Litchfield enquirer., 1874-03-12

what has been said we wish to propose one problem; If the little kingdom of Netherlands can in ten years build the North Sea Canal, to save the commerce of Amsterdam, how long shall it take the United States to build the canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, to con- trol the commerce of the world?
 Diamond Hunting In South Africa.
 A correspondent to the London. Times writes from Kimberly, South Africa, for the purpose of correcting few errors which, he says, still prevail sat home" re- garding the diamond fields.
 ''The Colesburg Kopje Diamond Mine Che observes) is really at this moment one of the wonders of the world; but it con- tains, maintain, the largest number of workers in small space that has been seen in any modern work, and cannot call to mind any enterprise, excepting the Egytian Pyramids, where it can have been necessary for such swarm of human be- ings to be so closely herded together. Can any of you correspondents cite few instances The Kopje is not now so in October. 1872-when there cannot have been less than 10000 men employed in space occupied by Z, 2,5O0 claims of thirty feet square each. The actual present value of the mine is estimated at q GOO GOO; three months ago it was val ued at 92.0OO, 900, but claims have fallen sixty per cent. It is proposed to spend G6O, 1000 immediately in rendering the mine safe by removing the outside dangerous reef. Some of the claims are 130 feet deep, being emptied by means of the w1re-rope tramway system, N hich has cost an enormous sum in erecting. This can easily be lmauinea --rl.xra is@ zxaa~wIe that every pound weight of wire, every pound weight of deal wood and timber, has cost from 4d. to Sd. per pound for transport alone.
 Diamond diggers are not now particu- larly 'gay;' the diamond market is down, but why it should be so persistentiy af- frmed in England that South African dia- monds are not good. that they are only Cape cannot conceive. The Cape dia- monds are fully as good as any others, the only difficulty being that the bulk are oft en light yellow, are 'off-color' descrip- tions, and very handsome ornaments they make. Great numbers of the original claim holders in the Colesberg Kopie Mine have made small fortunes. I know of at least ten among my own personal friends who will average eS, 900 each, all made, 1t may be said, in two years, out of nothing.
 As facts are worth any amount of mere statements, will tell you as plainly as possible what effect the news of the gold fields has produced at the diamond fields It will show what is thought here of them and will serve to confirm all have stated Persons in England can have no idea of the furor. Wagons are being brought out, strengthened, and painted; oxen are being bought and s12 per head paid, in place of G7 los. three months ago. Wag- ons worth e1O0 year ago are now bring ing G15O to g170. Household goods are sacrificed at any cost. Ladies, children, and men, all have the gold fever, and look forward with the greatest pleasure to journey of thirty days through country almost uninhabited. Diamond claims are almost unstable; the newspapers teem with advertisements relative to sales of goods belonging to parties who are of to the gold fields The passenger cart, fare e1s 1os., is fully engaged for many weeks to come. In fact; there is regular rush, for people say. naturally, if diamonds have resuscitated South Africa, what may not be expected of gold? Among other notions is the prevalent one that the Chi nese will flow in, and Capt. Cations idea that they should be allowed to people Af- rica, may yet come true. In fact your readers may expect, for some years to come, to exclaim, as Pliny did so long ago: Well, there is always something new from Africa !'''
 A STAGE COACH RDE.-There are few pleasures in life equal to that of riding on the hox-seat of stage-coach, through 8 country unknown to you, and hearing the driver talk about his horses. We made the intimate acquaintance oftwelve horses on that days ride, and learned the pecul- far disposition and traits of each one of them, their ambition of display, their sensitiveness to praise or blame, their faithfulness, their playfulness, the readi- ness with which they yielded to kind treatment their daintiness about food and lodging.
 May never forget the spirited little jade, the of-leader in the third stage, the petted belle of the route, the nervous, coquettish, mincing mare of Marshy Hope. A spoiled beauty she was; you could see that as she took the road with dancing step. tossing her pretty head about, and conscious of her shining black coat and her tail done up 'sin any simple knot''-. like the back hair of Shelley's Beatrice Cenci. How she ambled and si1led and plumed herself, and now and then let fly her little heels high in air in mere excess of larkish feeling.
 F ''So ! girl; so Kitty" murmurs the driver in the softest tones of admiration: .'she don't mean anything by it, she's just like kitten.
 But the heels keep flying above the traces. and by and by the driyer is obliged to 'tspeak hash" to the beauty. The re- proof of the displeased tone is evidently felt, for she settles at once to her work, showing perhaps little impatience, jerk ing her head up and down, and protesting by her nimble movements against the more deliberate trot of her companion. I believe that blow from the cruel lash would have broken her heart; or else it wouii have made little fend of the spir- tied creature. The lash is hardly ever good for the sex.-Attantic Monthly.