Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-30

esseSSvooh 8n0 ~ SoPV SVsVSS N~s
monds have already been found In pay
able quantities. BY far the most i'm
pOrtant diamond mines for South AT.
RIGA, and indeed of the world, are those
at Kimberley, about ESQ miles north OF
Cape Town. Diamonds were discover.
ed there in 1869. They occur in the
indurated mud Of the craters of ex-
tinct volcanoes and vary in size from
that of pinhead to the great Jaggers-
Fontein diamond, of which shall pres
chilly tell you. The present workings
are from 1900 to 1,6OO feet in depth,
located in what is called the neck OF
these volcanoes. The diamonds are
mined very much as coal is mined, aft
er which the diamondiferous rock lie
exposed to atmospheric agencies to in
sure its disintegratiOn. thereby facili-
tating the separation of the earthly ma.
terial from the diamonds in the subse-
quent process Of washing.
"All the mines of Kimberley are now
under the ownership of the De Beers
Consolidated company. This company
employs about 1000 white men and
about 10000 Katfirs at the mines and
indirectly supports population Of co..
600 at the town of Kimberley. The an
nual production Of the mines is from
100000 to 100000 carats. having
value Of about $2O.OOO.OOO. This out.
put could be greatly increased, but is
restricted So as to admit Of the market
absorbing the product without entail
ing any reduction in the price Of the
diamond. The entire product of the
diamond fields of South Africa to date
that is, for period of about thirty
years-is somewhat over fifteen tOns4n
weight, having value in excess of
$5OO,O00,OOO A box about eight feet
square would contain all these dia-
monds, the net result of mining over
lOO,0OO,OOO tons of rock, besides the
millions Of tons of earth moved in
exploratory and dead work. The life
of the mines is as yet Understandable,
but diamond mining in Kimberley un-
doubtedly will continue for many years
TO come.
"rhe diamonds are sold to syndicates
Of diamond buyers at from S. to ~ pei
carat. The syndicates agree to take
the entire output Of diamonds, regard
less of size, at that price. In this con
nection, if you will excuse the dgres
sion, might mention the history of thu
celebrated Jaggersfontein diamond
This is the largest stone ever discov
cred. weighing very nearly 1000 carat
in the rough (about half pound avoir
dupois,. and is three and half inche
long. about as large as an averag
goose egg. 1t is impossible to deter
mine the value Of diamond Of thi
size. 1t is of good color, but woul'
not cut we'll. Diamonds lose from 4
to GO per cent of their size in cutting
Some idea of it's value, however, Nigh
be suggested by the fact that Ola
mond of Only $50 carats was sold
few years ago by the De Beers CON
pany for $75O,O0O and diamonds as yp
know, increase greatly in value wit
increase of size. AS yet there are n
bidders for this white elephant Tn
Jaggerfontein diamond which hav
lust described was found July 2, 1So'
at 3 O'Clock. after firing one blast"
Commenting recently on the facts 81
forth in his address. Mr.. Harmon
made this additional remark:
ut will be several months. howeve
Def re there is an adequate supply 6
. labor for the mines. The number {
workmen needed is 10000 whites an
100000 Katfirs. The pay of the Kali
Z is SO cents day and his board. Whit
. labor cannot possibly compete wit
. black labor in the mines. Owing to III
I low grade of the ore the mines coul
= not be worked at a profit were whit
. labor employed. But there is an
: amount of opportunity in the mimi
r district for skilled white labor Mimi
e firemen, machnists, drill men and ca
penters are greatly needed.
"A considerable quantity of machll
ery will be required in the futur
! Most of the machinery will undoubte'
r ly come from this country. but the ma
ket will be greater and more profitab
, when transportation facilities are il
: creased