John hays hammond autobiography of malcolm

John Hays Hammond, a gold specialist and one of the most celebrated mining engineers in history, became a legend in the African gold fields.​

He spent years working in Africa, first for the DeBeer diamond mines, then for Cecil Rhodes at Consolidated Gold Fields. It was while working for Rhodes that he achieved his world-wide reputation as an engineer.

At one point, the Boers condemned him to be hanged for his alleged part in Dr. Jameson’s Raid, an incident leading up to the Boer War. He was saved from the gallows when the U.S. Senate petitioned the Boer leader for mercy, though Hammond was not released until Rhodes paid a fine of $125,000.​

In 1902, he was hired by Daniel Guggenheim for a staggering $250,000 a year plus a quarter interest in all properties he recommended.

He immediately left for Mexico, where he pushed for acquisition of the Esperanza, Mexico’s greatest gold mine. It was the first of many properties to come under Guggenheim rule during Hammond’s regime. Others inc