The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-06-17

from Funchal, Island Of Madeira, off
the west coast Of Morocco, says that Oh
the arrival there today of the British
steamer Scot, which left Table Bay
Cape Town on June 2 for Southampton,
it was announced that Barney Barnato,
the South African diamond king, who
was among the passengers, had commit
ted suicide by leaping overheard. His
body was recovered.
sketch of barney Barnato.
The late Barney Barnato was in many
respects the most remarkable Spectator
of the century. OF all the Englishmen
who have taken part in the development
Of South Africa, two only have secured
a worldwide reputation. These have
been Cecil Rhodes and Barnett Isaacs,
more often and less respectfully styled
Barney BarnatO. Barnato was an as
sumcd name, sort of stage name, for
he began his life in South Africa by
exhibiting a trick donkey, some twenty
five years ago. He was then about 20
years old. Barnato was an English Jew
and illustrated in an extraordinary way
the financial genius Of his race. Up to
the point where his fortunes began to de-
cline he made money by leaps and bounds
and in 1895, when his good fortune was
at its zenith, he was estimated to control
in the neighborhood of S50O0OOOOO. 1t
was the fashion to call him the richest
man in the world. At that time he was
virtually the king of the London market.
In the autumn of 1895, when the boom
in Kaffirs-the shares of the compare
lively new gold mine of the Transvaal,
South Africa-was at its height, every
man, woman and child in London with
money to invest invested it in Kaffirs.
The craze was the last of those financial
fevers which periodically attack con-
servative England, the 'SOuth sea
bubble" being the first. For months it
was the controlling passion in London,
and it was scarcely less rampant in
Paris and Berlin. The shares went to
unheard-of prices and fortunes were
made in IA day. The center of this ire
mendOus financial Outburst was Barney
Barnato, and he was conservatvely esti-
mated ut that time as worth between
$100,000,O0O and $150,OOO,00O. Among
his assets was bank originally CAPT
talized at S12,500,000.
Barnato was born in London. Little
is known as TO his early life, except that
he received his instruction from a pri-
waite tutor instead of attending the public
schools. He was a younger son, and at
the age of 20 went to South Africa, then
a much more savage territory than now
and scantily populated by Englishmen or
persons of English descent. The Kim
bcrley diamond mines We're just begin
ming to be productive. With his few
pounds of capital he began dealing in
diamonds in small way. He was
clever and pushing. Everything he
touched he made successful. In five
years he had earned enough to purchase
shares in the mines from which his mer-
chandise had come. Before another
five years had elapsed, his holdings at
Kimberly had become very large, and
when the Transvaal gold fields were dis
covered he had profits to invest in them.
In 1886 Barnato began to be spoken of
in connection with Cecil Rhodes. Unlike
in temperament and even more unlike in
personal ambition, the two men started
in to be hot opponents, but i'm 1888 they
reached the conclusion simultaneously
that their respective interests could be
hest promoted by combining forces, and
the De Beers consolidated mines We're
the result, the most valuable piece of
property in the world.
Barnato repeatedly denied the story that
he began in South Africa by exhibiting a
trick donkey. but there are many African
a. nntirnl, 80,
that part of the world who have repeated
~ asserted this to be the fact. There is
no truth, however, in the story that he
was ever clown or iugglcr in wander
ing show. He used to say that the only
foundation for this report was the fact
shat when he first went TO South Africa
he frequently took part in private theatri-
calls for the benefit of hospitals and similar
charities. He had considerable ability in
this direction, and his favorite roles in
later years Were Othello and Matthias in
THE Bells
Although he represented Kimberly
twice in the Cape Legislature he had little
time to give to politics and little interest
in that field Of activity. Cecil Rhodes
used wealth only as a means of political
control, Barnato aspired only to such con-
troll as comes from being fabulously rich.
quite devoid of incident.
While in Africa he married andshad three
children, two sons and daughter. He
had always, or professed to have, bound
less faith in the future of the Transvaal.
and his popularity among all classes OF
Africanders was very great.
In London. where he was constantly be-
sieged by tlatterers and projectors of all
sorts of enterprises. he finally became quite
inaccessible to all except his most init
mate friends. But they liked him thor
oughly. and believed in him even when
keen English fnanciers began to look
askance into his enterprises and openly to
predict his ultimate collapse.
Many interesting stories are told of his
personal pecuiarities. His only reception
hour was the hour of breakfast, which he
always took with his wife and a thorough
bred bull pup. He affected a rather loud
style of costume, and invariably wore
white silk socks. which he always begged
the London cartoonists humorously not to
attempt TO reproduce in their sketches. He
had a keen sense of humor, and could tell
Il good story with genuine comedy effect.
At one time he announced his intention of
collaborating with Shaddon Chambers, the
dramatiSt, in writing play on his expert
cnces. He was generous patron of the
drama. though his generosity took the form
OF entertainments to popular artists rather
than in literary patronage. On one occasion
when play was being presented at Drury
Lane theater, in a scene depicting a hotel
at johannesburg. he appeared in the crowd
as one of the SupeS. His private generos-
lty was frequently expressed, and in the
autumn of 1Spo hp Snnt S75 nnn 90 tba lord