The true Democrat., 1897-07-31
IA WONDERFUL CAREER.
BARNEY BARNATo'S RISE FROM
POVERTY TO IMMENSE WEALTH.

q Multi-Millionaire- IIo Made HIS
Great Wealth in the Diamond Mines.
Where Barnet Isaacs Barnato, as he
called himself, or Barney Barnato, or
Barney Isaacs, as he was indiscrimin-
ately called by those who }new him in
his youth, was born and how he was
educated and raised, are subjects he
very rarely discussed. The first
authentic reports of the man who re-
Gently ended his extraordinary career
by leaping overheard from steamer
are as little fellow in ragged clothes,
posing as aid to his brother Harry, a
sidewalk juggler IN the poorer Jewish
quarters Of London. He was said to
be ten years old in 1860. When
juggling proved unremunerative, the
brothers, always the closest offriends,
peddled clothes and pickles. Barney
Barnato's first regular employment
was as q waiter in billiard room in
the East End Of London. He soon
acquired knowledge Of tho game
and was promoted to be marker.
Harry Barnato about the same time
obtained q place in>a boxing school
and learned considerable about the
manly art. He learned to play bill
liards from Barney, imparting to him
in exchange all he knew of boxing.
They found both arts useful to them
in later days. In fact, it was his
knowledge Of boxing and his ability
to impart the knowledge that gave
him command Of the capital that
enabled him to make the vast fortune
be acquired in the diamond fields.
When the news of the discovery Of
diamonds in Griqualand, west of the
borders Of the Transvaal, in South
Africa, was properly authenticated,
the Barnato Brothers decided to try
their fortunes there. Neither had
money sufficient to pay the passage
921 from Dartsmouth-and it took
them more than year to acquire it.
II was some time in 1871 or 1872 that
thep landed at Capetown from the
sailing ship Anglican and started the
long OK wagon journey across the
100 miles Of Karoo desert. Both lads
made money on the forty-four days
voyage by entertainments Of Juggling,
boxing and singing, and their COM
bined capital when they reached the
Kimberley fields was little more
than &60-$300.
They found fair-sized settlement
Of dwellers in canvas and corrugated
iron, and Immediately started tor find
some way Of increasing their capital.
Harry Barnato, although short, was Of
athletic build, and rather attractive
presence of the flashy order. Barney,
on the contrary, was slim, sickly look
ing, with an incipient mustache and a
painful appearance Of nearsighted-
ness. He wore glasses, without which
he professed to be unable to see foot
before his face.
Before he had been on the fields six
months he had demonstrated that he
could see across billiard table as we'll
as any man in the district, and that
very few even Of the rowdiest fighters
could knock his glasses off with the
boxing gloves. It was admitted that
none could intimidate him. Boxing
and billiard playing, with occasional
entertainments, paid the brothers ex-
penses, but neither promised them the
| fortune they we're seeking. But the
chance came, and they took it.
At that time the leading bank on the
Diamond Fields was the Cape Com
mercial. The manager, a Mr.. Ross,
was trained athlete and had been
the champion high jumper Of Oxford
University. He attended the Barnato
school Of boxing, and was early at
tracted to Barney" Barnato sug-
gested scheme Of money making, and
Mr.. Ross offered to advance the neces-
sary capital from his private purse.
Six months later the sign Barnato
Brothers hung over the doors of the
largest combination hotel, saloon,
billiard and entertainment hall that
| South Africa had ever seen. Money
poured in, and the brothers were on
tho road to the fortune their pluck
and brains had early assured them.
After couple Of years, Barney Bar
nato left the saloon to the care of his
brother and became a duly authorized
and licensed diamond buyer and
broker. The license for each business
cost $4,000, and could only be obtained
by those we'll recommended to the
committee in charge. Fairly started
in legitimate business, Barnato soon
became power in the community. sa
In 1884, little more than ten years
from the day he reached the fields a
brawny youngster less than twenty
two years old, Barnato had formed =
dozen diamond mining companies in
Du Toits Pan and De Beers, and con-
trolled them all. His fortune was then
estimated at about 100000. His
brother, who had feared to risk his all
in the purchase Of shares in the un-
formed companies, was well-to-do with