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The Struben brothers, Fred & Harry, by invitation of Louw Geldenhuys, discovered and mined gold on the Eastern part of the farm Wilgespruit in 1884-5. They learned mining from a Cornish miner, George Arnold (every body is ‘George’) and blasted and dug their way into the Witwatersrand Ridge in several places, most famously the “Confidence Reef Mine”. They imported a stamp mill from Sandycroft Foundry in England and powered it with an 8 horse-power steam engine they had on their farm, from Ransom, Simms & Jefferies, also a UK firm.
Struben Brothers Stamp Mill 1885 - HF Gros Collection via Rod Kruger
Two other Georges, George Harrison & George Walker, learning of their mining activities from Arthur Edgson at Muldersdrift, came over looking for work. Walker was commissioned to help set up the new stamp-mill in a nearby Kloof, and build a small cottage nearby to replace the Strubens ‘s tent. Harrison, a brick-layer and prospector, went on to the farm Langlaagte to help build a small house. This led the way to the finding of the Main Reef at Langlaagte in 1886 by George Harrison.
The Strubens put claims on the main reef on the Eastern side of Langlaagte and dug test-shafts, to prove the gold content. They named their claims “Crown Reef”. In 1888 they sold most of their property for a small fortune and retired to Cape Town. The Confidence Reef and Mill were rented to a consortium who worked it for a short time, and then sold the Mill, probably to Bandjies mine in Florida. The Confidence Reef lay abandoned and forgotten.
After Fred Struben died his wife Mabel sold the Eastern part of Wilgespruit to George Brown of Roodepoort. Brown tried mining on the property with poor results. In 1935 he built, with his own money, a monument to the Strubens. This was a red brick tower with a marble plaque telling about what the Strubens achieved there.
The Struben Monument via Rod Kruger
The Monument stood on the koppie over the Confidence Reef Mine for many years. The inscription read:
To the memory of Fred and Harry Struben, who by their brotherly cooperation during a period of arduous work, discovered and proved the gold-bearing conglomerates of the Witwatersrand, September 1884. The first public information of discovery was made to the President of the Transvaal Republic and the world, January 5, 1885.
Erected by Geo Brown November 1936 Wilgespruit.
The first page of correspondence between Brown and Mabel Struben, whom Brown consulted about the wording on the plaque
In the 1960s someone "looking for the Kruger Millions" destroyed this monument. (How many times have treasure hunters been fooled? Why would Smuts, who recovered the gold from Pretoria, move it ‘towards’ the British forces coming into Johannesburg?).
The work of the Strubens has been honoured with the preservation of an old stamp battery marked with a blue plaque. The Confidence Reef Mine is also a declared Provincial Heritage Site. In addition to this perhaps it is time to revive the idea of substantial memorial to the famous brothers?
Taarifa: Maoni yoyote yaliyotolewa na watu binafsi na mashirika ni yao wenyewe na kwa njia yoyote haionyeshi maoni ya The Heritage Portal. Ukipata makosa yoyote au ukosefu wa usahihi wa kihistoria, tafadhali wasiliana na mhariri. Ndugu Struben, Fred na Harry, kwa mwaliko wa Lou Geldenhuys, waligundua na kuchimba dhahabu katika sehemu ya mashariki ya shamba la Wilgespruit mnamo 1884. Walijifunza uchimbaji madini kutoka kwa mchimbaji wa Cornish, George Arnold (kila mwili ni <unk>George<unk>) na kulipua na kuchimba njia yao katika Witwatersrand Ridge katika maeneo kadhaa, maarufu zaidi <unk>Confidence Reef Mine<unk>. "Wakati huo, kampuni ya ""Sandcroft"" ilitumia injini ya mvuke yenye nguvu za farasi nane kutoka kwa kampuni ya Ransom, Simms & Jefferies." Strobel Brothers Stamp Mill, 1885 - HF Gros Collection kupitia Rod Kruger, George Harrison na George Walker, kujifunza ya shughuli zao za madini kutoka Arthur Edgson katika Muldersdrift, alikuja kutafuta kazi. Walker aliagizwa kusaidia kuanzisha kiwanda kipya cha stempu katika Kloof iliyo karibu, na kujenga nyumba ndogo karibu ili kuchukua nafasi ya hema la Strubens. Harrison, aliyekuwa mchimba- matofali na mchimba- madini, alienda kwenye shamba la Langlaagte kusaidia kujenga nyumba ndogo. Hii ilisababisha njia ya kugundua Main Reef katika Langlaagte katika 1886 na George Harrison. Familia ya Strubens ilidai kuwa na hifadhi kuu ya matumbawe upande wa mashariki wa Langlaagte na kuchimba mashimo ya majaribio, ili kuthibitisha kiasi cha dhahabu kilichokuwa ndani. Waliita madai yao "Crown Reef". Mwaka 1888 waliuza sehemu kubwa ya mali zao kwa pesa kidogo na wakaishi Cape Town. Meli hiyo ilikodishwa na shirika la wafanyakazi kwa muda mfupi, kisha ikauzwa kwa mgodi wa Bandji huko Florida. Mwamba wa Uhakika ulikuwa umeacha na kusahaulika. Baada ya Fred Struben kufa mkewe Mabel aliuza sehemu ya Mashariki ya Wilgespruit kwa George Brown wa Roodepoort. Brown alijaribu kuchimba madini kwenye eneo hilo bila mafanikio makubwa. Mwaka 1935 aliweka mnara wa ukumbusho kwa ajili ya familia ya Struben. Huo ulikuwa mnara wa matofali mekundu wenye bamba la marumaru linaloeleza yale ambayo familia ya Strubens ilifanikiwa kufanya huko. Mnara wa Ukumbusho wa Struben kupitia Rod Kruger Mnara wa Ukumbusho ulisimama kwenye koppie juu ya Mgodi wa Confidence Reef kwa miaka mingi. "Kumbuka Fred na Harry Struben, ambao kwa ushirikiano wao wa ndugu wakati wa kipindi cha kazi ngumu, waligundua na kuthibitisha makundi ya dhahabu ya Witwatersrand, Septemba 1884.""" Taarifa ya kwanza ya umma ya ugunduzi huo ilitolewa kwa Rais wa Jamhuri ya Transvaal na ulimwengu, Januari 5, 1885. Mfano wa Geo Brown, Novemba 1936 "Mwanzoni mwa miaka ya 1960, Brown alishirikiana na Mabel Struben, ambaye alikuwa na umri wa miaka kumi na sita, na kuanzisha ""Mamilioni ya Kruger"" (kwa Kiingereza: Kruger Millions)." (Ni mara ngapi wawindaji wa hazina wamedanganywa? Kwa nini Smuts, ambaye alipata dhahabu kutoka Pretoria, kuhamisha 'kwa upande' wa vikosi vya Uingereza kuja katika Johannesburg?). Kazi ya Strubens imeheshimiwa na uhifadhi wa betri ya zamani ya stempu iliyo na bamba la bluu. Mgodi wa Confidence Reef pia umetangazwa kuwa Eneo la Urithi wa Mkoa. Kwa kuongezea hii labda ni wakati wa kufufua wazo la ukumbusho mkubwa kwa ndugu mashuhuri?