The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-07-25
been a big factor in keeping the gold
stream moving.
Photo BY Afer7srfoosI

stream moving.
Johannesburg a Fine City.
Much of the tremendous wealth that
has come out of the reef has flowed
abroad, a fact, incidentally, which Is
responsible for much Of the bitterness
that has existed among the white
miners and the Boer farmers. But
some of the millionaires and submit
lionaires have spent lavishly In the
country, and these expenditures. as
we'll as the millions spent In opera
ton. have enriched Johannesburg. Elk
cepting two cities near the Mediter-
ranean, which may be considered as
belonging to a separate civilization,
johannesburg is the metropolis Of Al
RIGA. 1t has a population of more
than 2S4,0OO, of which more than 15o,-
900 are white
1t Is a city of numerous substantial
buildings, some of them Of many
stories, resembling more nearly Amer
lean structures than those of Europe
Wide asphalt streets, theaters, luxuri-
GUS clubs, and the finest hotel south OF
the equator are other features that
90 to make "Joburg" an up-to-date,
comfortable city. In the suburbs are
many fine residences and the country
club will compare favorably with sim.
liar institutions on any OF the six
continents. The altitude Of more than
a mile above sea level makes the
city healthful and comfortable despite
its nearness to the tropics.
But despite it's opulence Johannes
burg still has some Of the earmarks
of a mining camp. In the sumptuous
clubs booted prospectors are to be seen
side by side with carefully manicured
financiers. The iron-roofed shack OF
the early days has not entirely disap-
peared; gambling hells and grog shops
can be found with ease by miners in
the city to spend their earnings in the
traditional way of the mining camp.
Nor is the city, for all its public I'M
provements and architecture, entirely
a Twentieth century white mans COM
More than 100000 African
natives live within Its limits. Motor
cars predominant in the traffic, but
the heavy Boer wagon has not been
thrust entirely out of the picture. And
one can ride over the asphalt-or could
a few years ago-in ''rikisha" drawn
by a feather-bedecked Zulu.
Scene Of Much Turbuience.
Turbulence has been the lot Of Jo-
since its birth in 1880
and many Of its problems have piv-
oted around the mine owners and Ia
borers. The Boer war really grew out Of
the discovery of gold on the Rand and
the resulting influx of thousands OF
and other "uitlanders-
The ill-starred raid Of Jameson was
directed against Johannesburg, and At
the same time the city was seized from
within by the British mine operatives.
Inst before the outbreak Of the World
war there was an uprising OF the
white miners around johannesburg, but
the difficulties were patched up be-
cause of the great conflict.
The obtaining of labor for the Rand
mines has always been a problem OF
proportions. With the
mines working at capacity something
over 25O,OOO workers are needed. The
local negroes preferred work on the
farms and among the live stock OF the
Roers. White men In sufficient num-
hers could not be obtained, nor could
he owners afford to pay exclusively
white mems wages. At one time So
700 Chinese coolies were imported, but
heir presence caused much trouble
md In 1910 the last Of them were re-
Narrated. In recent years tens OF
Of negroes from Portuguese
East Africa have been brought IN 10
implement the local negroes that could
10 induced to work, and the 2o'OoO
more or less skilled white workers