Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-31
ORIGIN OF KIMBERLEY.
How the First Diamond Mine was
Found There.
philadelphia Tim

Pliladelpnld IIHtSJ
Residing on his ranch in Southern Cali
fornia. not twenty miles from here, Is
contamination. John Study, late OF
Kimberley, South Africa, and an ex-colo-
NAL minister of fnance-who, from per-
sonal knowledge of the subject describes
how the first diamond was discovered,
which led TO the building up OF the be
leagured city of Kimberly, and how Cecil
Rhodes laid the foundation of his colossal
wealth and power.
at was I'm 1869" says Mr.. Study, that
I first met Herbert Rhodes. the pioneer OF
the Rhodes family fortune, at Du Toit-
span. where we Joined In the rush to old
De Beers, and in which latter place we
worked together upon very friendly terms.
'In q short time Herbert Rhodes was
followed by Frank, now Colonel Rhodes,
when the two brothers entered into part
nership, working good paying claim
upon road No. g.
both brothers were very popular at
the diggings. Herbert was a strong, good
all-round man, and If he possessed a
fault ii was his big-hearted generos-
ity. which, at times, carried him 10
lengths Of expenditure perhaps not war
rented by the extent Of his find, and who
surely deserved better fate than that
horrible one Of being burned to death,
which subsequently overlook him when
gold prospecting on the coast Of Zanzibar.
Il had worked for over year at Old DE
Beers, with fairly satisfactory results,
when I went out. in company with a
friend, upon that memorable hunting trip
which led to the discovery of New Rush,
or Kimberley and, incidentally. 10 the
making of the fortune and fame of Rt
Hon Cecil Rhodes.
1T was on a Sunday afternoon. ] re-
member that we had pushed our way
across a plain Of high Tamboke grass
when I'm searching for some partridges /
had brought down near a clump Of minOra
bushes. l found a prospect, TO which ] at
once called the attention of my compan-
ion.
con making a careful survey or the
ground seeing that IL was of q similar
formation TO that old De Beers, / sat
down and sorted out some OF the dirt
when in less than five minutes l picked
out as many small diamonds.
Impressed with the belief that / had
made a big find. l went over 70 the tent
of an old Natal friend, Popham by name
with whom at the time was Herbert
Rhodes, / told them Of my discovery. and
we three at once decided 10 organize
stampede for the new field.
"Popham and Rhodes got away in less
than two hours. and fully intended 10
accompany them, but deferred to the
wishes OF my partner to remain with him
at old DE Beers, sending on four KAT
fir Zulus. however, TO help<stake out our
claims.
1T was but a few hours after, through
the fundamentally Of the friend who
had taken with me on the hunting trip,
that the ews was spread abroad through
the camp. and before \. NJ the next
Ia
in twenty-four hours later there were
from 500 to 400 men on the ground on
which now stands the city OF Kimberley
IN few days the country all around
| that clump of mines where i had shot
the partridges was staked out and it was
almost on that spot, right in the center
Of the crater Of the extinct mud volcano
now forming the celebrated De Beers
mine. that Popham, Herbert Rhodes and
myself secured three Of the best paying
| claims.
1T was about five or six months after
| this when we had all moved 10 New
Rush. that Cecil Rhodes. the youngest
biotheI, unexpectedly turned up at the
| diggings.
ION the morning Of his arrival in camp
| Herbert Rhodes asked me to take his bro
| Their Cecil down and show him oyer the
| claims, where they were working from
eighteen TO twenty Zulus. TO this re-
quest L readily agreed. and while in the
pit picked out small diamond from the
side wall and handed it TO him-his first
stone in South Africa.
Having made up his mind 10 stay, he
settled down TO work with a determlna-
| ton and unflnching purpose that seemed
| out of keeping with his delicate health
| and build
From the first he eschewed the convi-
| vial habits Of his brothers. criticising
| their actions severely by. saying that he
| did not see the reason :or necessity Of
| squandering money In giving champagne
| suppers TO the other diggers. and for his
part, his only object was to make n large
enough sum 10 go home and never set
| eyes on the beastly place again
at was not long after Cecil Rhodes
came upon the scene" Mr. Study con-
| ,inues. that I foresaw that. sooner or
| later, there was going TO be a split in the
camp.
I'm this Representation / was even
tnally proved TO be right, for Herbert
| first OF all. sold out his interest to Cecil
and then Frank did the same. when Cecil
who would hardly spend enough on his
food and clothes to keep body and soul
decently together, began. with the ala Of
his savings TO engineer those plans which
have raised him TO be one of the two fore
most men in South Africa"