. Some
Of he houses are built over land which
& has been honeycomhed with tunnels
and filed up again, after the gold has
hcen taken out. for fear that tho build
lnss might fall in When one climbs
- the roofs of the houses of this city
~ car see the smokestacks or the
i'iints extending cast and west almost
Sas fai as the eye can reach There
are little white mountains of taillngs
standing out upon the landscape In
either direction. and these mountains
come right to the city itself
FOUNDED BY MINERS.
Both cities were founded by miners.
Denver was started in 1858, Just q half
century ago. Johannesburg dates back
only toG1SSG, The land about both cities
was considered almost worthless until
the mines We're discovered. The ground
upon which New York stands was once
sold for a half-peck Of glass beads
and brass buttons. the site of Mel
bourne was bought for a pair OF old
blankets and the foundation OF all Chi
scago was offered for a pair OF cowhide
boots. In early days there was N 1000
acre farm on the site. of Johannesburg,
and 1t was sold for n team OF broken
down oxen. Today the land and build
ings which stand on that farm are as
asessed at about u quarter OF million
dollars, and from It geese out more
than s100,000,000 worth OF gold every
year In January, 1906 two business
lots, not far from wher, that farmers
hut stood. brought $4,000 and it Is
only four years since the Standard
>lank of South Africa purchased the
stand upon which 1t has erected n
building worth threc-quarters OF n
million a lot on Pritchard street
sold for 100000 about nine years ago,
and there ar. business locations hero
81 valuable that one would have to COW 4
IA them with bank notes to buy them
tFhis Is SO now, notwithstanding that
b. 4Ht