The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-06

Barnato, whose dramatic suicide the
other day terminated q career full of
dramatic features. He writes:
In the first place. Barney Barnato'
was not his true or original name. He
was Barnett Isaacs, the son of humble
Hebrew parents in the Whitechapel
district of London. until he went to
South Africa to make his fortune in
1873. In a curious page of autobiog-
raphy issued q few weeks ago, Barney
thus described "how he became a mil
lionaire:"
1T Is just twenty-three years ago
since 1, considered then a good-looking
boy, landed at Cape Town after a tedi-
Gus journey of twenty-seven and half
days. the greater part OF which time l
had spent building castles in the air,
and dreaming of the possibilities of the
new world which I was approaching.
Full of hope and confidence, l walked
to the Masonic Hotel, and on the ver-
anda was met by a gentleman, whose
name l will ask you to allow me to
withhold, but who, as / afterward
learned, held the position of president
of the Diamond Diggings. I was
startled by the brlliancy of his shirt
front, on which there balzed three enor-
nous diamond studs, one only of which
would have made Pony Moore shed
tears. AS these only formed part of his
jewelled adornments, l thought he
must be a walking diamond mine. He
spoke to me very kindly, though with
rather a patronizing air, asking ME my
name and destination. I told him my
name was Barney Barnato, and that 1
was going up to the diamond fields to
join my brother. and, as I hoped. to
make my fortune. A look of sympathy,
almost of pity. suffused his face, as,
placing his hand in a fatherly manner
on my shoulder, he said:
Go home again, my boy, for ! have
cleared that country of all the gems it
contained and, looking at the spark
ling brilliants which shone out from
every possible part of him, 1 was al
most convinced that his statement was
true. I was too proud to let the tears
of disappointment fall, and stood won-
dering what would be said to me if 1
returned home to admit l had been on
a wild goose chase; this was sufficient
to make me adhere to my original in
tention. whatever the result might be,
so ] determined to go and book my
seat on the coach which was leaving
the next morning, lest anything else
should occur to make me waver.
This year-twenty-three years after
my interview with him--I met in the
market square at johannesburg this
same gentleman, who had cleared the
country of all the gems it contained,
and on my reminding him of the Incl
dent he asked:
How did you discover the De Beers
diamond mines and become life gov
ernor of the company?
II replied, by not taking your ad-
vice to go home again."
BARNATO AND RHODES.
The most interesting current Incl
dents about Barnato deal with his en-
counters with his great rival in the
diamond field, Cecil Rhodes. The latter
is, of course. the greater man in ev-
cry sense of the word but Barnato
was usually able to take care of him
self even In competition with the EN-
pire Builder of South Africa. Several
years ago the firm of Barnato Broth
ers, which Barnato had established.
was a very large customer of De Beers
story is told how the Colossus of the
Cape" outwitted his brother diamond
merchant. De Beers, as the story goes,
had 100000 carats of diamonds to sell,
and Barney Barnato made Mr.. Rhodes
an offer for the whole quantity in
one lot. Mr.. Rhodes considered for
moment, and then replied that Bar
nato Brothers could have the diamonds
on their own terms on one condition.
What is your condition."
THAT you let me see sight no hu-
man eye ever saw yet
whats that?" inquired the puzzled
Barney.
why" said Mr.. Rhodes. "a bucket
full of diamonds in heap"
Done" exclaimed Barney, delighted
to have the deal on his own terms. So
the diamonds were poured all together
into a bucket, and the two "kings Of
diamonds" gloated for a while over
the sight. Then the gems were turned
out in a glittering heap and were
photographed. Mr.. Rhodes profit came,
1t is said, during the six weeks fol-
lowing, when he had absolute command
of the diamond market, while the
bucketful of diamonds were being re-
sorted into their 100 different classifi-
cations.
A DEAL IN DIAMONDS.
The story of the final consummation
of the deal for the consolidation of the
Kimberley and the De Beers diamond
mines is not new, but 1t will bear re-
telling:
1T was the evening of a day nearly
ten years ago when three men who
held the chief interest in the diamond
mines at Kimberley sat down together
to arrange the terms of the projected
amalgamation. The three We're Cecil
Rhodes; Alfred Belt, and b. l. Barnato
Of the Kimberley mine. Each one had
a concession he required from the 9TH
ers, but the requirements of the first
two are of no public interest. The con-
cession Mr.. Rhodes required was en-
tirely different. 1t was this:
81 was the power 20 go to the north
to carry out the expansion there, and
1 think the company might assist me in
the work. i believe everything they
give will be returned; but even II it
were lost, it Is very fair case for the
doctrine of ransom In other words,
Mr.. Rhodes insisted on getting the pow
er to use the profits of the De Beers
mine for the acquisition of the unoc-
cupied regions of the north.
"Mr. Belt said little, but supported
Mr.. Rhodes; but the notion of using
the diamond mines to create an empire
did not recommend itself as good busi-
ness to Mr.. Barnato, even when II was
backed by Mr.. Rhodes. Mr.. Barnato
was amused at this proposal and ar
gued against 1t for long time. But Mr..
Rhodes was determined to have his
way, and insisted on their agreeing to