THE GROWTH OF KGF MINES UNDER JOHN TAYLOR COMPANY

 The mines under the stewardship of the John Taylor and Sans Company progressed rapidly. Besides the British many other Europeans such as German, Spanish Italian Scots, etc, joined the John Taylor and Sons Company to work in various departments of the mines. In just a few years time, since the company started mining operations the whole area was humming with mining activity

In what was once a desolate, waste, rocky terrain, a large and flourishing town sprang up. It was provided with most of the conveniences of a comfortable life at the time. Housing was provided for the workers depending on their rank and file and various amenities were provided in each mine.

The new migrant population was now firmly entrenched with their families in the Kolar Gold Fields and was quite happy with the facilities provided by the Company.

The men worked as laborers in the mines, the women worked as domestic servants in the bungalows. While the main occupation of the region was mining, other occupations to support life also came into being such as small businesses, etc. With such a lot of workforce available, there was no dearth of servants in KGF.

On pay-day, numerous vendors would set up stalls near the Pay offices in the different mines to sell sweaters, cardigans clothes, dhotis, sarees, textiles, towels, mats, foodstuffs, etc, to tempt the miners to part with their salaries. The medicine men with their monitor lizards, colored oils and other powders and bottles of liquids that promised increased sexual drive and a cure of all illnesses, were also a regular sight at these local markets or fairs.

Oldtimers like my grandfather always spoke of the golden days of the Kolar Mines during the early part of the 190 century. These mines which started as a small nondescript camp in 1880 by John Taylor & Sons, soon turned into a flourishing Settlement with luxuries befitting royalty. The settlement now boasted of many roomed bungalows with fireplaces and sprawling lawns clubs Recreation Halls, etc

In the 1920s, when the mining industry was at its peak, KGF occupied 30 square miles and had a population of 90,000. The mines had an impressive 24,000 employees working in various capacities.

Out of this number, around 400 were Europeans who held most of the high positions, around 650 were Anglo- Indians who held middle management posts such as supervisors, team heads, etc. The rest of the 23,000 workforce, comprised laborers and workmen, supervisors, and Maistries