The National tribune., 1890-07-17

broken into as small pieces as possible by
means OF sledgehammers, harrOws and rollers.
Being ground down To the size of an ordinary
peach kernel, the blue ground is fed into the
rotary, the most important machine in tho
course of extraction This machine is pug
mill, round, stationary pan about 10 feet in
diameter, with two concentric rings Of sheet
iron about nine inches in hight in the center
is an upright spindle. driving six or eight
arms, IN which are fixed number of lattish
tynes, not unlike the prougs of trident
placed in diagonal direction. Into the cir.
cular trough formed by the concentric rings
the ground is fed, water is applied, and the
mud is kept in agitation by means of the tynes,
the overflow passing through small door or
opening III the inner ring The tynes are kept
III motion by n cog ut the top of the spindle
About 500 loads of blue ground of about a half
ton each can be treated by one of these machines
per diem Another machine used is the "eyl-
inder." 1t IS rotary cylinder fxed at an
angle OF some 10 degrees upon which stream
OF water plays from perforated tube directly
above It.. The upper part of the cylinder is Of
fine mesh. through which the finer PARTICLES of
the wetted ground fall upon q table, in the
center OF which is an inclined trough leading
TO the washing machine, and along this the
siush, or magma. as it is technically known
nows by natural gravitation. Tho lower half
OF the cylinder Is OF coarser or more open mesh,
allowing stones aud larger Jumps TO fall upon
the table, to be swept OFF by sorters with watch
iui eyes, to discover any diamonds that may
happen to be present. The mud which flows
from the opening in tho inner ring Of tho
rotary, is raised by small buckets (called ele-
vators) OH an endless chain To a hight of gome
- ioet, when 1T is elected the more solid por-
ton flowing down screens 10 run down into
waste or failing" ground, or into trncks, TO
be emptied elsewhere. These heaps of tailngs
some of which 30 feet high and from 100
10 $50 yards in length aud breadth are dis
trlbuted all over Kimberley.
OF late the detective department has given
permission to private persons for rewashing
these heaps, aud tho result has been 50 salts.
factory that hundreds of poor people are now
earning comfortable living at this industry
II may be Of interest 10 the multitudcs nj home,
who pay s. per ton for coai aud grumbo at the
excessive price 10 know that eli lis necessary com
modify costs SIS per 200o pounds delivered at
the mines, and vet IL is almost exclusively used
Tor furnishing tic motive power for both the
engines for hosting and for the dynamo which
lights the mines. Some 1859 white aud o. 7g5
haiirs arc engaged at the variana mines, cost
ing FOR wages and BalaFies s. 500 600 yearly
Ia lsS2 the output was 7D6 545 carats worth
s5,4D.0O0 or an average OF $50 per carat.
The following year the output was over three
times as much, and in Sc IL had increased TO
3,lj5, I32 caraIs with declared value of sly
difference IN the average price per carat was
due to the increased output, which tended to
cheaper diamonds To-day, owing TO the pool.
Ing Of all the mines under the name of the
Consolidated De Beers Mines, the price has
gone mp to $40 per carat.
samalgamation--all the Kimberley mines
being swallowed up By this gigantic trnst-was
the handiwork of Cecil Rhodes, the Diamond
King. Mr.. Rhodes, who is ono OF the richest
II not the richest, man in South Africa, was the
Managing Director aud largest shareholder in
the Old DE Beers Company, when, through
lis agency, this company bought out the X i'm
beriey Company for $4,000 600. Then this
diamondieFous octopus swallowed in rapid
succession all the other Kimberley comnanjes
until today the capital of this gigantic dia-
m6nd trust IS 20000,000. Not satisfied with
controlling the South African output. he is no.
gotiating for the control OF the South American
mines, which, IL he succeeds in his intentions
lac will close for time, so IA 10 raise the price
Of diamonds still more. Mr.. Rhodes is a Cam.
bridge Is. A., aud represents Kimberley in the
Colonial Parliament. Personally ho Is very
pleasant.
But have bored you enough with statistics
and the like, and will make amends by promis-
ing not 10 say one word ia my next three let
tiers about mines, machinery, or outputs. | am
going 10 treat yon TO an exceedingly interest
ing account Of the habits, characteristics, Gus.
toms. superstitions religions, vices and virtues
oi the various native tribes of South Africa
inhablting the country from Cape Town 10 the
Congo. To those who believe, as | do, that
even IN savage b0soms there beats human
heart; that they too haye their longings and
striyings after the unattanable; that they too
feel the pangs Of sorrow aud the thrill of Joy
ns keenly as we; that they too believe In tho
rest ana peace OF the hereafter to those my
short descriptions of their life will but be "A
narrative of the barbarity and dishonesty of
the white man-ther ruination aud curse.
EDGAR MELA