The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-27
CECIL RHODES.

/ OENAL hhODbSs
| The death of Cecil Rhodes may all
most be termed an incident in the an
nais of the British Empire. in view Of
| his great schemes for the empire and
| his successes in adding to British ter
| ritory in South Africa. The demise
of no other Englishman at this time,
save possibly the King himself, would
! be felt 10 the extent that Mr.. Rhodes
death Will be. Both the markets and
politics will be likely to feel the infu-
ence of his taking off. For some time
he has been the main support Of large
quantities of Rhodesian securities
which, without his influence, could not
have been maintained in the markets.
What will be the fate of these securi-
ties, as well as of Mr.. Rhodes ambi-
tious enterprises in South Africa, re-
mains to be seen. He had able lieu
tenants, and it is possible that they
will succeed in following out his line
of policy.
1t has been said of Cecil Rhodes that
he was born in the possessive case"
and made the most of his heritage. 1t
Is quite certain that he developed the
money making faculty at an early age
and exercised it in such manner as
to make himself millionaire several
times over while yet he was a young
man. Indeed, he was only forty-nine
years of age at the time of his death.
Several years ago his fortune was es-
tiHated TO be no less than $50 900, 900.
During the past five years, however,
this fortune had shrunk probably more
than One-half, owing to the Jameson
raid, the war and other causes.
Mr.. Rhodes was the son of a minis
ter and was educated at oxford, which
university later conferred upon him
the degree of Ii. D. Soon after leav-
ing college he went to South Africa
for the benefit of his health and in
search of adventure. He en-
gagged in diamond mining and
took a part in politics. So successful
was he in each line that in 1880 he was
known as the Diamond King and
was premier of Cape Colony. With
DeBeers and Belt Rhodes secured
virtual monopoly of the diamond fields
and controlled the markets of the
world for the gems. This control he
exercised up to the time of his death.
and it will probably remain vested in
his business partners.
AS a developer Mr.. Rhodes has had
few equals. Following out his schemes
for himself and England he opened
new territory, built railroads, sunk
mines, improved waterways, built
bridges, brought prosperous towns and
villages into existence and established
fruitful farms. One of his pet projects
was the Cape to Cairo" railroad.
which no doubt he would have con-
structed had his life extended over a
few more years. He was a driver and
masterful man, with implicit conf
dence in himself and in the power of
money. 1t is said that he held to the
belief that every man had his price.
and to have once said that he had
never yet met a man that he could
not buy" Whether this is true is a
matter Of conjecture, but it seems to
be true that Mr.. Rhodes actually sue
ceeded IN influencing a number of men
to do his bidding in South Africa. And
all the while he was looked upon by
his people back in England as a. pa
trlot and statesman, whose chief am
bition was to make the map of South
Africa show broad stripe of British
red from the Mediterranean to the Cape
Of Good Hope.