The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-06-28
MINING, THE GREAT ADVENTURE
CONTINUED from page %

men, organized by Cecil Rhodes il
1889 to penetrate the region north OF
the Transvaal and west of Portuguese
East Africa. The country Of the
NASH onas had been identified as the
place of Ophir and King Solomon's
mines by a German explorer, called
Mauch, who spread tales of a hidden
Eldorado among the Boer vortrekkers
The expedition sent by Rhodes was
commanded by Major Frank Johnson
now a chairman Of mining companies
in London; it was guided by +. c.
Selous, the celebrated big game hunter
of Africa. This company of men,
called the pioneers of Mashonaland
set out to explore the region, to make
a road, and to commence mining. Their
safety depended upon the word of
Lobengula, the chief of the warlike
Matabele, who had given Rhodes a
concession. There is a wall built
round the word of a chief" the old
warrior said, and he proved it. The
expedition was subject to attack from
other quarters, not to mention ma
laria, and the venture was hazardous.
1t was a big grubstake on the part of
Rhodes and his British South Africa
company, which he had organized for
exploratory expansion in what he was
fond of calling the "hinterland." The
men that set out on this trek were a
fine lot; soldiers, athletes hunters,
miners, frontiersmen of the best kind
At Tuli they crossed the northern
border of the Transvaal and there be-
gan to clear road through the bush
as they advanced AS the trees were
cut down the heavy oX-wagons made
ruts that defined the road and extend
ed the trail of empire into the Wild
erness. Selous led the way. He was
then 40 years DID, 20 years earlier
he had stood before Lobengula and
asked permission to hunt elephants
but gave the permission. When the
news of the boys exploits reached the
great, chief he swore a mighty oath
and proclaimed the young Englishman
the greatest of all hunters. The
pioneers loved him. He was fine
figure of a man, deep chested, yet
nlmble - the Allan Quatermain of
Haggard's story. His voice was we'll
modulated and his eyes clear blue.
"A mighty hunter before the Lord"
was he, fearing neither man nor beast
Twenty five years later, in 1915 when
81 years old, he obtained commits
sion and joined the British forces that
We're fighting the Germans in East
Africa. In September 1916 he was
promoted to captain and awarded the
d. S. O. for conspicuous gallantry, re-
source, and endurance In January
of this year he fell while leading his
men in battle. He was shot. and NOR
tally wounded, but continued to urge
his men forward until he was hit a
second time, fatally. When the news
of his edeath reached New York, an
other fearless man and mighty hum
ter, Theodore Roosevelt, said : 1T
was fit and gallant end to a gallant
and useful life A son of Selous Is
now serving in France Let us claim
him as one of the heroic band of pros
pectors that have opened the waste
places of the earth to human enter
prise
On September IL, 1890, the pioneers
of Mashonaland completed their trek
of 43O miles and founded Salisbury.
taking possession of the country in
the name of the British South Africa
company. Having finished the first
portion of their task, they grouped
themselves into little syndicates and
prepared to seek for gold. Each syn
dicate had a wagon and span of
oxen, rations for three months, tools,
dynamite, and other supplies, besides
goods for trading with the natives.
The expedition had been followed by
o number of prospectors, who now
scattered over the surrounding region.
1t was the expectation of Rhodes and
those of the Rand would be found and
that in short time the discoveries of
gold~ would attract large population.
This hope proved fallacious. Gold
was found in the Hartley hills, Ga
tooma, Lomagundi, and other districts,
and eventually number of produce
tive mines were developed, but the
mining industry never grew to lordly
proportions. Many of the mines We're
founded on ancient workings, usually
about so feet deep, dug by forgot
ten people. However, if the imme-
date results seemed unimportant the
ultimate consequences proved far
reaching. This band Of pioneers pre-
pared a way for others, they started
the mineral exploration that opened
the interior of South Africa to orderly
development, they broke the ground
for peaceful agriculture and civilized
habitation from the Cape of Good
Hope to the sources of the Nile. .
One more story that of the three
lucky Swedes, as they became known
in the north. John Byrnteson was a
Swede who had worked in the iron
mines Of Michigan. Erik Lindblom,
another Swede. was tailor in San
Francisco when the lure of gold call