The Portland daily press., 1894-01-04

mines, which are now producing all the
diamonds of commerce, except thUse
take from two small mines in the Orage
Free State, were controlled by rival COM
panies, the DeBeers Syndicate and
others: Competition among them being
very sharp, they forced tn price of dia-
monds down to comparatively small
figure. Mr.. Rhodes, for he was not a
Baronet then, induced these companies
to join in syndicate, which took the
name De Beers, after the leading COM
pany.
The Rothschilds persuaded by Sir Cecil
to purchase, are among the heaviest
stockholders in this corporation, which
is one OF the richest in the world. The
production OF diamonds at Kim berley is
limited by agreement, and thus the
price is sustained. 1t is said that the
yield of gems from each ton of diamond
ferrous earth at Kim berley is so regular
that the owners can calculate very closely
what the value of their product every
year will be. Sir Cecil did not do all
this for any small reward. He received
great block of stock, which formed the
nucleus of his present immense fortune.
Then he decided to be gentleman. as
one understands the term in Great Britain
and went back to England to live. He
became much interested there in the
home rule movement and gave Mr.. Par
nell $4,000 to be used in It's behalf. But
he quickly grew tired of idleness and re-
turned to South Africa. He went into
politics there and was elected to the
Cape Parliament, becoming soon after
ward the Premier of that colony. Ever
since he has been at the head of affairs
at the Cape and throughout South Africa.
Sir Cecil is emphatically strong man.
In South Africa theyslook upon him as
their Bismarck. He is full of ambitious
schemes, of which he makes no secret.
He is English to the core, and is a
thorough Imperiaist. He dreams of a
consolidated British Empire, embracing
the choicest portions Of the globe. In
this empire he wants South Africa to
take leading part. One of his recent
projects is telegraph line from Cairo
to Cape Town, by way of Zanzibar and
the Great Lakes, and already, by. means
of the war in Matabeleland, he is push
ing his plan that thesEnglish shall pos
sess every inch of soil in the southern
half of the comment fit for the habita-
ton of white men. Ten years ago, at
Kimberley, he stood before map of
Africa. He placed his hand across the
interior up to the mouth of the Congo
and the Great Lakes, and said:
"All thatsshall be English That is
my dream"
His dream seems to be coming true for
the English, under his leadership, are
pushing northward, and it is believed
that the Germans will abandon their
possessions in South Africa. The Portu-
guesescan be driven out. Then.the Eng
Ocean up ito the lim1tss by Sir
Cecil. There is no land beyond that line
and below the Sahara for which white
man need care.
In pursuane of these great designs Sir
Cecil sought to effect reconciliation be-
tween the English and Dutch in South
Africa. He has been very successful. J.
H. Hofmeyer., the leader of the Dutch
part ID the Cape Parliament, is his friend
and Dutchmen, as we'll as Englishmen,
are beginning to look upon him as their
greatest man. The two semi-independent
Dutch repu blics, the Transvaal and the
Orange Free State, will soon be more
English than Dutch by the food of gold
hun tiers, and then the way will be clear
for Sir CeciPs scheme to federate all the
South African colonies after the plan Of
the Dominion of Canada, with Cape
Town as the capital and metropolis.
Sir Cecil,was the organizer of the char
tered company which is now waging the
war with the Matabeles, and in order
to.give it standing in Europe he-made
the Duke of Fife, the Queens son-in-
iect of this company was to seize the
vast and fertile country, rich also in
minerals, lying north of the old South
African colonies. This, guided by the
storing hand of Sir Cecil, the company is
now doing. There is an abundance OF
gold in Mashonaland, TO which his COM
pany is making good it's title with Maxim
guns and repeating rifles.
In appearance Sir Cecil is a typical Eng
lishman in every respect but one. But
that one is important. He has no side
whiskers. Sir Cecil neither writes,
speaks nor converses well. His eminence
has been gained without any of these
gifts. He thinks and acts. Sir Cecil
lives at kim berley, at the diamond
mines The only bright spot in this
dreary place is the Kimberley Club,
which is an elegant building, surround
ed by the only grass plot in the town.
This club Sir Cecil m akes his home He
has many enemies, both in Africa and
Great Britain, who charge that he does
not scruple to slaughter the natives in
order to add to England's territory and
his own wealth.