Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-09

If they see us they'll bolt away and
spoil their half-holiday."
The story of his meeting with the ma
tive chiefs of Rhodesia in the Matoppo
Hills, where now he Is to be buried, Is
almost too well-known to repeat. But
here 1t is in brief.
Twice his new territory was almost
swept back to barbarism by the war
like Matabele, and twice, in the event,
it was himself alone who saved 1t from
disaster. On the second occasion Of his
interference Sir Frederick Darlington
with large force had beaten the Mat
abele into Matoppo Hills; but he could
not dislodge them thence. Time passed
and Sir Frederick Darlington decided
to retire into winter quarters.
Mr.. Rhodes was alarmed. The ex-
penses Of the war were already enorm-
Gus, and paid by the Chartered COM
pany; If the war dragged into anoth-
er season the company would be bank
rupt. He resolved to penetrate the Ma
toppo Businesses himself and seek to
make an end Of the war. In company
with the famous Johann Colenbrander,
and two others, all unarmed. he visited
the stronghold Of the Matabeles and
urged the indunas to tell their grievan-
ces.
He listened and responded kindly.
The grievances disposed Of, Rhodes as
tonished his companions by an acces-
sion Of anger, which alarmed them for
his and their own safety. While he
spoke his eyes blazed with anger and
his lips trembled and the indunas lis
tened In silence.
II do not upDraid you," he said, "for
making war on the white men, but
why did you kill their women and chill
dren? For that outrage you deserve no
mercy"
These words, spoken in English, Co.
lenbrander had to translate, but yet
the indunas covered under them, for
they were driven home by the rage Of
the speaker. The Matabele was COM
pletely submissive, and the end was
peace. 1t is characteristic Of Rhodes
that when he turned away from that
meeting he said:
1T Is scenes such as this which make
life really worth living!"
1t was, of course. from the De Beers
Consolidated Mines that from first to
last he derived the bulk of his income
and his fortune, and what this meant
will be realized when it Is mentioned
that for last year, apart from the divi-
dends received on his holding Of shares,
the sum Of G316,593 was paid to the
three remaining life governors. Of
whom Mr.. Rhodes was one, the other
two being julius Wernher and Alfred
Belt. Thus his income as life gov
ernor was over e105,O00 for 10000, and
for the current year, under the new
agreement by which the Diamond Syn
dicate shares its profits with the De
Beers company, it would probably have
been a still larger sum.
The same writer calculates, on dis
tinctly conservative basis, that Mr..
RnOQeS nOlQlnBS III LIE beeTS dloHe
must be s10,OOO,0OO. Looking at other
interests, he says: 1T Is idle work
guessing at the fortune Of man with
such widely-spread interests as those
Of the late Mr.. Cecil Rhodes, for he
had very extensive land property in
Cape Colony and elsewhere, as we'll as
his shareholdings. But s3,000,000 Is
generally regarded as a modest esti-
mate Of the value Of his estate"
This indeed seems to be very mod
est estimate of the fortune Of a man,
in these days Of multimillionaires, who
is said to have worked so much by the
power Of wealth, but 1t must be remem-
bered that Rhodes welded the influence
of the wealth Of his associates. In ev-
cry concern in which he was interested
he seemed to be the dominant factor,
whether his associates were weather.
than himself or not. Barney Baranto
said Rhodes was a great man, because
he beat me at my own game"