ella ▁Both a ▁( née ▁S try dom ), ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁K lip riv iers berg . ▁They ▁had ▁a ▁son ▁and ▁four ▁daughters . ▁ ▁His ▁only ▁formal ▁education ▁was ▁at ▁home ▁from ▁his ▁wid owed ▁mother , ▁but ▁he ▁showed ▁an ▁apt itude ▁for ▁public ▁life ▁early ▁despite ▁his ▁rough ▁up br ing ing . ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁of ▁gold ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁gold ▁in ▁Bar ber ton , ▁Meyer ▁came ▁to ▁visit ▁and ▁learned ▁to ▁identify ▁gold - b ear ing ▁or es . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁according ▁to ▁tradition , ▁Meyer ▁found ▁such ▁or es ▁on ▁the ▁Rand ▁and ▁informed ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁them . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁survey ▁the ▁area ▁to ▁see ▁if ▁there ▁were ▁any ▁un c laimed ▁plots ▁of ▁land ▁which ▁could ▁thus ▁be ▁claimed ▁by ▁the ▁government . ▁It ▁took ▁ 1 8 ▁months ▁to ▁complete , ▁during ▁which ▁he ▁found ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁land ▁he ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁called ▁Rand jes la ag te . ▁The ▁state ▁at ▁the ▁time — g iven ▁how ▁inde bt ed ▁it ▁was — pa id ▁field ▁cor net s ▁very ▁little , ▁and ▁the ▁State ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁Republic ▁offered ▁him ▁the ▁land ▁as ▁payment ▁in ▁kind ▁when ▁he ▁asked ▁for ▁a ▁raise . ▁However , ▁Volks ra ad ▁was ▁not ▁in ▁session , ▁and ▁the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁therefore ▁said ▁a ▁decision ▁would