▁their ▁founder , ▁Cape ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁John ▁Mol ten o , ▁chose ▁for ▁a ▁railway ▁line ▁that ▁would ▁connect ▁Cape ▁Town ' s ▁port ▁to ▁the ▁diam ond ▁fields ▁of ▁Kim ber ley . ▁The ▁Royal ▁Commonwealth ▁Society ▁( 1 8 9 8 ) ▁records ▁that ▁in ▁a ▁meeting ▁with ▁his ▁consult ing ▁engine ers , ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁called ▁for ▁a ▁map ▁of ▁Southern ▁Africa ▁to ▁be ▁brought ▁to ▁him ▁and , ▁taking ▁a ▁r uler , ▁drew ▁his ▁pen ▁along ▁it ▁from ▁Cape ▁Town ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁in land . ▁He ▁then ▁handed ▁the ▁map ▁to ▁the ▁engine ers , ▁telling ▁them ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁railway ▁accordingly . ▁ ▁The ▁line ▁rapidly ▁extended ▁in land , ▁and ▁a ▁station ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁ 1 ▁February ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁that ▁was ▁named ▁" Mat j ies f onte in ". ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁sed ge , ▁Cy per us ▁text ilis , ▁used ▁by ▁K ho ek ho en ▁to ▁make ▁m ats ▁( mat j ies ) ▁employed ▁in ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁their ▁h uts . ▁ ▁Log ans ▁refresh ment ▁station ▁ ▁Origin ally , ▁Mat j ies f onte in ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁small ▁dep ot ▁and ▁farm , ▁however ▁a ▁Sc ots man ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁James ▁Douglas ▁Log an , ▁who ▁was ▁super int endent ▁of ▁this ▁stretch ▁of ▁railway , ▁bought ▁land ▁at ▁Mat j ies f onte in , ▁moved ▁there ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁weak ▁ch