Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-07-04
The General Post Office, JohannesDu a.

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety Washington, D. CO
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-
c1ouS metal than any other area takes
on an added interest. This is the IA
nous Rand" Officially Witwaters-
RANDI of the Transvaal, South Africa,
that in the relatively brief period since
Its discovery has swelled the annual
stream Of new gold to nearly twice it's
volume In keeping with traditions,
this great reservoir of the metal,
bright and yellow, hard and cold"
has given a stormy as well as a gilded
history to the corner of the Transvaal
In which it was uncovered. 1t built
up in few years city of 2S4,OOO
souls drawn from all parts of the
world; it caused raids labor troubles,
and bloody major war and it vitality
changed the map and political COM
plexity of Africa.
The Beers trekked over the Rand re-
gion and raised their live stock on its
semi-barren slopes for years without
realizing that below their feet lay the
greatest volume of rich gold ore known
to exist The discovery Of the ore
was made in 1885, but the region did
not realize its prosperity Immediately.
The gold is finely divided in a con-
glomerate rock and it's profitable re-
covery 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
"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 practicability of mans working at
great depths. The average gold con-
tent of the ore is worth nearly $40
ton, and engineers have estimated that
there remain In the Rand ores worth
many billions of dollars.
Boom Brought the Boer War.
BY 1895 the Rand was in the midst
of a tremendous boom. Investors,
prospectors, laborers and soldiers Of
fortune f1ocked 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 city in the space Of
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 $175, 100000, and
by 1920 the output had again climbed
to $13S, 100000, an amount which rep
resented roughly half the entire world
production in that year. In 1921 new
peak was reached when gold valued
at about $20OO00,000 was taken from
the Rand.
johannesburg is situated about mid
way along the Rand. There are num-
Der 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 krugersdol'p.
For about Is miles in each direction
from the city one is never out 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
convened to ear and nostrils. The
great crushing machinery keeps up
deafening din, and at times when the
wind assists the air is filed with the
fine white dust which is troublesome
and unacceptable by-product or the
crushing operations. The Rand gold
Seld is fortunate in having supply OF
OIL % miles to the east which mas
ont Town operating costs and 20 nas