▁farm house , ▁were ▁off ▁limits ▁for ▁min ing . ▁M ining ▁lic enses ▁were ▁up ▁to ▁£ 2 0 / mo . ▁By ▁not ▁s elling ▁their ▁farm , ▁Bo ers ▁gained ▁financial ▁wind falls . ▁ ▁M ining ▁magn ate ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁gold ▁r ush , ▁people ▁often ▁came ▁to ▁Meyer ▁as ▁acting ▁commission er ▁asking ▁for ▁lic enses , ▁but ▁he ▁refused ▁to ▁grant ▁them ▁if ▁he ▁visited ▁and ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁area ▁did ▁not ▁contain ▁gold . ▁The ▁min ers ▁had ▁usually ▁already ▁purchased ▁or ▁option ed ▁the ▁land . ▁Those ▁who ▁had ▁bought ▁one ▁piece ▁of ▁land ▁often ▁opened ▁other ▁claims ▁to ▁ensure ▁they ▁still ▁turned ▁a ▁profit ▁amid ▁the ▁high ▁demand , ▁and ▁fra ud ▁was ▁common . ▁Meyer ’ s ▁partner , ▁Char l ton , ▁thus ▁fell ▁into ▁£ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁deb t , ▁which ▁Meyer ▁paid ▁off ▁after ▁borrow ing ▁money ▁from ▁the ▁Bank ▁of ▁Natal . ▁In ▁this ▁manner , ▁Meyer ▁became ▁the ▁sole ▁owner ▁of ▁their ▁mine ▁west ▁of ▁today ’ s ▁Johannes burg ▁ab atto ir ▁and ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁City ▁Deep ▁mine ▁near ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Kas erne . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁there ▁were ▁signs ▁that ▁the ▁min ing ▁industry ▁was ▁experien cing ▁a ▁sl ump . ▁In ▁several ▁areas , ▁the ▁main ▁ve in ▁was ▁exha usted , ▁requiring ▁sh aft s ▁to ▁be ▁built ▁to ▁reach ▁deeper . ▁Meyer ▁then ▁sold ▁ 1 0 0 , 0