Economic activities The rich coal deposits in the area were already, in these years, known facts. In the State’s Almanac for South Africa 1899, the following was found: # ”The district also has good coal mines, located at Steenkoolspruit, but since there is no railway running in the vicinity of the mines, neither are the other mines located on the railway line either…“ Farming was mainly cattle breeding – mainly sheep for wool. Maize and other crops were planted for own, private consumption only. According to legend Mr H P Hancke, who Acting State President D J Erasmus, who served on this capacity between the years 1871-1872. Later he came to stay at Bethal district, where he died in 1913. settled on the farm Rietfontein in 1881, as did most farmers, he also sold his wool clipping in Charlestown. This was before the railroad was built at Standerton. The trips which took place during summer months had their specific problems. Due to lack of roads, the waggons regularly stuck in the wet marshes. Having come to Charlestown, food supplies for the following year were bought, such as bags of coffee and sugar, as well as material. Only so far and difficult to reach, the nearest water mill, was situated on the farm Blinkpan in Stoffberg district. Mrs E C du Plooij, wife of town co-founder, taken just before the outbreak of the Second Freedom War. She appears here with some her younger children. #translated roughly from Dutch. 13
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