The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
LIFE OF BARNEY BARNAT0.
a NEW BIOGRAPHY OF HIM PRE-
PARED M AN OLD FRIEND.

soribed ~ . Reporter on n south African
Newspaper who HSnew rim when narnate
was Eisht,nE Hiis way at the Start.
Tho story Of Barney Barnato's origin and
metoorio career in South Africa and later in
London, has been told frequently and each time
with a different assortment Of facts. For two
years the effect Of his name in London was
magical. Everything that he touched became
profitable and English investors went crazy over
Barnsto stocks. Much was known about his
financial operations, but very little definite In
formation could be obtained about tho mans
history. According to one story he went to
South Africa as q circus clown and according to
another he was q younger son Of q titled family
and q man Of much culture, and the newspaper
reading public struck an average between these
two portraits. Bnrnato's millions were not
myths IL the stories abou. him were, and he sol.
dom took the trouble to deny the latter.
What purports to be practically an author
lied biography OF Barnato has just been pub
ished under the tito "B. /. Barnato; A Memoir"
Harry Raymond, tho author Of 1t, was q re.
porter on a South African newspaper during the
years when Barnato was fighting his way to
great wealth. and knew him intimately. II his
sketch of Barnato's life is authentic, the pro.
viously published biographies were chiefly
fairy tales. Mr.. Raymond tells his story in a
simple, straightforward fashion without attempt
| ing 10 portray bhrnhUO OLn0T Llhn u n bnE0Wu
nnancicr with Q ready wit and the money get
ting instinct. Many Of Mr.. Raymond's anec-
dotes of Barnato are new.
It was in 1871, when there were gathered in
the diamond fields in q series Of camps some
1000 white mon and four times that number of
kaff1rs, that a young Hebrew named Henry
Isaacs made his appearance In Kimberley. and,
assuming the name of Barnato. began to give
public entertainments for the miners. Harry
Barnato didn't take long to discover that he
could make more money in diamonds than on
the stage. and at the end of a year he sent homo
for his brother, Barnett Isaacs, to come out and
help him gather profits. Barnett Isaacs also
assumed the name Of B~arnato, and it was his
genius which guided the new firm to success.
They were the Ions Of a pious Hebrew in Lon
don named Isaac Isaacs and the grandsons of a
rabbi Of some reputation. When Barnato be-
came famous and one of his friends chided him
on the amusement that he derived from the abb
surd stories told about him, he replied:
We'll, why shouldn't II A man who doesn't
care twoponce about me comes with a yarn and
asks IL it is true. l say oh. 1 suppose SO; go
and ask So-and-so. he will tell you what really
occurred Now, IL / was to say there was not
q word Of truth in the whole story l should not
be believed. l have had hundreds of men come
to me for details OF my career. II l told them
the truth they wouldn't believe me; if 1 didn't
tell 'em anything at all they would go off angry
and try to write nasty things. So l let them
talk, find out what they want to hear and then
tell 1t to them; and they believe it all and go
away and say what is, perhaps, the only abso.
lutely true thing they will say, that Lam not a
bit ashamed Of my origin and never put on side.
II you do not like 1t, tell me what else l can do
better"
The history of Barnato's dealings in the gold
fields has been told frequently and Mr.. Ray
mond adds little that Is new. According to this
biographer Barnato was an amateur actor of
great repute in South Africa, and his favorite
characters were Bob Briefly in THE Ticket
of.Leave Man and Matthias in The Bells"
AS an illustration of Barnato's business
methods this incident is related:
one occasion. alter being very little in
the office tor some twelve days, he suddenly
was and what business had been done. When
told he sat down and made some brief calcula-
M that is not right he said. Have you
Ives; ! have checked everything this week.
.b ".Wf ai.G Ssp o sTe wYFo on b1d tel bs sGs; s XSp are are
-, The books !, were ere 5Ee en every detail Of
and in the end-after six weeks continuous
work-it was found that an employee had mis-
appropriated. a single parcel OF shares of a little
ley C~entrals at cal, and had very clevcrly falsi-
fled the entries. Barnato had no knowledge of
the misdeed and never dreamed OF snspccting
tho individual: but he happened to want TO
know the exact position OF affairs. and he could
Vast business to Within a few pounds ,Ds SH''i ne Ell
heard him enunciate the timc-honored maxim
L9SR after the pence; the pounds will AXE care
his thoughts in his own terse phrascs-but it
was never better exc.'.plifed than in his con.
Barnato,s philosophy was Of the get;there
blow. If q man is going 10 hit you, hit him tirst
and say, II you try that, III hit you again 1t
ss Of h IL % nss I'll {IYipTh i'S yOa BACK ok "n b'y se'' Under n
standr
are quoting Kingsley SiaesieyT in "W i eHsSeFdq Hoy p! you
WHO was Kingsley and Westward Hon.
he sharply queried.
from brakes letter to Amyas Leigh, he said:
"'Ah! did not know anything OF Kingsley.
but when he wrole that he knew what liIc was
and he was right and l am right, though it is
queer for ne to get a supporter In one Of Your
have to agree with our law OF IAN eye for an
eye and a tooth for a tooth" but. being a Chris.
let a man wrong You without getting SQUARE.
no matter how long you wait; and never wrong
a man.if you can help it, because he will wait
his time to get back on you, and at the worst
possible moment. l don't care whether it is
Jew or Gentle. 1t is all the same"
sembly and he delighted in mildly scandalizing
the members of Parliament. During a debate
III 1910 -on IL Nupc ISQuOT law, winch pro-
hibited the sale of Intoxicating drinks on Sun
day, except as an accompaniment of a substan-
tial meal. a local Raines law. Barnato said:
"A few Sundays ago l walked some distance
from Cape Town. for, being busily engaged in
mentally reviewing the course OF business OF
the Honorable House. l went on much further
4han ! had intended without noticing the time.
at length retraced my steps, and being then
both hot and thirsty, went into a decent and
most respectable hotel for refrcshment. | only
wanted TO quench my thirst, but according to
law. a drink could only be supplied as the nc.
compartment OF a bona tide substantial meal.
Mine host set before me "a bottle OF beer and a
leg of roast pork: He had no other ~eatables.
What was l to dot II l ate the pork ! broke tho
law of Moses. Ii i drank the beer without eat
ing. I broke, the law OF the land. Between
tho Chief Rabbi and the Chief Justice stood
In a very awkward position"
Barna!o had no sympathy to waste on the
broken-down adventures who came to South
Africa to live by borrowing. When he became
known as q very wealthy man he was frequent
ly bothered by requests for small loans.
AT Johannesburg some years ago" says his
biograhcr, "a well'known individual OF a type
rather common there borrowed 4l0 from Bar.
nato, and although asked for the money several