The Lamar register., 1895-11-16

&4NfNF NNtNstHyNasNNs 4--
the agure to-day;
shat IL may be next week no one can
tell. for BarnAto Is the central figure
in the mos; gigantic and reckless spec
ulation STAGE the famous South Sea buh-
Bile
This speculation has plunged En-
giishmsn and Frenehmen and Germans
who have a dollar 20 risk iato fever
ish and unprecedented craze 70 buy
and sell 'sKaffirs." On the London.
Paris and German e~rb.-re~ "Eaffirs"
is the name OF confusing multiplicity
Of South African mining stocks. the
lively ups and downs OF which have for
the past few months heen making and
unmaking fortunes. This Eiid and
insane craze has led TO the upsetting OF
financial values IN all American stocks.
and has caused Wall stree, TO hold its
breath. as II we're. pending the Antiei-
pa,ed bursting OF the kafnr boom.
Barney Barnato, the man who has
really launched this unprecedented
speculation. has himself made millions
out Of II. and when the crash comes. II
come Il must. It Is believed that be will
still be an enormously rich man. Most
OF his fortune Is said to be on paper.
but he holds the upper hand in all the
big deals and be Is aot the sort OF man
who has le: the dear public in on the
ground floor without making them pay
him profit
OF his origin as little Is known as OF
the astonishing rise OF the boom be has
created II is believed that he was a
London street Arab. He Is still young
not yet foriy-slightly over feet IN
height. fat, squat and short-leggsd
His appearance is altogether ugly. All
sorts of vague stories are told Of his
career. He Is said TO have been bar
Der. a secondhand clothing dealer, a
baguAr. a brokers' clerk. a messen-
ger. a street fakir. a tumblcF, circus
performer. eontortionIst and prestIdigi-
tateur He has dealt In South African
diamonds, and about their spuriouEness
nasty stories are Iecited by his enemies
who knew him in the mines. He lefr
there when ne was about eighteen
years ole.
Three years ago. penniless and un-
known. he appeared In London Not
long after there sprang up among spee-
ula.ors and investors great interest in
South African mining stocks. Com
panies were formed to develop these
mines, and European capitalists. big
and little. were invited to take stock
Il was easy 10 find money baekings for
these enterprises Africa was q name
to conjure By. The Dark Continent
was a mystery not unmixed WITH ro-
nance. Its resources were uniimit-
able. its possibilities inealculable- New
strikes OF rich veins were reported.
With each strike sprang up 4 company
to work it Kafir stocks were In every
mans mind. The English newspa-
pers helped on the widespread public
interest by publishing long letters and
dispatches from the scene Of activity.
Conservative English papers inveighed
against It. but the people gave no heed
Barney Barnato got into the Kafir
swim He plunged deep. His natural
daring and cool etfrontery stood him
well. He won enormously Then he
branchsd out Independently and drew
about him his own following. II was
another case OF the lucky gambler lead
ing the way for the uniucky He or
ganized companies 10 float ''Kafhrs."
There were Barnato Companies" Bar
nzto groups" Barnato Shares" but
there were never any Barnato losses.
Ne made money even more rapidly
thsy tts srsat BONANZA kings of Cali