Lake in the middle of the night in a rowing boat with long wooden poles, and using the poles to peg claims under the Lake! When the gold reefs to the north of Boksburg Lake near Comet were found to continue southwards under Boksburg Lake, towards the areas now known as Parkdene, Freeway Park and Sunward Park, Farrar became very wealthy in 1893 by selling 1,300 claims to ERPM. Farrar received ERPM shares to the value of £705,000 for his claims in the south of Boksburg, excluding Boksburg Lake. Farrar later received more ERPM shares for his claims over Boksburg Lake, and became effectively the controlling shareholder in ERPM. In 1895, Farrar was a member of the so-called "Reform Committee" which plotted to overthrow the government of Paul Kruger, by organising an uprising of new immigrant non-citizens ("Uitlanders") on the Reef and by inviting armed men led by Leander Starr Jameson to invade the Transvaal (Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek) from Mafikeng. Farrar was convicted of High Treason and was sentenced to death in 1896, but the death sentence was later commuted to a fine of £25,000. Farrar's brother Sidney paid this fine by cheque. During the Anglo-Boer war Farrar helped to raise an irregular corps and fought for the British. He was awarded a D.S.O. and was knighted in 1902. After the war, Farrar laid out the township of Benoni; Farrar was not only involved with ERPM, but also with the New Kleinfontein mine in Benoni. Many of the original streets in Benoni are named after places in Farrar's home town in England. Farrar built a large house on Bedford Farm, east of Johannesburg; the township of Bedfordview is named after Farrar's farm. Farrar became president of the Chamber of Mines in 1902 and agitated for Chinese workers to be imported to work on the Gold Mines to reduce labour costs. Legislation to allow Chinese labour to be brought into the Transvaal was passed in 1904; Farrar was directly responsible for this. Farrar then entered politics and became president of the imperialistic Transvaal Progressive Association. Farrar hoped to become Prime Minister of the Transvaal Colony. In February 1907 elections were held for the Transvaal Legislative Assembly. Farrar was elected to the Assembly for the Boksburg East constituency which included Benoni; but "Het Volk" party of Louis Botha won the elections and Farrar had to be content with becoming Leader of the