110 
The American Geologist. 
February, 1896 
honor to the principal and always’ a distinct and positive 
deprivation to the accessory. But when the recipient of many 
largesses is not only disposed, but is also able to perpetuate 
in everlasting brass the services of those whose succor came 
when needed most and to whom the science thus owes a 
genuine debt, the graceful act will receive the applause it 
merits. Hence it gives us pleasure to refer to the fact that 
Prof. James Hall, who has probably been more signally decor¬ 
ated than an 3 ^ other living geologist, has commemorated in 
gold the services of some of the men who have enabled him 
to carry on his official work in the state of New York. Of 
several gold medals which he has had struck for this end, the 
first was given to Jacob A. Cantor, a member of the state 
senate, through whose efforts Prof. Hall was recommissioned 
b}^ the Governor in 1893. The second is in memory of James 
W. Husted who during twenty years of service in the legisla¬ 
ture of New York was a staunch friend of Prof. Hall and his- 
work. This medal was presented to the son, James W. 
Husted. A third has been given to Mrs. George Huntington 
Williams in memory of her father, the Hon. Daniel P. Wood, 
an enthusiastic promoter of geological science in New York 
during his long connection with the legislature of the state; 
and a fourth to Danforth E. Ainsworth in recognition of ear¬ 
nest and practical cooperation in the achievements of later 
years. Xonfacit ea quae juvenes, at vero major a et meliora 
fm.it. 
The Gold Fever in South Africa. 
The discovery of the gold field of the Transvaal in South 
Africa bids fair to surpass in its results everything of the 
kind that the world has ever seen, throwing exen the his¬ 
toric Californian and Victorian treasures into the shade. Jo¬ 
hannesburg, the chief center of the region, has grown from an 
open desolate prairie ten years ago to a solid city of 100,000 
people with all the most modern appliances and conveniences, 
and luxuries of the highest civilization. The Witwatersrand 
is sending gold into the markets of the world as it never was 
sent in before and will probably supply all that is needed to 
meet the increasing demand for the precious metal in coinage. 
The world's yield of gold, which rose from about $60,000,000 
a ye&r to about $120,000,000 on the discovery of the Victorian 
