Pilgrim's Rest: a Pictorial History / [compiled by the staff of the Pilgrim's Rest Museum]

Pilgrim's Rest: a Pictorial History / Pilgrim's Rest: a Pictorial History / Geskiedenis in Beeld [compiled by the staff of the Pilgrim's Rest Museum]

Softcover

ISBN 0907990215

Publisher: Transvaal Provincial Library & Museum Service 1986

Good condition in slightly worn oblong A4 softcovers.

Used - Very Good. This book is in very good condition. The wraps have some slight/limited signs of wear and the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. The wraps are slightly shelf rubbed with very slight knocking at the back. The blocks have some minor marks. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far.

Gold mines and mining South Africa Pilgrim's Rest History.

Located in the Mpumalanga region of South Africa, Pilgrim’s Rest is a small town with a very colorful and exciting history. In 1873 the town and surrounding area was densely populated with prospectors all hoping to make their fortunes in the second of the Transvaal gold fields. It was estimated that in the beginning of 1874 there were some 1500 prospectors working around 4000 claims. As so often happens when an influx of potential customers increases the population of a town, no matter how temporarily, businesses appear overnight to take advantage of the boom, charging outrageous prices that the many hopefuls will pay in order to get the items they need to keep working their claims and survive another week or two.

The 1870 gold rush was not the first time the area had been the site of digging. Evidence of mining of the quartz reefs in ancient times were revealed during the most recent efforts to retrieve the gold buried within the soil of the town and surrounding area, as well as other parts of South Africa. Though who the ancient miners were is unknown it has been established that the region of Mpumalanga was part of a transit corridor that moved gold from South Africa to Arabia, India and Phoenicia.

Sadly, for the most part, the gold that was found was alluvial (gold dust) and did not reap the fortune that many were working hard to make. Occasionally a nugget of gold was discovered and though these were few and far between the largest recorded nugget weight a substantial 214 ounces. Stories were spread that alleged nuggets found were as heavy as 25 lbs but are unconfirmed.