1936-09-16 — Page 30

11

館

Half i

million

people

live in

Johannesburg

In-day.

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16,

GOLD

WENT to Johannesburg by. coach in 1886.

It was a mining camp, full of Bohemian life.

There were all sorts of people, die- gers and others, several of whom in later years became inillionaires,

Everybody was somebody. Everybody spent generously what he had, and what he had not.

What they had not was supplied by bank overdraft., Only an ever- craft merchant" (his is the natu ' ཎཱ ཝ gave them in those days) was considered of much account.

Some years later the banks grow wiser, Then our friends found it more difruit to spend what they had

int got.

We lived a very merry. ilfe. Λ Boer Government, under Kruger, administered the country, I know hardly anything about mining, and less about administering a country with a growing British population.

So ennille! came. But in those days good or Bad government did not matter very much. What con cerned us was how much gold we dug up, how much money we could spend, how much amusement could be got.

TENTS, wooden houses, and

ramshackle buildings gove way to streets of orlek and stone with

galvanised Iron roofs shortly

after I arrived on the Rand.

To-day it is full of skycrapers,

Kroger

We were very proud of ou-HAMe muste-hat, where the boxes were generally Alled with men ke Solly Joct. Carl Banau, and the cream of the gay set, to brighten Uings up.

One of my vivid early menorio-

of Prestilent Kruger is of hilm

laying the foundation stone

of the Synagogue at Park Stution.

quite

CITY

Romance Of The

seriously that he

Was (co

stupid to be a clerk, and that there By SIR

were ng jobs.vubble" for head petals, otherwise something might

be dinne

Aerial Tram WANT of

howledge had some curious resulls. When a certain gold mining come pany applied for the right to con- struct an neriai tram, the matter was Sub- deal with by the Cabinet. quently It was submitted to

Transvaal Parliament, when a mem- ber of this august body, named Taal- Jard, made an eloquent speech stat-

ng that "the application, was terrible thing-in fart, “It amounted to blasphemy."

A

He could find no instance in the ble of things "ying through the te," and the 13ble was the only book he knew or cared about.

Such incidents were amusing at the time, but they began to retard inining development.

Despite differences, the British and Dutch were good friends in those days and worked well together.

Racial hotrods did not develop till after the Jameson Baid. Now, for- tunately, the position la better, dating from the time when Smula and Hert-

HARRY

GRAUMANN

Rand

Tifly yearn

ago there

1936.

PRESIDENT LINER

sailing's

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TO SEATTLE, VICTORIA

Via Shanghai, Kobe, Yokohaına and Victoria.

TO SAN FRANCISCO

Via Shanghai, Kobe, Yokohama, Honolulu, Ban Francisco, Panama

.was only

one shack

on the city's

Canol, Navana, New York.

ulte.

Pres. Taft

Midnight Sept. 22nd Pres. McKinley Midnight Sept. 25th

Noon Oct. 3rd Pres. Grant Midnight Oct. 20th Prea, Jefferson

Oct. 9th

15

Oct. 23rd

Nov. 6th

1

Nov, 20th

burg shure-gambling began, and when the reaction set in bunks begon to call in overdraft irrespective of consequences.

In carlier days they had been too

ORD DEWAR once 'sent me eager to lend when circumstances did

LORD

burg. It proved to be worth more ttinn gold in my journeying through East Africa.

It was comparable in price with bacon, i once paid 70s, for a pound uf bacon during my trip through that country, and whisky there at that thine was fetching £5 a bottle. Later il come down to 30%.

WHEN Lord Gladstone,

the

first Governor-General under

the Union, came to Johannesburg in 1910. I, as mayor, had an unhappy time.

He was most coldly greeted be cause his father had given back the Transvaal to the Boers after Majubn. Early in Johannesburg days at was most unfair that he should Band gold-mling company of which have been held responsible for in Later the prejudice I was chairman advertised for a mine father's actions.

wore down.

(formerly Mayor of Johan- nesburg and Member for Central Division of manager. Johannesburg in the Union Parliament)

JOHANNESBURG-He

Gold

City celebrates is Jubilee with an Empire Exhibition, to be opened to-day. Fifty years ago it was a shack on the tonely veldt. Now I bas a population of half a mill-

Han Exactly fifty years ago Sir Harry

Graumann (known as the "hoy broker of Capetown" and author of "Rand Riches and South Africa," a book recently published) pushed out to the Rand.

He knew Kruger, Ceell Rhodes Allred Belt. Bolly Joel, Barney Barnato, and the other tower- Ing ngures of die early gold- mining days on the Wilwalers- rand,

Here Bir Harry, in an interview with J. D. S. Alan, tells some- thing of the early history of Johannesburg.

This was the historie year when the four South African Colonies were merged into the union of South. Africa,

and when the Duke of Connaught went out to

first open the Union Parliament.

Up And Down

Ono applicant recalled that I had sold him a pair of boots for 40s. during my commercial activities in East Africa. I told him that they cost me Bs., but I had had a lot of trouble carting them to Umtail.

I asked how they had worn, and be said. "Damned badly."

He got the job at £2,000 a year. This will go to show how the strug- gling fortune-seeker or prospector was poor to-day and rich to-morrow, These vicissitudes were frequent hi the old pioneer days.

BECIL RHODES used to speak in a thin falsetto voice when

excited,

Dr. Jameson and Belt were his tw great friends, and it is tragie to think that the blunder of the Jameson Raid should have toppled him over.

TIE first Rand

THE

goldfield was where outcrop mining alone was carried on.

Few of the ploneers believed int mines would go down thousands of ferl. In fact, mining people in the early days. were afraid to sink to great depths for fear they might and the reef had "pinched out."

To-day the intrinsic value of deep- level mines has been established be- yond all doutri

The second new Beld is the Enst fund, and the third new field is the Far East Rand. Both these sections of the Rand Include some of the world's richest gaid mines.

New Fields

The fourth hew field, now coming along, is the Far Far East Band. The 4th Is the West Rand, and the sixth is the For West Rand, where in the past year or two discoveries have been made which surprise the old honda.

Had Rhodes lived, I am sure he

This section of the country is going would again have become the bligeat to become of vast importance. mon In South Africa.

No goldfield in the world can boast Money to him was but the manns such continuity of formation and to power. Rhodes got the land and values as the Witwatersrand. Belt gut the

money to develop it. South Africa has never known such a wonderful combination as these two men.

Pres. Hoover

Prea, Pierce

Pres. Coolidge Pres. Lincoln

10 m. Oct. 31st Pres. Incluson Midnight Nov. 18th Pres. McKinley

EUROPE, NEW YORK

Via Manita,'Singapore, Penang, Colombo, Bombay, Suez Canal, Naples, Genos and Marsellies.

Pres. Garfield Pres. Polk Pres. Adams Pres. Harrison

Pies. Hayes

MANILA-

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Oct. 10th

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Supt. 10'Sept. 20' ¡Oct. 2 Oct. Oct. 18 Oct.

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Oct. 10 Oct. 31 Oct. 23) Oct. Oct.

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Feb. 27

TO MANILA

"To-day the Intrinste

value of deep-level mines

has been established beyond

all doubl

He declared the stone "well and zog quite recently joined hands and truly laid-in the name of Jesus formed a Coalition Government. Christ," which, you will agree, was a Uttle unusual in the circumstances.

I remember a young Dutchman applying to President Kruger for a job. The great mun inade inquiries, the youth, and told him

sent for

£12,000,000

NEVERAL men who started on with little or no

the Itand

MAM

MESSAGERIES

MARITIMES

FRENCH MAIL STEAMERS.

Sailings from Hongkong.

MARSEILLES vía Saigon| To SHANGHAI-KOBE.

Singpers, Colombo, Djibouti

dox). Suez, Port-Said,

Cffercneaux 1..22nd Sept.

6th Oct, „2014 Oct. Reise Floud 1.214 Nov.. Mau. Joštne, ...17% Now,

་

capital became inillionaires largely in consequence of their association with the great gold mining industry.

Alfred Belt died worth more than £12,000,000. His partner, Wernher, must have been worth something like the same amount.

DOTH"Boers" and Britist want B into the Boer War in blissful Ignorance. The Boers mostly were unaware of the Empire's resources and thought they could dispatch ali the Redcoats who might be sent.

And in the first year most of the British thought they would eat their Percy Fitzpatrick (later Sir Christmas pudding In Pretorial But Percy), author of "Jock of the Bush- little did Briton or Boer think the veld," who used to be a clerk in my war would last over three years.

cc. joined Alfred Bell's film. He I was in on awkward position when became a central figure in the Jame war broke out. yon Raid.

Alfred Belt established the Corner House at Johannesburg, which con- trolled the leading mines.

Awkward

I was one of the four aldermen of Johannesburg. No rucial differences But I could not upset our harmony,

Bell was one of the kindest men in remain. South Africa, especially to those he

When I resigned, the Dulch mem- bad known in the old Kimberley days. bers of the council refused to accept He would say to me, I hear old so the resignation, and said that if I and-so is broke. Give him a hundred must go to Capetown they wanted me on my account

to go there 15 an aklerman of Trifling capital was required to Johannesburg. start o mine in those days because they were all outcrop mines. Addi- tional working capital, when needed for these mines, was easy to get.

To-day it requires about £2,000,-

IN

TN Capetown; during the war, I became chairman of the Re-

000 to start a deep level mine. It is fugee Committee. Refugee problems now prnetically all deep level mining became very severe, as a vast number on the Rand.

of refugees had gone to Capetown Outcrop companies prospered so from the Transvaal and had to be rapidly in the pioneer days that cared for.

RAND

MILESTONES

1853 Digners "scratching" for gold in the Witwatersrand-"Ridge of White Waters,"

JOHANNESBURG decided in

1910 that Its Mayor-Sr Harry Graumann-ought to have robes and gold chain of office for the visit of the Duke of Cen- naught,

Sir Harry chose a robe of silk. Before leaving, the Duke of Connaught congratulated Str Harry on being the first Mayor to wear robes of sultable material for the climate instead of the heavy fur-trimmed ones usual for Mayors, even in the (roples.

The extraordinary part is that one can sink to a great depth on a small assay from boring operations in the conditions alleged against Bort fear of not pbtaining ultimate good approved sections, with little or no Government. South

Africa or highly payable results, panies when he 'crosses

This is due to the great regularly Bechuanaland frontier with 500 of formation and values, extending Chartered Company "Police,”.

to dimensions one would have South African War.

thought impossible. Johannesburg surrendered to the British troops.

1888 Manon, helping to bulla Mrs. Oosthuizen's form at Langlaagte, stubs his foot on a small rock, 1800 unearthing the leader of the 1000 fabulous wealth of the Main Reef Series

Gold rush begins, 1002 Peace of Vereeniging ending the

South African War. 1887 Burney Barnato's experts advise

him to leave the Rand-alone bo

1904 Rant gold mining resumes pre- cause the rock was "not deep.

war scale.

Africa estab- Union of South Inhed. Experiment of import- Ing Chinese labour ends; 63,000 coolles repairinted.

A year Inter he plunges in, be- 1910 comes the largest holder of mining propositions and renl estate.

1802 Johannesburg connected by rail

to Cape ports.

1005 Great drought. Rich men on the Rand wash themselves in soda water.

1913 General strike, 1022 Strikes organise on military lines. Killed: 72 soldiers and police, 39 revolutionaries or sus- pected revolutionaries, 42 inno- cent-civilians.

D'Artagnan Sphinx.. Felix Roussel Mar. Joffre Aramis

19th Sept. 3rd Oct.

16th Oct. 31st Oct. .13th Nov.

1805 Dr. Jameson, confidential friend

1928

4

cessful rald, climax to resent-

ment by Britons against harsh

Vie can have through tickets to Egypt, Syrian ports East Africa, Madagascar by tranch pennant on our mail steamers

at Port-Said or Dijbouti.

- For full Particulars, apply to:

Yet, 26651.

Cie des MESSAGERIES MARITIMES,

Johannesburg made a city.

of Cecil Thodes, stages unsuc- 1036 Empiro Exhibition in Johannes-

shores would soor to ten times er

burg to celebrate Jubilee of Anding of gold reels,

This committee acted in close ac-

more of their face value. This made cord with Lord Milner's wishea.

It easy to ralse' additional working copital by a very slight increase of a company's original capital, which wan generally very small.

Share-Gambling

Reconstruction work was dimeull after the Boer War. At Johannes-

Even if gold had not risen from E4 33. to about £7 an ounce, nearly all the mines would pay, though not. of course, on the same scale.

The Rand is largely carrying South Africa.

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