Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-09-20
DIAMOND DIGGINGS.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THEFT IN
SOUTH AFRICAN MINES.

~ AAAu OAND ~ u " " AAN ~ ~
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THEFT IN
SOUTH AFRICAN MINES.
But In Spite of All This Stealing Still Con-
tinues-The Decline of the Town of Kim
berley-Population Has Flown to the
Gold Fields About Johannesburg.
''The South African diamond mines
are worked almost entirely by native
laborers-the Kafirs, Zulus, Hottentots
and the rest, - said diamond merchant.
"These receive good wages, about $125
per month, and are hired for term of
three months. During this period they
are confined in compounds located on
the edge Of the mines. The compounds
consist of rows of buildings Of corrugated
iron, forming hollow square, surround
ed by high board fence and covering
several acres of ground Within this cor
raj are stores, a hospital, boarding houses
and other conveniences. Wood and wa
ter are furnished free, but no alcoholic
liquors are allowed. During their term
of service the natives are not allowed to
have any communication with the out
side world and are under a system of
close personal surveillance in order to
prevent the theft Of diamonds. When
they come up from the mine shaft, they
are carefully searched, and many in
genious methods are adopted to reduce
the loss from this source to a minimum.
Notwithstanding all that is done,
however, the theft of diamonds still
continues. It is estimated that from 10
to 20 per cent Of the diamonds found
are stolen every year. In order to pre-
vent this very stringent law was pass
ed, providing that all rough diamonds
should be registered with the detective
bureau of the government as soon as
they were found, and that every man
who sold diamond must give with it
certificate of registry.
''The penalty for having an unregis-
tered rough diamond is seven years on
the Cape Town breakwater, and the
mere fact of possession is prima facie
evidence and will secure conviction. So
it happens that if one laborer wants to
do up another he manages to slip a
rough diamond into the other laborer' S
coat, OF into his room, and then tells
the police to keep sharp lookout. Of
course the police make a search, the
contraband stone is found, and the man
is in for a term Of seven years. A great
many unjust sentences have unquestion-
ably been secured in this way, but de-
spite the opposition to the law the COM
pany is powerful enough to keep 1t in
force.
''There are other diamond fields out
side of the Kimberley district, but they
are difficult to work and are mainly ex-
plotted by diggers working on their own
account. The total product is not large.
and the work is very arduous, the dig
gers being mostly men who have been
thrown ont of work by the consolidation
of the Kimberley mines into one vast
corporation and the subsequent restric
tion of production. This latter, by the
way, has had curious effect upon the
town of Kimberley itself. AS late as
four years ago Kimberley had popula-
ton Of 25, 900 or 80, 900 people. It was
laid out for great city and enjoyed for
time big boom:
"Fine brick blocks and residences
were built, hotels and theaters and wa
terworks and everything pertaining to
a modern city. Now a good third Of
these places are empty, and Kimberley is
as dead as New England town that is
dependent upon single MILL All the
supplies and machinery for the mines
are now bought of course by single
company, SC that more than two-thirds
of the business Of the town is gone.
There is nothing there to sustain town
except the mine, and with the opening
up of the goldields much of the popu
lation moved on north to Johannesburg.
"Although the existence Of gold in
the Transyaal had been known for years.
yet the Beers disliked the invading
prospectors and for time kept them
out by law. Afterward more liberal
spirit prevailed, and the Boer govern
ment offered reward for the finding of
paying goldtields. But it was not until
1882 that the now celebrated gold bear
ing reef in which the bulk of South At
rican gold is found was discovered, and
it was not until four years later that the
opening of the celebrated Sheba mine
and it's phenomenal yield, gave rise to a
fever. Then prospectors poured in from
Kimberley and the Cape, coming by
push cart, wagon, horseback Or on foot.
In year there were 10000 persons in
the district. The center of the excite
ment was the little town Of Barberton,
but this section was soon thrown into
the shade by the discoveries on the Wit
watersrand. But while the excitement
lasted the De Kaap fields, as they were
known, had their day, and SO COM
panies, with pominal capital Of $780,
900, 900, were hoated, and many of the
shares sold at a tremendous premium.
Most of these mines are now abandoned,
though the Sheba mine is still big
producer. New York Sun,