Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-26

he allow his bodily ailments to interfere
with business. Among his associates in the
city ne never mentioned them, nor. did he
permit them to be mentioned to him. Up
to the last Mr.. Rhodes kept firm grip on
all those vast South African interests Great
ed and controlled by him. Except that he
was more irritable and more dictatorial,
there was no outward changes in his
method of handling men, millions and en-
pires.
Toward the social side of life, however,
he soured visibly. Once his days work at
the offices of the British Chartered South
Africa Company was over he shut himself
up from the curious in an unfreQuented
London hotel, where he utterly denied him
Inmates.
Dr. Jameson was his constant companion.
Indeed, none Of DR.. Jamesons indiscretions
ever affected the warm friendship existing
between the two men. They could be seen
in the park in the morning taking solitary
rides on horses. never breaking out from a
walk, the cynosure of all eyes, yet severe
ly unobservant of the hundreds of Lon
don's political and social leaders who had
the right to bowling acquaintanceship.
Stunned Salisbury Government.
More especially did Mr.. Rhodes shun the
present government leaders. He bitterly
expressed his contempt of British army
methods in South Africa. and probably
never quite forgave Mr.. Chamberlain and
Lord Miner for not consulting him or en-
deavoring to utilize the powerful financial
political machine which Mr.. Rhodes un-
doubtedly manipulated over the whole OF
South Africa.
With increasing Feasibility which he did
not hesitate to vent on duke or plebeian who
crossed his path, he grew more and more
restless as the end of his life drew near
He was never contented to stay long in
one place. His closing days devolved into
an unceasing, purposeless quest of change
ri
this was particularly noticeable. He rush
ed from place to place, as if with the only
object of .upsetting his own plans. Then
he suddenly returned to England.
Financially, Mr.. Rhodes death is not
likely to have any very far-reaching re-
suits, as all his enterprises We're systema-
tlZed so thoroughly as not to need the mas
ter mind which was necessary to their
inception.
Lost Money by the War;
Owing to the very great success of the
De Beers mines. the British chartered
South African Company and other great
South African ventures, Rhodes fortune
had been steadily accommodating He lost
money over the war, but what inroads
that made must have been trifing COM
pared with the many millions he possessed
He never lost his open-handed, but some
what reckless methods of handling money
Not long ago he walked into the Office of
one Of his confidential subcrdinates and
threw down a bundle of notes, bonds, etc,
saying: Invest these for me-" and went
out without waiting to have them looked
at. Inspection revealed the fact that they
amounted to more than millions pounds
amounted to more than million pounds
sterling How they were invested Mr.
Rhodes never knew or cared for months
later, as that night he went off on one of
his wandering tours and refused to allow
himself to be bothered with the details OF
the investment of his million until he re-
turned to England.
Sketch of His Career.
Cecil Rhodes was born in 1S53 the fourth
son of the late Rev. Francis W. Rhodes
rector of Bishop Stortford He was educat-
ed at Oriel College. Oxford, where he OBJ
| tanned degree master of arts. Most of
his life was spent in South Africa where in
1881 he was chosen member of the Cape
Colony legislative assembly for Barkly
West. made a member of the executive
council in 1883; elected treasurer general
of Care Colony in 1884; made deputy COM
missioner Of Euchuanaland in the same
year; served as premier of Cape Colony
| from 1890 to 1898; was commissioner of
crown lands during the first four years of
| that service, and was minister of native
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