The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-16
KEPT HEAD AND CASH.

Belt never lost his head and never lost
his money. Of the latter lie was. from
the first, amply supplied by his father $
firm in Hamburg. whose members had
the most implicit confidence in the young
mans judgment. He went ahead Buying
mining claims. ana contested rights and
the rights OF the contentantS, AID organ
ling companies and foatig shares and
exporting diamonds and gold and be-
coming the most potent factor in South
African business. He fought The redoubt-
able Barney Barnato. though the latter
in his life-time always managed to hold
his own against the reioubtable Rhodese
interest, which seemed able to sway the
power Of empire into its business affairs.
Rhodes and Belt had their business
headquarters at Kimberley near the
great De Beers diamond field, though
they We're largely interested in the god
mines at Johannesburg. Barnato lived
chiefly al the latter place, where the firm
OF Barnato, Joel & Co. had magnificent
Offices. Belt and Barnato were aItitnc-
SeS i'll person and mannerS-the former
cultivated, slender and quiet; the latter
ignorant, burly and bumptuous
Barnato detestcd Belt and Belt Gcs
pissed Barnato. The latter, originally an
east-end of London man, a circus .jugglcr
and priZe-fiShter. had been sent 10 South
Africa by his co-reiisionists IL London
as the report Went. to get rid o. him
Ba1'nato made money as q it;Ggie- when
he first reached South Africa, an.I prompt
~ began to invest in gold mil>s and dia-
monds. He was continually n war wi.h
Rhodes. and was the one man whom
Rhodes feared. Earnato was always sus-
tanned by the refugees and renegades the
rowdies and roGshS. Of whom there was
ever q Soodiy assemolage in a newly
opened mining district. They recognized
In him one Of themselves. man who trav--
eled ION his muscle" and an extraordinary
patron of the fruits of the distillery.
BAIaNATO'S uNDOING.
The habit OF orlnk rnauy led to Bar
nsto's undong. While on his way from
London 10 Cape Town on a steamer, he
suddenly jumped overheard near Gibral-
Tar and was s$en no more. Except that
LadenburS was a perfectly apstemious
man, there was considerable similarity
between his end and tina: OF Barnato
While Rhodes and Barnato quarreled,
Beit went on with business Wherever
there was q mine TO be bought. he was or
The ground. II it pleased his he bought
il, price being no object The extent OF
his purchases in the diamond fields became
astonishing. Everybody woadered-while
every one wondered still more that the
output increased SO slowly.
Here was shown the business wisdom
OF Alfred Belt. He knew that the price
OF diamonds depended largely upon their
comparative rarity, and he knew. more
ever, that once they became common. if
ever they did. their value would be gone
forever So he restricted, not the output
OF the mines, but the quantity placed upon
the market. meanwhile pressing to their
fullest limit the output OF the gold mines
on the Rand. which belonged to his com
pany.
RHODES AND BELT.
II was indeed through the interest of
Rhodes and Belt. with those of their later
associates in the great De Beers and
South Africa companies, that the recent
TransYaal war was precipitated. Barnato
had studiously cultivated Dom Paul
Kruger. and the great lions in front of the
Eaters house at Pretoria were the gifts
OF the wailom gold and diamond king now
dead Kruger believed. and Barnato, for
some purpose. encouraged him in the be-
lief. that Rhodes meant eventually to
seize the Transvaal. and to extend the
British sphere Of Government In South
Africa. The Beer President, beset on
every hand By lying advisors. learnsd TO