River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-11-07
SeeeRes in Kimberley, the damon
Region of SOuth Africa.


The hotels of Kimberley are provided
with large "bar" at which liquors are
sold, a billiard-room and long dining
hall, and hanging down on either side OF
the dining room series of little bed
rooms-narrow, coffin shaped chambers,
containing bed, chair, washstand
and trunk. A the hotel, and at the
better class OF canteens, are met the Hoat-
ing population and the men OF leisure
about town, the latter apparently perma-
nent fixtures of the place. Business,
i. E., drinking, begins early and continues
until it is early again.
Certainly Kimberley ia the heaven OF
the gentemany loafer, who, on one ex
cuse or another, does no. work, and
trusts to his bright particular star for
bresd. cheese, meat and drinks. Never
downcast, never despondent, always
plausible, be seems to have a horror OF
becoming millionaire; he would have
if understood that he is about to embark
in some grand projoct-pcrhaps to turn
the Vaal River aside and search its bed
or diamonds, or lead W ter through
pipes into Kimberley from the same
river, thirty miles distant, or pump the
nine dry, or open a coal or lead mine, or
90 into ostrich farming, or country
trading. In the meantime won't you
b, ok his bill flor a small $780,"
Or our morning friend sis on Y waiting
for the mail" and expects remittance
from home directly" Strange how long
that remittance is in coming. "Con
founded bad postal arrangements in these
wilds, you know" lie IS gong IN Tor
Washing" and wants to snake new
starts" he is ''going to pull up" and 'go
in for making money now" A liver
would oblige him. About the hotel he
makes trade good; treats his creditors
with kindness and with drinks; says Put
it d1wn to me-" as if mo credit" over
the bar was never written for him. Scans
his bill in contemptuous way through
his eye-glass, and finally when the last
card is PLAYED, saunters off to pastures
new, leaving a widowed constituency
with depleted pockets to mourn his de
parture.
But outnumbering manifold these or
nameats to society are tho diggers In
"moIe< kin" trowsers, flannel shirt and
hat twined round with puggeree. BY
digger must '.e understood c!aim-hold-
er aud director of his own or another's
mining operations. lie seldom touches
| pick or shovel, far bett r to use his eyes
| and prey, Mt the negroes under him troE
stealing. H. has just come out OF the
mine and Town into the street moment
| for a uew rope, pick or bucket, and he
! TOPS for q chat.
Diamonds. claims, finds, are the all
| TTaYsprr nrHpreH with
some mat" a split" the first inquiry is,
ANY finds io-day!" or us the mail IN!
md "Are da nonds up or downF The
state Of the reef is discussed, and the
progress Of pumping operations. Here
! perhaps. some one asks: "llave you heard
| of Browns luck? He bought claim
Yesterday in which they hadn't paid ex-
nenses for three mor tbs, and found a
diamond worth $4,000 this morning
before breakfast Very likely Brown
enters at this moment, and straightway
'swefs his find" by to the extent OF stand
iro treat all around to champagne. Hap
Nv man, if this were all he spent, but
easy come, easy CO." applies to his
money as we'll as to that OF other gam
blers. In such an assembly one hears
discussed many turns in the wheel of
fortune.
Perhaps what strikes one at first the
most oddly, is the careless manner in
which diamonds are handed about and
displayed. Drawing forth from his
pocket a little me al or wooden match
box, the digger opens it to show his
"fnds." 1t IS full of diamonds of all
sizes ard qualities, just as they have come
from the ground, lustrous and glowing
with their soft white or yellow lights
The box is passed around the CROWD
quite out OF sight Of its owner, different
gems are taken out and admired, ana 1t
is finally returned quite as it left him.
Another draws from his trowsers' pocket
handful of good-sized 'stones," and
laws them down upon table. Ole by
one thew are taken up and distributed
about the crowd present for inspection
the owner quietly awaitig their return
from the different quarters of the loom
quite undisturbed as to the safety Of his
, property; they all come back.
Slipping his thumb and finger into 8
side vest pocket, fresh conner pull soui
a perfect beauty-a hundred carat yellow
as large as a marble, far brighter and
more lustrioHs than any cut glass or crys
| tai: alas, worth now at the deprecated
price of ''off-color," not more than $4,000
in the DAYS before "off coloi," were
: plentifully found, worth 100000. Thi
TOO is passed freely about. There is M
danger of the gems being stolen, becaus'
q the whole community is committee o
, public safety" and cannot afford to ALLOW
dishonesty. To steal a diamond woult
S be like horse-stealing in our western
b country-it is stealing mans life, an,
the crime is SO heinous and so nearly al
; fects every one that all are equally inter
. osted in furnishing it.--Dr. Morton, 4
T SeBten5er ScribRer.