THE TRANSVAAL IN PROSPECTIVE
Steve had always watched with absorbing interest the progress of events
in the Transvaal. He had seen with intense pity the struggle of the
Republican Government to make ends meet, and to prevent financial
ruin. But he always trusted that all would come right; and it was
with a joy almost greater than if his own fortune was in question
that he--at last--saw the rising fortunes of the South African
Republic. He saw the reported discoveries of gold at Barberton; which
already gave a great stimulus to commerce and trade; and then, as if
Providence had determined at last to make the Transvaal prosperous and
rich, far beyond the dreams of avarice, the grand discoveries at the
Witwatersrand followed those of Barberton, which in turn were augmented
by further discoveries all over the district. Miles of main reef were
traced out, companies with enormous capitals were promoted, and a time
of great prosperity and successful speculation followed. Fortunes were
made and lost in a week, a day, an hour. The Government revenues rose
by leaps and bounds, and they had no longer to almost beg for the loan
of a few thousands. Capitalists were only too eager to advance money on
such safe securities as could be offered.
Government officials, who before had to work for the love of country
and people only, now received their rewards; from the highest to the
lowest they were able to now receive their salaries at the end of the
month. And when the finances of the country were placed on a sound and
safe footing, the Volksraad did the right thing at the right time by
advancing salaries all round.
The reported rich finds, so marvellous and so rich at the
Witwatersrand, were soon noised all over the world; and people flocked
from all quarters of the globe to the goldfields. They came, saw, and
were satisfied--even as the Queen of Sheba was--that all the riches of
the Rand had not been reported to them.
A township was laid out and given a name--Johannesburg. Who has not
heard of it? Johannesburg became the ninth wonder of the world. It
rose, as if in one night, and became a great and well-built city, such
as can be found no where else in South Africa, and, in certain senses,
nowhere else in the world!
Beautiful buildings, strong and lasting, rose, as if by enchantment,
one after the other, proving that confidence was not wanting in the
stability of the goldfields.
Johannesburg differed greatly from other goldfields in other countries.
In Australia and California, when a goldfield was first rushed, tents
and tin shanties prevailed. Here, buildings in brick and stone were
prominent everywhere. In the former, law and order was noted for its
absence; here, everything was done most orderly and lawfully, which
showed once more the ability of the Boer Government to govern even such
a community, and that not by display of force. Comparatively few police
were kept; only sufficient for watching the individual criminal and
vagabond that even such a law-abiding goldfield will attract.
It was, and is, a marvel to many how order and law were kept and
administered by such a weak show of police. I believe it was simply the
conscious strength and stability of the Government which was felt, if
not seen, by all parties, combined by the promptness of the Government
to remove all just causes of complaints, and to give aid where aid was
required. No honest and just memorial was ever refused by Government.
The only request which could not be granted was the Franchise, the
justness and fairness of which is open to question, and appears
altogether in a different view when seen either by the one side or the
other. But of this we shall see more anon.