The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-12-07
DIAMOND FIELDS.
A Natal Millionaire Tells About
the Precious Stones.
Their First Discovery, and How
They are Obtained.

John Agnew, wealthy resident of
Natal, who recently arrived in this coun-
Try, gave reporter for the New York
Times an interesting account of life and
business in the diamond fields. s.The
centre of business in the diamond fields, u
he said, sis Kimberly, a city of over
90, 600 inhabitants. 1t has excellent
police and sanitary regulations, and is
situated on table land in the midst of a
sterile sandy plain, about 5000 feet
above the level of the sea. The climate
is exceedingly cold in winter, and it is
not unusual TO find Kaffirs who have
been drinking heavily at night frozen
to death in the streets in the morning.
The city is surrounded by the four prin-
clpal diamond mincs-the Kimberly, the
Old De Beers, the Dutoll Span, and the
Buifantine.
EVERYBODY in and about Kimberly is
in the diamond business. There is no
agriculture. Provisions are brought
from Natal or Cape Town or by the
Beers in wagons three or four hundred
miles overland. Gong there from
Natal you travel about 800 miles by rail
and 300 miles by wagon. Nobody is
allowed to sell diamonds in Kimbery
without license, and nobody is allowed
to buy them without permit. If a
stranger is found with a rough diamond
in his possession without a permit he is
arrested, taken before magistrate and
is liable to be sent to iail for three
years. l came very near being caught
that way myself on my first visit. /
had bought nine carat diamond from
a broker whom knew very well, when
he asked me if had a permit. told
him no and he replied: ''TIerc is
your money; give me back the diamond.
We will both get into trouble Then
got a permit. The diamonds are
taken now from stratum of blue clay
500 feet below the surface. This clay,
which is always as hard as a rock, is
brought up in blocks and broken upon
vast uncovered platforms. Some of the
larger diamonds are found in the break
ing up. The work Is done By natives.
who are divided into gangs of six, with |
white overseer for each gang. Both
the overseers and the men get a per-
centage on the diamonds they find, as
well as fixed wages. When the natives
quit work or come up from the mines
they are stripped and searched, and even
their mouths are examined. After the
clay has been broken upon the platform
it is sprinkled with water and allowed
to dry in the sun. Then 1t crumbles
md is taken to the washers.
You remember, of course, how the
diamond fields were discovered. 1t was
in 1859, think, or thereabouts, that
IIottentot child playing in the sand
'ound a bright stone. It's father carried
he stone to a Dutch trader near the
coast, who gave him an old wagon,
ONE oxen and goats for it. The Dutch
nan carried it % Cape Town and sold
t for 5000. That stone was the IA
nous S.ar Of Africa, afterward pur-
haScd by the Prince of Wales for, l
hink, $50, 900. 1t was found on the
la ms about thirty miles from Kimberly.
!. b. Robertson, now one of the richest
nen in South Africa was then ped
I.cr. He went into the interior shortly
fter the discovery of that stone
nd returned with ham of dla-
ncnds. Then followed the rush to the
iamond fields"