A
las, the glitter of go l d o u t w e i g h e d t h e f e a r o f f e v e r. O n c e
Edward Button an d J a m e s S u t h e r l a n d d i s c o v e re d t h e
yellow metal during t h e y e a r o f 1 8 7 0 i n t h e M u rc h i s o n
mountain range, t h o u s a n d s o f p ro s p e c to r s d e s c e n d e d
onto the area.
By 1883, French B o b ’s Ca m p , a te n te d to w n o f m o re
Old ZAR offices Leydsdorp
tha n 3,000 souls d o t te d t h e f o o t h i l l s o f t h e s e m o u n t a i n s .
In 1890, and in an e f f o r t to p ro te c t i t s g o l d a n d d i a m o n d
a v e r y l a rg e c e m e te r y ; Pa u l K r u g e r ’s h u n t i n g re sidence
interests, the Zuid- A f r i k a a n s c h e R e p u b l i c e s t a b l i s h e d a n
a n d n o l e s s t h a n e i g h t b a r s to q u e n c h t h e thirst of
administrative cent re f o r t h i s c a m p . T h e e n s u i ng to w n
d i g g e r s , t ra n s p o r t d r i v e r s , l a rg e g a m e h u n te r s a nd ivor y
w a s n a m e d L e y d s d o r p a f t e r W. J . L e y d s t h e S t a t e
p o a c h e r s a l i ke . To d a y, Le y d s d o r p i s a g h o s t to wn with
Secretar y in Paul K r u g e r ’s a d m i n i s t ra t i o n . D u r i n g i t s
t h e f e w re m a i n i n g b u i l d i n g s a n d t h e c e m e te r y slowly
heyday, Leydsdorp b o a s te d m o re t h a n 3 , 0 0 0 i n h a b i t a n t s ,
s i n k i n g b a c k i n to t h e l u s h L i m p o p o b u s h ve l d .
11