The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-06-29

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, NasEinst'n u @
With the continued discussion Of the
effect on the United states OF the huge
gold supply that world economic con
ditiOns have driven To our shores, the
region that produces more Of the pre-
cious metal than any other area takes
ON an added interest, This is the ia
nous "I;and' Officially WitWuters-
randi Of the Transyaal, South Africa,
that in the relatively brief period since
its discovery has sWeileI the annual
stream Of new gold To nearly twice its
volume. In keeping with traditions,
this great reservoir of the metal,
bright and yellow, hard and cold
has given n stormy as well us a gilded
history to the co ner of the Transvaal
in which, it was uncovered. 1t built
up in a few years Il city Of 2S4,0O0
souls drawn from all parts Of the
world; it caused raids, labor troubles,
and Il bloody major war; and ii vitality
changed the map and political conr
pleXity Of Africa.
The Beers trckked over the Rand re-
Rion and raised their live stock on its
Semi-barrCn slopes for years without
realizing that below their feet lay the
greatest volume of rich gold ore known
10 exist. The discovery Of the ore
was made in 1850. but The region did
not realize its prosperity Immediately.
The gold is finely divided in Il con
glomerate rock and its profitable re-
c0yery calls for the highest degree in
scientific treatment. The ore must be
crushed by heavy stamps and then
treated by the cyanide process. The
ore beds extend for more than 60
miles along the low hills known as
1.-The Rand and mines were opened
at various points.
BY 1891 much of the surface vein
of ore had been exhausted and 1t was
feared that the field would be short
lived. Then it was discovered that the
main gold reef below is for all practi-
cal purposes without bottom and that
the extent of rich ore from which
gold may be taken is only limited by
the practicabillty of mans working at
great depths. The average gold con
tent OF the ore is worth nearly SO a
ton. and engineers have estimated that
there remain in the Rand ores worth
many billions Of dollars.
Boom Brought the Boer War.
BY 1899 the Rand was in the midst
of a tremendous boom. Investors,
prospectors, laborers and soldiers Of
fortune fOcked in. The necessary
heavy machinery was hauled for hun
dreds of miles and brought in over
mountain passes by wagons and OK
teams. The output Of yellow metal
mounted rapidly, and with it grew the
troubles that brought on the Boer war.
The city Of Johannesburg was born
of the gold discovery and rose TO the
stature Of a city in the space of a
few years practically ION the dig
gins" 1t Is almost on the crest of
the Rand.
BY 1906 the Rand's annual prOduc-
ton passed that of all North Amer
lea. Before the World war the an
nual recovery reached $l75,OOO,OO0, and
by 1920 the output had again climbed
TO S13S,OOO,00O. an amount which rep
resented roughly half the entire world
production in that year. In 1921 a new
peak was reached when gold valued
at about S2OO,OOO,O 600 was taken from
the Rand.
Johannesburg is situated about mid
way along the Rand. There are a num-
her of true suburbs strung out on the
.slopes of the ridge devoted largely to
the residences Of the well-to-do and in
addition, farther away along the Rand,
are smaller satellite towns. Nine
miles to the east lies Germiston and
six miles farther, Boksburg. Twenty
one miles to the west is Krugersdorp.
For about % miles in each direction
from the city one Is never u Of sight
of tall chimneys, ugly crushing houses,
and labor compounds which tell the
eve that this Is a scene Of unceaslng
activity. And the same message Is
conveyed to ear and nostrils. The
great crushing machinery keeps up a
deafening din, and at times when the
wind assists the air is filed with the
fine white dust which Is a troublesome
and unacceptable by-product OF the
crushing operations. The Rand gold
field is fortunate in having a supply OF
coal Is miles to the east which has
kent down opvhking costs and 70 haA