Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-11-17

From the Cape Town Argus, sspt. 20.
DiamonAs
Rsrerts rtem The 0leeiass.
The kilograms received last even
ing brought no news from the dia-
mond fielcs. The oaly important
items from the diggings received by
post are contained in the following
paragraphs:
A Graaf- -Reinet digger says, "there
IL great excitement in the camp Just
now. A new koppie has been found
which they say is very rich. Report
esys they washed ten loads of gravel
and found ten diamonds.
A correspondent writes to the
Colestug Advertiser, from Faure-
smith, under date Sept. 9: Yester.
day eight diamonds in all were pick
ed up and washed out atJagersfontein.
the largest weighing twenty-five
carats, perfect in shspe, but uniortu
usteiy has black spot in the center
It was found by Mr.. Van Beuren.
who ,s working in company with
Gertwisser. The people working
there were getting disheartened, in
fact one or two had given it up and
gone home; but now :hey will work
like n:,sers. Wagons and carts con.
tinuc to pass through here daily tor
the Vaal River digxings. ! hear
that the President has appointed .
Mr.. Truter - landdrost At the Pnlel
diggings. The editor adds the fol-
lowiD: note: Since the above came
to hand We have been informed that
twenty diamonds, inclusive Of the
above, were found at the Jagers-
tontein during Thursday, Friday aud
Saturday last.
A Port Elizabeth digger writes
under date Sept. 4: Another large
diamond tound, Of seventy-seven car.
ats, very bad one, full of flaws, bad
shape and color; valued at f40O. Sew
eral small diamonds have been found
this week, but not SO many IS usual.
MINERS DISPATCHES By MAIL.
The Cape Town Argus Of the
above date adds: Though the news
received last evening is not sensation
al, that to hand by last Thursday 3
is among the most favorable yet
from the fields. We give it rs de.
scribed In the Friend OF the Free
State; thus:
BY the post OF Thursay morning
last, authentic intelligence has been
received of the finding OF tour dia
monds-.one of nineteen and three.
eighths carats, one of twenty-six and
a halt, one of fifty-iour, and one oi
fifty-six carats. The firs;, a perfect
gen, was washed out by Mr.. Dicken,
Of Mr.. B .umann's party; the second,
valued at 81 500 10 $4,000, by the
party of Mr.. Thomas Webster; the
third, real beauty, by Mr.. N. NJ
de Rocks party, and the fourth by
Jesse Parks and party, perfect in
shape and OF the first water. The
first and last mentioned were un.
earthed close to the great camp, Al
no great distance from the restaurant
aud billiard room of Messrs. Sanger
q Co; the second and third were
dug out on the PANEL lands.
Mr.. Jesse Parks and party came
from Victoria West, Cape Colony
and have, it is said, already started
for England with their treasure, te
which they have given the appro
pirate name OF "The King Of the
Vaal." Mr.. Parks had, it is asserted
offered his claim overnight for th>
price Of a shovel-6fteen shillings
In the morning he struck his pick
three or four times in the ground
and out ROLLED .The King of the
Vaal.' Gossips say that Mr.. Parks
was At once SO stricken with amaze.
ment that for some moments he was
at u loss to find words to express his
astonishment. And il so, who eau
wonder? The stone is without spot
or blemish, and is valued at $4,000,
some say Gll,OO0.
Mr.. N. M. de Kock, the lucky
finder Of the other large diam md. IL
An attorney OF the Supreme Court,
Cape Town, and was tor . time land
drost Of Jacobdal, in this State. His
stone is said to be pyramid shaped,
and equally valuable with that OF Mr..
Parks.
Mr.. Webster, tho other fortunate
individual, is our late well-known
commandant, who raised the corps
Of volunteers in the Basuto war.
Mr. Charles Leppan, OF Graham's
Town, who reached this in the post
cart, .. route to the colony, confirms
the above reports, and adds that on
the same day that Parks disinterred
.sthe King Of the vaal," and near the
same spot, fifteen diamonds were OBJ
tanned, varying from one to nineteen
and three-cights carats, the latter be-
ing that OF Dicken. Since then hut
few have been fallen in with. Mr..
Lcppan believes that at least 1900
white mca arc now engaged ut the
different diggings.
With reference to the above we
have been favored with the following
extract from letter received by Mr..
J. J. Steytler, oftl.is city, from Mr..
De kock himself. The extract is as
follows;
suppose you have heard Of my
luck. ! found at my washing place,
on the 25th of August, q fitty-foar
carat diamond. shape octahedron,
color light gold tinge, but center
clear. The day after another party
found one Of fitty-six carats, the same
color OF mine, but having black spots
and white naw in the center. These
are the largest stones yet found II
the vaal river. There are now up
ward Of six thousand people at work