358 
THE WITWATERSRAND AND 
British policy in South Africa has been one of consistent and 
deliberate oppression. Vacillating it has been, through changes 
in party government, through ignorance in the colonial office of 
conditions in South Africa, and through the idiosyncrasies of 
arbitrary or doctrinaire commissioners. Many of the British 
governors have lost reputation and have been recalled in conse- 
quence of their mistakes, l^ut South Africa has gained little by 
the penalties meted out to her rulers. In public affairs enlight- 
ened wisdom is more useful than virtue ; for wrongs, though 
unintentionally committed, can seldom be righted or even full}’’ 
atoned for.* 
Gold had been discovered in the Transvaal in the T^ydenburg 
district as early as 1867, and prior to 1881 it had been found at 
other points as well, but none of these discoveries were of a very 
sensational character. The marvelous deposits of the Witwaters- 
rand were detected in 1885. 
The Witwatersrand as a gold-producing district has no parallel 
in history. It is now producing from an area no larger than the 
District of Columbia at the rate of more than S40, 000,000 worth 
of gold annually, and, as has been mentioned, there are good 
reasons for l)elieving that the ultimate total production will be 
a])proximately 83,500,000,000, or about ten times the total value 
of the })roduct of the Comstock lode.t Production did not l^egin 
till 1887. Of course, Johannesburg, the chief town of the district, 
greAV with the utmost raj)idity. 
A census of the district within three miles of Market square 
was taken in July last. It showed 51,225 whites and 51,849 
colored people. Doubtless the enumerators missed some resi- 
dents, but })robably no large proportion of them. 
The sudden development of this vast industry naturally pro- 
duced a profound effect upon the financial circumstances of the 
Transvaal, although the Burghers did not take part in the ex- 
])loitation of gold. The Boers sold land at enormous valuations, 
furnished transportation at high rates, sold produce at famine 
j)rices, and levied most profitable taxes. How greatly they bene- 
*The loyfilty of many Englishmen is so extreme that they esteem it a blessing for 
any people to come under English domination, whether willingly or otherwise. They 
cannot understand how people can prefer independence to the British rule. This fact 
explains many instances of aggression which to an American seem without excuse. 
t.\s estimated by the Mint Bureau of the United States, the Comstock produced up 
to January 1, 1890, about $149,000,000 worth of gold. If silver is reckoned at the coin- 
ing value, or $1.2929 per fine ounce, the total product of che lode is estimated at 
$357,472,620.85. 'I'he gold is about 42 per cent of the total value. Last year the produc- 
tion of this great lode fell below a million dollars. 
