Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-08-17

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Ohm WILD had lived for several
u years in Kimberley at the paln1y
period when sovereigns were literally
as plentiful as shillings are to-day in
many an English town Of similar popu-
lation. He had been engaged in a man
agerial capacity, from which he real
lied a fair income.
Thirty pounds a month was not con-
sidered an extravagant salary to men
OF class who in this country would
consider themselves well recompensed
at 30 shillings a week. When he
reached the fields from England he was
as honest as the average clerk, and
fully meant to remain so. But every
body lived .shigh'' in those days. The
clerk and the shop assistant ate, drank,
dressed, smoked and otherwise recre-
ated after fashion which in these
isles would be considered the heightsof
folly to anyone with an income Of less
than 6 200 a year. Extravagant hab-
its were everywhere engendered. Men
who had previously considered bottled
ale a luxury got used to dry cham
payne at IS shillings per bottle.
The result was inevitable, and might
have been foreshadowed. Indulgence
in alcohol, except in strictest modera-
ton, almost invariably induces some
loss of self-respect, and it is not sur
prising that Johns moral principles
& degenerated during his residence on
the fields. Temptation to dishonesty
in Illicit diamond dealing lurked at al
most every corner, and many erstwhile
good men, in their haste to become rich,
fell and are to-day leading the con.
yict's life, among some of the vilest on
earth. on the Cape Town breakwater.
John Wild had many a burst and
committed many peccadilloes, but Of
actual crime against the law he kept
aloof. Still, when he got to the end 9.
his tether-that is, when fast living
had rendered him so nerveless that his
occupation was gone, he experienced
pang at the sight of persons around
him in the height of prosperity who
had neither toiled nor spun, and who
OF natural ability had less than him
self. 81 \
Everything, however, impelledS him
to leave the perilous place before he
was left, like hundreds of others, COM
pletely on the rocks or Micawberizing,
and with only a few pounds in his peck
ct, but a trife better in health, he
found himselfSin London again. There
it was neither easy to reenter his
former groove nor to adapt himself to-
his former suro undings. :,
What he was able to obtain as remun-
GRAFTON for his efforts seemed pittance
after the high living tosWhich he had
rot accustomed on the diamond fields.
He soon grew dreadfully Disseminated,
and open to almost any opportunity
that would land him back a gain in the
glamour Of fast life. That opportunity
soon came. eS
John was Just the man for whom
sssyndicate' was looking. They had
learned how diamonds Of the value Of
scores etimes hundreds Of thou
sands Of pounds ---were lodged in the
miserable galvanized iron Office of Kim IN
berley diamond merchants. The latter
knew well enough themselves that their
stenements were no protection whatever
against the midnight marauder, but
they felt they could rely upon their
safes, of which each had at least one
Of. the best. And their conf ence was
justified, for although attempts at bur
glary, were, despite elaborate police pro
lection, frequen t, rarely We're they sue
scessful.
So the plan Of the syndicate was to
export to Kimberley a number Of safes
Of approved pattern and with the GUS
tomary kind Of keys. Only Of the lat
ter the syndicate was to retain dupli-s
Gates. These safes were to be sold to-
diamond dealers, if necessary, at a .
heavy discount. When these safes had
got in tt use and had got ICED nthens
8 good stock ofthe5 glittering gems the
Offices were to be raided by two expert
senged era clssmen sent out with the s'eN-
petition = who, with the duplicate keys,
would easily make a grand haul.
John wasinot long tumblingf to the 4
t1plantt I, "a and he was just the man to go
out as a salesman Of the safes. The 4
scheme was elaborate ly planned, and
with six safes the s'expe dition Of three
persons was soon en- voyage. ThereWas
Of course much delay III getting the
heavy safes from Cape Town to Kinber-
ley, distance Of 600 miles, the greater
part of which had then to be covered
by the cumbersome ox-Yag on.
Once on the fields, neyerth eless, John
speedily essayed business. He an
nei.nced IN the Advertiser and Inde-l