Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-08-01
How Diamonds Were Found I'm
.. South Africa


How Diamonds We're Found I'm
South ATricA.
Scribners's Monthly,l
The modern discovery of dia-
monds came about in this wise: In
1867 a certain John 0'Reilly, trader
and hunter, on his way from the
interior, reached the junction of
the rivers, and stopped for the night
at the farm Of a Dutch farmer
named Van Niekerk. The chill
dren were playing on the earth
floor with some pretty pebbles they
had found long before in the river.
One of these pebbles attracted
O'Reilly's attention. He said,
picking it up, "That might be
diamond" Niekerk laughed, and
said he could have it; it was no
diamond; if it was, there were
plenty around there. However,
O'Reilly was not to be laughed out
of his idea, and said that if Me
kark didn't object he would take it
down with him to Cape Town and
see what it was, and ifit proved to
be Of value he would give him half
the proceeds. On the way down, a
long journey, he stopped at Coles
burg, at the hotel, and showed the
pebble, scratching with it a pain of
glass. His friends laughingly
scratched glass with a gun-flint,
and threw the pebble out of the
window, telling O'Reilly not to
make fool of himself. However,
O'Reilly perSevered, got it to DR..
Atherston. near the coast, who an
nounced that it was in truth dia-
mond OF twenty-five and one-half
carats. 1t was sold for $4,000. /
alu glad to say that 0'Reilly divided
fairly with Niekerk. The latter
remembered that he had seen an
immenle stone in the hands of a
Kafr witch doctor, who used it in
his incantations. He found the
fetish man, gave him 800 sheep,
horses, and nearly all he possessed,
and sold it the next day to an ex-
perienced diamond buyer for $685.
600. This was the famous "Star of
South Africa" 1t weighed eighty
three and one-half carets in the
rough, and was found to be gem
quite the rival Of any Indian
stone in purity and brilliance. AT
ter it had been cut it was bought by
the Earl of Dudley, and it is now
known as the dudley" diamond,
The natives crawlsd over the ground
and found many more, and the ex-
citement grew and became intense
BY 1869 parties in ox-wagons had
worked their way over the weary
plains to the Vaal river. From all
parts Of the colony and from for
eigE lands people swarmed, and
soon, like the creation of a dream
a tented city of $4,000 and more
grew at Pniel and Klipdrift, the
opposite banks Of the stream, where
diamonds were found plentifully
and of excellent quality by sorting
over the bolder-drift. Soon hun
dreds of cradles, like those used By
the Australian gold-diggers, were
rocking ON the edge of the stream
supplied with the precious grave
by a large force of diggerS, sieveri
and carriers, People were thun
derstruck at their success. Pool
men with turn of the hand be
came rich. Hotels, bakeries, brew
cries, drinking-saloons, and shops
were erected, and reaped reward
quite as large as did the diggers. l
was marvellous scene at night
when the opposite camps were lit vi
with the warm glow Of lights shin
ing through the tent-cloth build
ings and the brilliant camp-fires o
their $4,000 inhabitants glintet
across the water, from bank t,
bank. Far into the night wer
kept up the shouts of laughter
singing and music, and the cross
ing and recrOssing of the boats
The excited crowds shifted thei
quarters up and down the river
making new discoveries durini
1870 and 1871, over an area Of from
forty to fifty miles of the stream
and forming many camps such a
Gong Gong, Union Kopio, Coles
berg Kopje, DelporPs Hope, Blu
Jacket, Forlorn, Hope, Waldek'
Plant, Larkin's Flat and Niekerk'
Hope.
"1ohn'' Keats sharp Merchant.