The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-06-03
AFRICAN DIAMONDS,
ABOUT THE RICH EXPORT TRADE.
The Stealings that Lower Prices and
Defy the Police-In the Diggings-
busy Place.

BUSY flace.
The major part Of the produce exported
from South Africa is used for the adorn-
ment Of ladies. This is curiosity Of
commerce that needs some explanation.
Out Of total value exported of 81, SOC, 900,
ostrich feathers and diamonds account
for R5,000,000.
Twenty years ago all known diamonds
had come to Europe or the United States
from immemorial Eastern stocks or from
the scanty produce Of mines in Brazil and
elsewhere, which were calculated to yield
not more than R50,0O0 worth in the year.
To-day, situated in the midst Of wide
stretching plain affording at all points a
sealine horizon of Hat "veldt," is the
town of Kimberley with large European
population of wealthy and well-to-do peo-
pie, and large native population earning
every year more than ", 100000 in wages.
And from this mining oasis in the agri-
cultural desert has been sent in the last
10 years something like f40,0O0,0O0 worth
Of diamonds in the rough, which, with the
cost Of cutting, setting and selling must
have taken from the pockets of consumers
something approaching al0O.OOO,O00.
AS all the world knows the South Afri-
can diamond mines have their own story
Of unexpected discovery at the least as
startling as that Of any gold field or other
rich mineral deposit in the world. In 1867
the first diamond was found, the favorite
toy of little Boer girl, which she had
picked out from among the roots Of an old
tree. Its genuineness was not long in
doubt, and In few months the bed Of the
Vaal River was known as a profitable
diamond region. Prospecting became the
rage, and here and there on the open, fiat,
grassy veldt, diamonds were found in spots
with common peculiarities Of soil and 80
forth. In three years time the secret Of
the diamond deposits had been so far
fathomed rs to prove that they were
strange circular deposits, or patches, Of
peculiar earth isolated from one another
and few In number. These were at once
rushed" and a regulation digging COM
munity took possession Of the new dis.
trict. Private individuals, previous pro-
prietors, and Governments fought for the
claim to these new mineral riches. but
despite these squabbles the practical work
was carried on Of marking out these cir
cular patches in diggers' claims over the
fiat surface. At first the rule was each
digger for himself; and with pick and
shovel diamonds were brought to grass in
such profusion that the whole mining
world was startled by discovery exceed.
ing in magnitude, real and prospective,
any previous find. But as men dug
deeper in their claims, so they found IL
necessary to arrange and amalgamate
with their neighbors; moreover, the deeper
they went the more necessary for ma
chinery to hoist the soil to the surface.
And then, as they passed on through the
top yellow" they came upon a " blue"
soil which was yet more rich In dia-
monds.
Suffice 1t to say, that In ten years. time
each one Of these greater circular areas
had been 80 far emptied of soil as to rep
resent great quarries 100 to 200 yards
across and 300 or 20 feet deep. Early in
the digging the geologist stepped In to
point out that these circular basins were
evidently species OF volcanic crater, hol-
lowed out in the surface rock by subterra-
mean action and filled up to the surface
walls of these basins are locally known as
"the reefs.'' and in their greed TO secure
all they could the older miners cut out all
the "blue" right up to the reef. When,
however, the cuttings got down deep the
walls or reefs began 10 fall In. owing to
the disintegrating action of boiling sun
and heavy rain, covering up In their fall
large areas Of valuable blue. At first the
digging was simple and cheap-the mere
l.. ~
second stage was reached when the soil
had to be cut out and hauled mp TO the
surface with the aid OF machinery; q
third stage brought the miners to stiff
ened blue which had not only to be
brought TO the surface..but then spread
about and broken up by hand labor and
exposure to the weather, and at the pres
ent moment all around the mines are to
be seen literally miles OF the blue" laid
out In shallow layers over the open veldt.
With these more extended operations
came more elaborate machinery for hoist
ing. for spreading on the floors, and for
sorting. Now, round each great basin or
quarry Is a circle OF steam engines work
ing wire rope lifts up and down to the
bottom Of the quarry, and round the brink
run locomotives and trains Of trucks whisk-
ing the blue so brought up away to be
spread out like 30 much manure over the
veldt, and TO be taken thence, when duly
dlsintegrated by the weather broken up
by hand, aud narrowed and rolled TO the
wishing places, where II is all sent by hy-
draulic action through q series Of rotatory
sieves and pulsators, on the principle OF,
in successive mechanical operations, wash
ing away all dirt that is lighter than dia-
monds. The washers are 10 arranged that
the outfall OF each portion is graduated In
size. and falls on q series Of sorting tables
At these stand five or six Of the principal
meI-cwners and Directors Of companies
among them-spreadinR out the clean
washed stuff, graduated from the size Of
pebbles to that OF sand and the visitor
| may stand by In wonder to see the searcher
at the one end pick ont his eight or ten
"bigp stones per hour, or assist the
searcher at the other busily sorting out Of
the sand innumerable white specks OF dia-
monds. The days work, tumbled into
small snuffboxes, will frequently reach q
local value OF R1,000. None can fail TO be
struck on looking into one OF these great
mines or quarries that the whole Of that
grent mass Of earth and rock has been dug
out, pulverized, and searched for the dia-
monds it contains. One can look into a
quarry Of slate or stone and see the rocks
themselves cut down and carted away for
use; bat In these quarries the soil and the
rock are cut out and dug out, and what
for Simply that out OF every 100 tons
rnised out OF the quarry an ounceweight
OF diamonds may be secured. It Is O
startling and impressive thoughtin gaz
| ing into these grent quarries that all that
soil should have been dug out at cost foi
labor alone OF something like 915, ,000. 900
and with the aid OF invested capital ol
~ 400 OOO in machinery In order To dis