Evening star., 1896-07-04
DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS.


The Stringent Laws Enforced ut the
African Mines.
From St. Paura
OF course the expenses of q company
owning a block of claims are enormous.
and large number Of stones have to be
found before the margin for a dividend
arrives. The expense and difficult OF
reaching the diamond field in the early
days kept away the rowdy element to be
found in our western mines.
Such disgers as have remained on the
fields since the '-early days" seem never
to be tried Of talking Of the life they then
led as the hsppiest they hava ever known.
Then each would peg out MS claim and go
to work therein with pick and shovel. de-
pending scarcely at all upon the uncertain
help OF the lazy Kaffir. and. with his own
str6 ng right arm attacked the hard. peb-
bly, soil in which the diamond was i'm
ed" the soil for diamonds. They are not
to be picked up walking through the
streets or over the ''hoors' where the soil
lies pulverized by sun and rain. 1t is IL
claim holder licensed buyer. II
private individual wishes to purchase q
stone or two for himself he must first
obtain permit from the authorities.
These precautions will be seen to be
necessary because the value Of the dia-
mond. its portability, the facility with
which 1t can be concealed and the uncer-
tainty regarding its existence make it a
sc urce OF temptation to dishonesty among
all classes. 1t is therefore against the
law for any one, even IT licensed buyer,
to purchase diamond from any one not
a claim holder. unless he can produce
his permit.
The law has become so stringent, and
the detective force SO active, that terror
has stricken the 1. D. BIS Gllicit diamond
buyers). for it is matter Of fifteen years
hard" to be convicted of buying a stolen
diamond. Before this stringent law was
passed many went away rich in a few
their pile in any legitimate business in
that length OF time. Men who have been
suspec ted for years. but have managed
to evade detection. have been pounced
upon by detectives at most unexpected
moments. but the temptation is SO strong
that, despite the penalty, the practice
still goes on, but to a smaller extent than
before.
culprit turned out to be a man In a good
and responsible position and often the
very men who were the loudest in The
denunciation de,,'l OF the crime were them
cafe one evening. when there was a sud-
den hush followed by a startled buzz of
conversation, and he heard the name OF
well-known man, followed by the word
detective. man standing near, who
was suspected of carrying on the same
trade, became suddenly pale and bit un-
easily on his visor, and. with q careless
laugh. said: Serves him right" then con-
tnEed in a scarcely audible tone, What
fool not to be more careful" Before
the writer left the camp that same man
was working in convict dress.
Detectives themselves have been tempted
to dabble in the trade. and have been
trapped. and are now working in convict
dress by the side of the men they have
hell ed to hunt down. This fascinating
trade of gems offers great temptations to
the weak-willed. and 1T takes a certain
amount of bulldog courage combined with
caution and patience, to continue in this
dangerous business
On mail days great envelopes of dia-
m"nds are sent to London. Some of these
packages contain fiawless diamonds, Others
smoky diamonds used In machinery for
polishing and cutting the stones; Others.
again. would contain stones of all colors
sizes and purity. One package, worth
many thousands of pounds. contains vel
low diamonds, selected stones in size
color and purity. Those of yellow tiuge
are bought and worn by the East Indians.
The pure white stone is of more value
than the yellow, because not so plentiful.
1t Is strange fact that these diamond
merchants seldom wear diamond jewelry:
they prefer rubies or corals to the too
&C mmon gem, the diamond.
The mines have now drifted into the
hands of few large companies, and the
Iransvaal is the Eldorado to which all
eyes IN Africa are turned.