The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-26
RHODES is DEAD.
Great Promoter Passes Away
Peacefully at Cape Town
After Long Illness Nearly
Hopeless From the First.
DREAM OF HIS LIFE
Was a Railroad From the Cape
to Cairo.
ing the Present War.
DREAM OF HIS LIFE

Cape Town, March 26.-Cecil Rhodes
died peacefully at 5:57 p. IN. He slept
during the afternoon but his breathing
became more difficult and his strength
perceptibly diminished until he passed
away.
CAUSED SURPRISE IN LONDON.
!. London, March 26.-Th death of Cecil
Rhodes came as no great surprise to
those few who saw anything of him
during his last visit to London during
the winter. Whether it was due to his
experiences during the long siege of
Kimberly, or the accumulated anxieties
regarding the war in South Africa, with
an accompanying change of public feel
ing in England towards him there is no
doubt he was almost completely broken
down within the last two years.
Even his appearance changed. His
once finely chiSelIed face had become
bloated and his always huge frame fill
ed out until he became SO stout as to
make walking matter of difficulty he
was frequently attacked with severe
heart troubles, during which he exhibit
ed stoicism which marked his extra
ordinary career. Nor did he allow his
bodily ailments to interfere with buSi-
ness Among his associates in the city
he 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 ere
ated and controlled by him. Except
that he was more irritable and more
dictatorial, there was no outward
change in his method of handling men,
millions and empires. Towards the
social side of life, however. he soured
visibly. Once his days work at the
offices of the British Chartered South
African company was over he shut him
self up from the curious in an unfre-
quented London hotel where he utterly
denied himself to all except half
dozen favored intimates.
JAMESON STUCK TO HIM.
DR. Jameson was his constant COM
panion. Indeed, none of DR.. Jameson's
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
walk, the cynosure of all eyes, yet Sc
verely unobServant of the hundreds of
London's political and social leaders
who had the right to a bowling acquain-
tanceShip. More especially did Mr.
Rhodes shun the present government
leaders. He bitterly expressed his con-
tempt of British army methods in
forgave Mr.. Chamberlain and Lord
Miner for not consulting him or en-
deavoring to utilize the powerful finan-
ciaI-political machine which Mr.
Rhodes undoubtedly. manipulated over
the whole of South Africa.
With increasing irascibility, which he
did not hesitate to vent on duke or
plebean 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 pur-
poSelesS quest of change of scene. Dur
ing his recent trip to Egypt this was
particularly noticeable. He rushed from
place to place, as if with the only OBJ
ject of upsetting his own plans. Then /
he suddenly returned to England.
HIS BUSINESS SYSTEMIZED.
Financially Mr. Rhodes death is not
likely to have any very far reaching re-
suits all his enterprises are system
lied so thoroughly as not to need the
m aSter mind which was so necessary to
their inception.
Owing to the very great success of the
De Beers mines the British Chartered
South African company and other South
African ventures, Rhodes fortune had
been steadily accommodating. He lost
money by the war, but what inroads
that made have been ,trif1ing compared
with the many millions he possessed.
He never lost his open handed, but
SOMEWHAT reckless methods of hand
ling money
Not long ago he walked into the office
of one of his confidential subordinates
and threw down a bundle of notes.
bonds etc. saying Invest these for
me-" and went out without waiting to
have them looked at. InSpecuOn re-
vealed the fact that they amounted to
more than a million pounds sterling.
How they were invested Mr. Rhodes
never know 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 returned to England.
ABOUT CECIL RHODES.
Cecil Rhodes first went to Africa,
where he developed the great diamond |
fields for his health. He was a stall |
broad and muscular. His father was an |
English clergyman, vicar of the little |
midland town of Bishop Stortford where |
Cecil was born July 5, 1853. the fourth |
of seven sons. AS boy his lungs were |
delicate. At sixteen he was sent out to |
Natal, where his eldest brother, Herbert |
Rhodes, had a farm, the family doctor |
fearing the moist climate of England |
would prove fatal to him.
When the rush to the diamond |
country began Herbert and Cecil Rhodes |
joined it, taking with them all the |
kaffirS on their farm, and securing a |
Without making any remarka BILE strike, |
their venture was successful As soon |
as he could find time Cecil Rhodes went |
back to England and matriculated al |
Orie1 college. Oxford; but the climate |
still proved dangerous to him and he re-
turned to Kimberly and his diamond |
claims There he gradually worked his |
way to moderate wealth, and some |
twenty years ago became president of |
the DeBeers company, which owned the |
most profitable mine in South Africa.
He did not stop at this. He aimed al |
controlling the entire output of the gilt |
tering gems which rival companies were
pouring into the market in reckless and |
nine years to accomplish his purpose |
and to organize one of the greatest of |