▁Volks ra ad ▁member , ▁min ing ▁entrepr ene ur , ▁and ▁far mer ; ▁he ▁is ▁the ▁man ▁for ▁whom ▁Mey erton ▁and ▁Mey ers dal ▁( a ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁Al ber ton ) ▁are ▁named . ▁ ▁Meyer ▁played ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁ve in ▁of ▁gold ▁on ▁the ▁Wit w aters rand . ▁As ▁a ▁field ▁cor net , ▁he ▁ins pected ▁and ▁survey ed ▁land , ▁giving ▁him ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁ge ological ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁and ▁to ▁search ▁for ▁sub cro ps . ▁G . J . ▁du ▁Pl ess is ▁found ▁the ▁main ▁ve in ▁on ▁Tur ff onte in ▁Farm ▁on ▁Meyer ’ s ▁suggestion . ▁He ▁also ▁founded ▁Mey ers k amp , ▁later ▁named ▁Natal k amp , ▁and ▁co - owned ▁the ▁Meyer ▁& ▁Char l ton ▁Mine , ▁becoming ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Af rik an er ▁min ing ▁magn ates . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Volks ra ad ▁member ▁to ▁represent ▁Johannes burg , ▁from ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁to ▁ 1 8 9 2 . ▁His ▁main ▁focus ▁was ▁the ▁successful ▁effort ▁to ▁grant ▁Johannes burg ▁municipality ▁status . ▁Second , ▁he ▁champion ed ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁the ▁Del ago a ▁Bay - P ret oria ▁railway ▁to ▁supply ▁the ▁Rand ’ s ▁mark ets ▁for ▁local ▁and ▁imported ▁agricult ural ▁and ▁industrial ▁products . ▁He ▁realized ▁that ▁Del ago a ▁Bay , ▁closer ▁than ▁Dur ban ▁or ▁Cape ▁Town