Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-11-03

Precious stones by the Thousand An |
south Afr1ca-General Kush for the |
Diane nd Fields

Diane nd Fields.
| Correspondence Of the London Times.
know not whether You will by this time
have received from any of the usual
sources of trustworthy information ut the
command of the press any reliable account
OF the great movement of our Cape popu.
lction upon the vast aud rich diamond
fields recently discovered close to the fton-
tier of this eastern province of the Cape
Colony. This large tract Of country close
to our immediate borders on the eastern
frontier, now found to be richly diamond
ferrous washed by the Vaal and The Or.
ange rivers, and without any reliable as.
signable limits as yet, for the di-
almond parties have found gems gilt
terlng on the very surface within
.hree days hard riding Of one smother, not
to mention the large supplies found in clay
and grave deposits turned up by the pick,
u foot or two below ground, after few
days of unskilled search-is, IN every
| sense Of the word diamond field or da-
mond country, not diamond mine. The
mine AZ yet, if there be any, is not in the
| least degree traceable, All that is certain
is that there the precious gems areon the
surface and close to the surface, spread
over an area of hundreds OF square miles
| that were uninhahited aud unnoticed until
within the last two months, little frequent
ed, even by wild game, as there is neither
| bush nor grass on the surface, and
which dad there been any one claiming
rights of ownership over it) might have
been all purchased by any buyer
| to the great JOY of the seller, tor g few
shillings per thousand acres, There, new
ertheless, the precious gems are, un-
earthed now and found every day by the
simple process of washing aud sieving the
rubbish, and thither q population, with
| picks and shoyels and rakes, is rapidly
! following from evergreen the most dis
taut-town of the colony. Ii is about
| four hundred miles from here, and about
| twice that distance from Gtpe Town. They
are travelling for it either on loot or on
| horseback, o. by morse cart or mule cart
or ox-waGou. Partnership companies of
/ from four persons to sixteen persons are
! leaving this little city every second or third
| day The higher classes OF gentry aud the
| lower classc q working people are going
together without distinction. The pick,
crowbar, shovel sieve and washing
cradle are the common accomplishments Of
all The weli-employed, the halt-employed,
and the unemployed are all alike. Good
situations are being thrown up every day.
The young man you saw but the other dizzy
serving goods over the counter, or keeping
books, or acting bank clerk, when you cali
at the same establishment in day or two,
you will miss, and be told he has joined n
party to work like navy ia "the fields p
The principal servant in my household a
respectable soldier of the Eleventh
Regiment-who had purchased his
discharge, earning wages at the rate OF
so shillings per month, besides food,
bedroom and other perqusites, gave notice
a few days ago, and Is gone this week.
Other servants in the house are following
Immediately. So it is with most other
houses. The organist of our cathedral,
who was sent out to me from England a
year ago at an expense of 600 under n
time agreemeement. receiving board and
lodging free ct the deanery, at Il salary of
upwards OF Gl00 per aunum, or equivalent,
and able easily TO earn at least us much
more privately, has gone at few days
wagons, working hard at picking sieving
or washing from sunrise till dark, and
amusing themselves under canvass. as best
they can, of an evening. They report that
law aud good order have been iairly es-
tablished by an extemporized COMMITTEE
Of Safety" on the fields. Food and sup
plies Of all kinds are very little dearer than
in the towns they let. stores being very
freely sent up by speculatars. AT this
Winter season the nights are cold.