Delving into the Archives: Horse-gear, whips and whims
When mining activity first started in Benoni, the district was little thought of.
In 1885, EW Noyce of Heidelberg leased the farm Benoni from the government, and established a trading store close to where the Benoni Hotel was situated.
When gold-bearing reefs were discovered on the farm Benoni two years later, in September 1887, men of wealth and diamond diggers such as Joseph Robinson, Lionel Phillips and Cecil John Rhodes all trekked north to search for the yellow metal.
Early in 1887, prospectors were at work on the farm Benoni as well as on the neighbouring farms of Kleinfontein, Modderfontein and Vlakfontein.
Gradually various companies were formed. Modderfontein had a stamp battery which was controlled by a Natal syndicate.
MJ Morrison was manager, secretary, paymaster and everything else that was necessary at the time.
Messrs Shallow and Edward Button were managers of the Van Ryn Gold Mine and Kleinfontein companies respectively.
Mining was crude in those days and the work was done by horse-gear, whips and whims.
At the old Florence, a working claim farther west of the Benoni township, operations commenced using a five-stamp battery.
They were managed by a Mr Acutt, who had come up from Natal.
The mine did not survive and the battery was sold to Chief Lobengula, one of the descendants of the Mzilikazi warriors, and was transported to Zimbabwe.
His ambition was to become a mining magnate.
In 1893 a small community had settled around the Chimes area and the Chimes Hotel was established by Bill Eaton.
A remarkable feature of the area was the absence of trees; the Van Ryn plantation had not yet been planted.
There were canteens at Kleinfontein Homestead, near what is now known as Western Extension.
Crime was not prevalent, the most sensational outbreak being the ‘sticking-up’ of the National Bank in 1897.
Information supplied by Glynis Cox Millett-Clay.
Also read:
Delving into the archives: Benoni’s first synagogue
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