Evening star., 1926-09-26
PERPETUAL BOOM
MAKES BIC CITY
johannesburg. South Africa
Exists as Great Metropolis
Through Mineral Finds.

Johannesburg. South Africa q city
OF gold, bids fair to annex another
enviable title" says a bulletin from
the National Geogra phic Society.
FOR 'Joburg, as it is Familiarity
known to It's citizens. is now acting
as most to an influx of adventurous
humanity caused by diamond finds in
her neighborhood.
johannesburg Is accustomed to
oooms and rushes Kimberley. which
has dominated the diamond mining
industry for years. may have a live
competitor Last April reports that
100000 worth of diamonds were found
near the city caused a stampede of
adventurers and more thousands
answered the irresistible call Of the
precious stone a few days ago when
news Of new find was circula ted
throughout the union.
Owes Existence to Boom.
Until the latter part of the last
century. the: whole South African
Union was little known to the out.
side world. 1t was a pastoral and
agricultural region and such notoriety
as II won was principally due to fire.
quent' difficulties between the Beers
and the British local or imperial au.
thorities. and to the native tribes. 1t
was seldom visited except by traders
and hunters but the discovery of the
enormous gold deposits of the Wit
watersra nd-t h e r a din 1855
brought a rush of English. French.
Portuguese. Germans and Americans
into the country in search of wealth
Out Of that rush. Johannesburg was
norm. 1t Is often referred to as the
worlds record-breaking city. 1t COM
menced breaking records 40 years ago
when some I'm shanties stood on one
OF the bleakest portions of the Rand.
The passing of another year saw ad-
ditional hundreds of shanties and
then the transformation of the farms
on which the shanties stood into a
full-fledged mining camp.
As Large as Toledo, Ohio.
Pioneers of the eighties and
nneties little imagined that by 1928
their settlement would have A popula-
ton equal to that of Toledo Ohio.
spread over An area approximately
that Of st. Louis. They little i'm
agined there would be 500 miles of
well-paved streets over which 80 miles
Of street car tracks are built. Like
many Of our modern cities, the streets
are numerous
THE shanties have gradually given
way to the march Of progress with
which Johannesburg is keeping step,
and wide thorougfares, tall. hand
some buildings. schools. churches and
luxurious clubs give it the appearance
of bustling New England city. Its
location in the hills. with mine dumps
on all sides sometimes makes life
miserable in the city. when heavy
winds blow great clouds of dust from
these dumps. covering everything in
their path Trees and grass will not
grow on the dumps and the only re-
lief from the nuisance is the rain
which falls heavily in March and
April. Immediately following these
rains Johannesburg is at its best
clear, sunny and warm.
City Is .Hospitable.
Since the founding of Johannes
burg. it has been great melting
poi for it is an objective Of health
hunters. pleasure seekers and ad-
venturers in South Africa. 1t is the
most populous city in the unon and
considered it's commercial capital.
Such a large city as Johannesburg
with it's high-tension traffic and hustle
usually Is not regarded as an ideal
vacation or holiday resort but. in
keeping with its dstinctiveness. it is
an exception. The citizens have es
tablished exceptional facilities for rec
reation. Tennis is the favorite amuse
menl and tennis courts may be seen
everywhere Many pretty pleasure
parks, lakes for yachting and boat
ing. and magnificent motor drives
help make 1t a resort. Cosmopolitan
hotels restaurants and theaters seem
more European than African.
The Transvaal district, in which
Johannesburg Is situated, for years
has been the greatest gold producing
region in the world. More gold was
produced from the Rand last June
than was mined in California and
arizona during the whole year OF
1924. Gold is the chief export Of the
district. with coal production and eX
port increasing each year. The silver
and tin mining industries thrive. Iron
ore is found in large quantities but
on account of the restrictions Of the
South African market. the mining OF
this ore has not been heavily de-
yeloped"