SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 49

SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS

A BOOM IN STOCKS. (From Ouk Own Coruesposdext.)

JOHANNESB URG,

April 20.

People on the Rand havo been masking themselves during the past fe-v days, Have we at last turned the corner? The air of dull resignation which was becoming the characteristic of the Johannesburg oitizen has given place to a feeling of cheery hopefulness in the future. You can see this as you move about. There is life in the streets. The market has baoome strong and' active. The cause of the general advance in stocks is not «asy of explanation. The fact that, we are assured of Chinese labour may beset down as the chief factor in bringing about the change; etill we- were just as assured on this point a month ago as today. But dwellers on tho Golden Rand are not much concerned about the causes that have led to the revival; they a^e only anxious for the market to be sustained and kept going. At first people imagined the advance- was a, mere flash in the pan, for there had been several spasmodic flutters in certain stocks during the nest few months. This time, however, shares have advanced all along the line, with every indication of the advance holding. And with an improved market trade is sure to become, brisk. W<> have yet a long way to go before times tan be pronounced good ; but a big step has been made in the right direction.

Last month, it should be noted, the gold output for the Rand reached in v alue £1.300,000 — the best return since active operations wero resumed. There was. too, an increase in the laimber of boys offering for work.

THE PLAGUE

The plague has claimed 'but few victims, and has been got well under contro 1 . Still, it is a iitt'e disquieting to s&& from time to time a suspect moved from the inner circle of the city A. neck or so asjo tho Engineer's Hotel, in one of the main thoroughfares, vvaa closed for a time on account of its being discovered an inmate was attacked by tbe plague, while this week a native employed 100 yards from the post office was found to be infected.

A DUTCH CHUBCH BAZAAR

The sjeneral opinion held of our Dutch fellow citizens is that they are a "dour," colourless sort of people; especially unostentatious and prosaio in their religious hfe. This id«a would have been somewhat dispelled by a visit to the bazaar at the Wanderers' this month in aid of the Dutch Reformed Church. Mrs Dale Lace, a lady of Dutch extraction, and who is at the head of most philanthropic movements in the city, though not a member of the Reformed Church, gave he* assistance to the bazaar. Par oxeeilent the leader of fashion in Johannesburg Mrs Dale Lace's stall, at which refreshments were dispensed, was got up in goigoous style; and the others were in keeping. Here is something for your lady readers. The refreshment stall of Dutch maidens, dressed In the costume familiar to' London playgoers in the popular " Three Litt'e Maids," was one of tho prettiest it is possible to imagine. Each lady wore a vory bright-coloured* skirt and bodice of contrasting hue, aprons of barred white muslin, firchus, and large Dutch caps also of muslin. Mrs Dal& Lsee'b skirt was deep violet with pink bodice. Others, yellow, and green bodice ; scarlet petticoat and blue bodice ; another petticoat was a pa!© heliotrope -with bodice of green; yet another wore a pink skirt and blue bodice ; Miss B. Buckland, a green skirt and yellow bodice ; Miss Graham's bodice was palb pink and her petticoat preen ; while Miss Spencer wore a skirt of blue and a bodiice of green. Mrs Barsdorff hud on a bright blue skirt and pink bodice. Each one of these nine Indies made a picture in herself, the drees being a peculiarly becoming one. The same may bo said of eve-y stallholder garbed in fancy attire, for the< three ladies who presided over the bachelors' lounge looked just as charming in white-spotted mushn dresses, with sashes of royal blue and canary sJlk, blue and canary rosettes, and bunches in their ht.ir of cornflour and pale yr-llow Banksia rose=. The lounge was decorated in the same two -coloi:rs. Anoiher very tass«ful stall was the flower stall, m. p&rintendc-d by four ladies in white muslin, pink sashes, and straw poke-bonnets packed inside with pink ro^s. Veiy rustic and pretty, and quite what Millais would have chosen to paint had he ever done a second " Gardiner's Daughter."

FOOTBALL

Tha Rugby football season was opened hare on the 16th. Tho New Zealande-r?. First and Second teams, played at the Wanderers' Ground agaui&t the Diggers' First and Second. The New Zealand Juniors won their ;'ame. but the Diggers won the senior match after most interesting play. Neither team was fully representative', and there was so little between last season's cup holders and our men that in the cup contest, which begins on Satiuday. th& New Zealand* rs

again playing the Diggers, the match taking 1 plr.co at Pretoria, it will not bo at all surprising- if tl>o "trial"' rc..ub ha

reversed. •

PERSONAL ITEMS

I am sorry to say that Mr T. Baker (Hawke'o 13ay) is seriously ill at Pietona with blackwator feier. contracted in tlu regions of Cental Africa, fiom whore Mr Baker is just back.

Mr F. H. Haselden, formerly M H.R. for Patea, and who is only over a few weeks from the colony, has started as a- stock auctioneer in Johannesburg. New Zealand was well represented in th:» line here previous to the advent of Mr Ilaselden, for Messrs J. Grindley, Frank Stronach, and M'Credie are daily to be found on tho Market square offering lhe stock for sale. Selling on the open square has been a very poor game the last 12 month*, little stock coming forward and dealing haul to effect. Miss Campbell (Dunedin), until recently a nursing sister in the Johannesburg Hospital, left for London a couple of weeks back, and intends to return about the end of the year. While at Home she will take some further examinations to qualify hei&elf in hospital work.

Mr A. T. Firth, son of the late Mf J. C. Firth (Auckland!, and who has charge of some large mining operations in the Selati district, Northern Transvaal, was in Johannesburg la&t week. He has great faith in the future of mining at SeJati. Miss Bruce, formerly of Kumara, has taken the. North Rand Hotel, which is in the city close to the line of mine workings. Mr and Mis H. P. Valentine (Taranaki) are residing at Nigil, where Mr Valentine is in the Miners Department. Mr W. M'K>rrow (Wellington) is now in Pretoria, being confidential clerk to a firm of storekeepers. Mrs Langer, a lady recently from Nei\ Zealand, is forming scientific dressmaking classes in Johannesburg.

The worst fears regarding Mr Baker have been realised. H© died on tho 19th inst., and was buried next diy (to-day) at Pretoria. A general favomite among his compatriots, his death will bo much mourned in this land far from his homo.