Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-12-02

which led on to so many fortunes. lie
had just reached the sub-tropical Ell
Dorado at the time when a German
trader brought down from the in
terror at Pietermaritzburg some stones
which were either diamonds or crys-
tails, Judging from their appearance.
The German said such stones were
plentiful up in the Vaal and that he
had found boer house on which the
plaster shingles were filled with the
glittering pebbles The beers chill
dren, he said, had boxfuls of them,
which they used for toys or playing
their games of marbles.
Of course, the pebbles were dia-
monds, land some of the sagaciOus
spirits who heard the old traders
story decided that the land of She's
original had at last been discovered.
Cecil Rhodes had not yet reached
Pietermaritzburg but his brother,
Herbert, man named Andrew Camp
bell and Henry Popham collected a
force of Basutos and made for the
Vaal, where the first diamond field was
opened.
One or two claims were worked for
some months with Indifferent success
until finally the Rhodes brothers
learned that someone had struck dia-
monds at what became the OLD De-
Beers mine and thither they OF once
proceeded in order to stake out
claims.
1t was at this juncture that Cecil
Rhodes came upon the scene. Al that
time he was young man under
twenty years of age, tall and slender
in build and of dark complexion. His
appearance denoted that he was in
delicate health and the fact was that
he had gone to the Cape on thar ac-
count, hoping that the mild climate
would help him build up. Rhodes was
at that time the last man one would
have singled out as the coming Colos
sus, for he seemed to have no taste
whatevergin the living of life one
leads at the mines. AS he found MIN
self there, however, with the reces-
sity Of gaining living in some way,
he joined his brother in working their
claims, having as an heir to the family
estate an interest in them.
The first diamond of any real mag
nitude or quality discovered at kim
berley, strangely enough, was picked
from the wall and handed to him by q
friend who had called to see him in
his own mine.
The stone was probably worth S.,
900 and the possession of it seemed to
make new man Of the young miner.
From that time on he was not in
South Africa for his health. He worked
Ii nessantly and the poor Kafirs under
hun wished that he had never found
his way to the diamond fields.
Not only did Cecil develop extraor-
binary industry, but he soon showed
the streak of parsimony which has al
ways been such disagreeable feature
of his character.
He joined in one of the celebrations
his companions INDUCED in when a
streak Of good luck was experienced,
but plodded on at his work with de-
termination which left no room for
doubt that he would some day be
very rich man. He even denied him
self decent food and clothes in order
to have some money in his pocket to
buy out some poor unfortunate who
had dissipated the money he had maize
and could no longer afford to work
his claim.
His own brothers, big, generous
hearted fellows, fell victims to tho
avarice of Cecil, who by persistent
saving finally was enabled to control
the family holding and GUST them
from it altogether.
From that time onward Rhodes
career was one glittering march of
triumph, and it was not many years
before he had gathered practically all
there was of Kimberley into his net.
The statement recently made by Mr..
Rhodes as to the payment of the
Liberal committee shows that he is I'M
questionably patriot who believes
in pushing the British Empire to Its
apparent destiny by any and every
means.
The responsibility, or at least,
part of it, for the continued British
occupancy of Egypt must, under the
circumstances that have come to light
rests largely upon the shoulders of Mr..
Rhodes, and there is little doubt that
he has been the leading spirit in the
Cape to Cairo telegraph and railroad
scheme.
Now that his ideas have been
pushed so far forward, it is doubtful
if Great Britain dare stand for retreat
from an inch of territory that she has
acquired control of on the dark con.
tinent; but that will serve only to
show how important a part he has
played in the formation of the British
African empire. a
What Kitchener has been in the mil
itary service of that continent, Rhodes
has been to the financial and COM
mercial interests. His daring moves
have rightly won for him the title Of
the Colossus. He is one of the men