Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-23

yield for each digger would be about
SIG. For this reason the local press
strongly discourages persons holding
situations paying even small wages
from giving these up to take their
chances as diggers.
The following particulars concern
ing the fields in the Bloemhof-M ooifon-
tein district have been obtained for
this report from the government min
ing commissioner there in charge.
The area of the two farms proclaim
ed in the neighborhood of Bloemhof
are: Klipfontein No. $50, District
BIoemhof generally known as Bloem-
hof Townlands), approximately 5000
acres. Mooifontein No 12S, District
Bloemhof.. approximately 700 acres.
There are other farms in the Bloemhof
district near Christiana which were
proclaimed alluvial diggings some
years ago, but at present little or no
digging is taking place on them.
The number of claim licenses issued
in November for Klipfontein and Moot
fontein was 2,446. 1t is impossible tc
say how many of these claims were
worked out, but it is not the custom
for diggers to peg out claims on allu-
vial fields unless they intend to WORK
them. Claims can be pegged by any
white man OF the age of IS.
The declared output for the two
farms, Klipfontein and Mooifontein,
for the month of November, was of
the value of $146,916.
A portion of the farm Goedgenoeg
No. 593, district Klerksdorp, approx
mately $50 acres, was proclaimed an
alluvial digging in November. Tween
| ty-four licenses were issued during
November, but no returns of the out
put have been received.
The extent of a full claim is $50
feet square, for which the license
money is $12.15 per month. Portions
of claims in extent 80 feet sqpare, 80
by 45 feet and AZ by 45 feet can be
taken up on payment of Ell (S4.S7),
los, (s2.43) and 5s ($1.22) per month
respectively, and the majority of the
diggers hold a portion in extent 45 BY
As feet.
Claim holders are entitled to move
their pegs once a month if their claim
is found to be unsatisfactory or if ii
has been worked out.
1t is intended to proclaim a further
portion of the farm Mooifontein in ex
tent about 900 acres early in January
and a portion of the farm London No
SO, district Bloemhof, on December %
1911, in extent about 1000 acres.
AS result of the constantly flowing
tide of people to these new alluvia
diamond fields there has been a grea
influx of traders of all kinds, and il
some cases the sale and transfer Of
trading rights and claims have reached
very high figures. In the opinion o.
well-informed persons there is little
justification for the extensive building
and expenditure of capital at the tow
of Bloemhof. 1t has been the exper
fence of other alluvial diamond field'
that they are comparatively shor
lived after the digging operations o.
thousands of people have started a!
the payable gravel soon becomes work
field years may be required to exhaus
the payable dirt.
A correspondent, writing from
Bloemhof to one of the johannesburg
newspapers, says:
Every farm for miles around is bein:
prospected for diamonds, and eacl
owner imagines, or wants you to be
lieve, that he owns the bonanza of tn,
district. The truth is that diamond
are scattered over the field for mile
and miles in all directions, but SO far
the cost of picking out the gems is ia
greater than their value.
While there seems to be scarcel.
any limit in extent to the alluvial dia
mond deposits in the Bloemhof- Moo
fontein district, and although there ar,
many good finds, the blanks" are S,
much more numerous that | SHOULD
deem il extremely inadvisable 70
Americans to indulge in the great e1
pense of coming to the Transvaal wit
the expectation of obtaining in thes
fields even fair compensation for thei
efforts. let alone any large reward.
The sanitary-conditions in and aroun
the Observation-Disclosures district
where are congregated many thou:
ands of people are said to be very in
perfect, 1t having been quite impos
sible for the government or municipa
authorities to anticipate or meet tn
demand of this extraordinary influx G
population by providing even an Of
binary system of sanitation capable 1
coping with the situation. There is, o
this account and owing TO the hot sun
mer season now at hand, considerabl
sickness on the fields, and it would b