The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-09-24
AFRICAN DIAMONDS.
ABOUT THE RICH EXPORT TRADE.
The Steallngs that Lower Prices and
Defy the Policc-In the DiGgines-
A Busy Place.

Ilcut u lUules. MS 10 u CUIiooltg VI
commerce that needs some explanation.
Out of total value exported of e. 100000,
ostrich feathers and diamonds account
for f5,000000.
Twenty years ago all known diamonds
had come to Europe or the United States
from immemorial Eastern stocks or from
the scanty produce of mine; in Brazil and
elsewhere, which were calculated to yield
not more than $4,000 worth in the year.
Today, situated in the midst of a wide
stretching plain atfording at all points n
sea-line horizon Of fat "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 81, 100000 in wages.
And from this mining oasis in the agri
cultural desert has been sent in the last
Is years something like 940,000,000 worth
of diamonds in the rough which, with the
cost of cutting, setting and selling mast
have taken from the pockets of consumers
something approaching elo0,00o,000.
As all the world knows the South Afri-
can diamond mines have their own story
of unexpected discovery ut the least 10
startling rs that of any gold field or other
rich mineral deposit in the world. In 1861
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 IL few months the bed of the
Vaal River was known as profitable
diamond region. Prospecting became the
4 h.,
grassy veldt, diamonds were found in spots
with common peculiarties of soil and so
forth. In three years time the secret of
the diamond deposits had been so far
fathomed lis 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 a discovery exceed
ing in magnitude, real and prospective,
any previous find. But, rs men dug
deeper in their claims, so they found it
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 SO far emptied Of soil as tn rep
resent great Quarrie5 100 to 200 yards
across and 800 or 400 feet deep. Early in
the digging the geologist stepped in to
point out that these circular basins were
evidently a species of volcanic crater, hol-
mean action and filled up to the surface
with a blue diamondiferous mud. The
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
tho blue right up to the reef. When,
however, the cuttings got down deep the
walls or reefs began to fall in. owing to
Vic loliilS az WIN VI DoIlillS SUI
and heavy rain, covering up in their fall
large areas of valuable blue. At first the
digging was simple and cheap-the mere
turning up and searching of loose soil n
second stage was reached when the soil
had to be cut out and hauled up to the
surface with the aid of machinery; q
third stage brought the miners to still
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 al! around the mines are to
be seen literally miles of the blue" laid
out In shallow layess oyer the open yeldt.
With these more extended operations
came more elaborate machinery for hoist
sorting. Now, round each great basin or
quarry is n 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 SO much manure over the
veldt, and to be taken thence. when duly
disin;egrated by the weather, broken up
by hand, and narrowed and rolled to the
washing places why're I is all sent by hy-
drauiic action through series of rotatory
sleeves and pulsators, on the principle Of
in successive mechanical operations, wash
ing away all dirt that Ia lighter than dia-
monds. The washers are SO arranged that
the outfall OF each portion Ia graduated in
At these stand Ave or six of the principal
men-owners and Directors of companies
among them-sp spreading out the clean
washed stuff, graduated from the size of
pebbles "a that OF sand; and the visitor
may stand by IN wonder ts see the searcher
big" stones per hour, or assist the
searcher at the other busiiy sorting out OF
the sand inpumerable white specks of da-
monds. The days work. tumbled into
small snuffboxes, will frequently reach q
local value Of 81 ,00o. None can fail to be
struck on looking into one of these great
mines or quarries that the whole of /. that
great mass of earth and rock has been dug
out, pulveri2ed, aud searchad fol- the dia-
monds it contains. One can look into a
quarry of slate or stone and see the rocks
themselves cNt down and carted away for
use: but in these qnarries the soil and the
rock arc cut cut and dug out and what
for Simply that out ur every 100 tons
raised ont OF the quarry an ounceweight
OF diamonds may be secured. 1t Is
startling and impressive thought in gaz
ing into these great quarries that all that
soil should have been dug out at cost for
labor alone of something like Els, 100000
and with the aid of invested capital of
81 100000 in machinery. IL order to dis
tribute so many hundredweight of pre-
cious stones to decorate the ladies OF civ
ilized centres.
And now q fourth stage has been ar
rived at. The new problem is how to
continue to dig out the blue which now
lies practically beneath the reef The
consequence is that round these quarries
regular mining shafts are being sunk and
the blue" is to be attacked by under
ground work. Good mining judges main
tain that this is the wrong system, mas
much as when the shaft Is sunk no meth
cd OF underground mining can secure and
bring to grass any large proportion of the
blue, which is not in veins but bulk a
truer system would be TO terrace the reef
sides andalways work them as open mines
or quarries. Thus, as years go by the
cost of getting ont these diamonds in
tteases steadily; bat II also 50 happens that
the price of diamonds has steadily and
greatly fallen The all-round nrice t,er