Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-04-12


Cecil John Rhodes began life as the
son of an obscure English-curate, with
n youthful ambition to take a degree
at oxford and to enter the church. He
died one Of the heroic figures In the
history of a continent. He was a weak,
sickly lad, but before he died he had
conquered n third of a continent. trans
formed 1000, 900 square miles OF Afri-
can jungle into a civilized state, and
amassed a fortune roughly estimated
at $50, 900, 600.
He began life an unknown, n before
he died he was famous. Cabinet min
listers looked &c him for advice. The
business world moved at his beck and
call. He became the c%onfdant of kings
and emperors. But his later ambition
~overreached itself, and he died possess
sed only of his millions, and, great as
they were, they could not restore to
him the place he lost when he sought
TO age war upon a e but free and
independent sovereign state.
In the later years Of his career, be-
fore his fame began to wane, he was
known as E~ngland's empire builder in
Africa.
THAT is my Dream he once said,
drawing his hand across a map of At
RIGA, 'all red-all red"
The name of Cecil Rhodes is a part Of
the history of South Africa. He built
the railroads from Cape Town to the
Jungle.. He projected the Cape to Cairo
railroad. He consolidated the diamond
mines at Kimberley. He conquered Ma
tabeleland and Mashonaland. He added
Rhodesia, with it's 5000 square miles
of territory, to the British empire. He
| Ephpma6 for the fa1npatinn nf oil
South African states. He planned the
revolt of the u~itlanders, which ended
In the Jameson raid, and he was Paul
kruger's antagonist in a struggle which
would either make South Africa all
English or all Dutch.
The birthday Of Cecil Rhodes was
July 5, 1853, at Bishops Stortford, In
Hertfordshire, Eng. His father, the
Rev. r. w. Rhodes. was vicar Of the
parish. Cecil Rhodes was destined for
a clerical career. and was educated for
the church. Failing health In 1870 COM
PEELED him TO take a long sea voyage.
lie went to visit his brother, Herbert
Rhodes In South Africa, and thus, when
Ii years old, landed on the continent
whose destiny was in later years to
be ~inseparably linked with his name.
cecil Rhodes and his brother drlfted
from Natal 10 the diamond fields,
where they shared a claim between
them. Here began Rhodes career as q
diamond king. He dug for diamonds
aud studied for mis- oxford degree al
the same time. returning to England
FiN months OF each year for several
years.
1t was while Rhodes was digging
diamonds and studying for a degree
that he conceived his colossal ideas
Of an empire in the dark continent
but Rhodes perceived hat for its
lulfllment two preliminary steps were
reeded. The first was the acquisition
Of sufficient wealth to enable him TO al.
complish his purpose; the second was
the attainment of a position of au-
lthority in the administration of Cape
Colony. 1t was clear 10 him that ever
more important than a scat in the
Cape assembly was the possession OF
great wealth. AS he said to Genera.
Gordon a few years later: 1T is nc
use having big ideas, If one has hot tho
money TO carry them OUT
In 1880 Cecil Rhodes was elected tC
the Cape parliament. He kept aloot
from the Afrikander bund, organized
about that time, although he sympa.
thized with its objects. But he saw ir
it's leaders a retrogressive and anti
British tendency, and declined to join
1t was in 1882 that Cecil Rhodes frs
clashed with Paul Kruger, II In tina
year began the contest which was set
tied only by an appeal to the arbitra'
ment OF the sword in 1899.
In 1882 the northern boundary o
GriquaIand West became one of tn,
urgent political questions. In May o
that year the house of assembly APP
pointed a commission, of which Rhodes
was q member, TO inquire into tn
matter. 1t was found that on the dis
puted territory there were some sew
enty farms occupied by Boer emigrant
from the Transvaal, who had set VI
the quasi-republic Of ~Stellaland. Thes
Beers. though the fact was not sus
pected at the time, seem TO have beel
emissaries of President Kruger, sen
for the express purpose Of Selling tn
trade route from Cape Colony to tn
interior.
Kruger's object was undoubtedly I
build a wall, as it were, of Boer terri
tory which would stretch from Delago
pay on the east to beyond Lax
'Ngami on the west, and so shut OF
Cape Colony from any intercourse VIII
the vast hi%nterland. The object was
perfectly legitimate one from the Doe
point OF view. 1t was equally propa
| 10Y MI. lNllOhCo ~ II y w Mp 49, 49,
route northward through Griqualan
West and Bechuanaland under BIRTHS
control. He was unable TO persuad
the imperial government to defray tn
cost OF establishing a protectorate owe
the region beyond the boundary {
Griqualand West, and he retired ten
~porariIy from the struggle, baffied an
disheartened.
Two years later, however, the Brit
ish government reversed its policy, an
on February q, 1884, the high con
mander of Cape Colony proclaimed
British protectorate over Bechuans
land to the British empire.
The consolidation Of the damon
companies into n great syndicai
gave Cecil Rhodes the financial NEAR
with which 10 further his norther
expansion projects. The trust dee
which amalgamated the diamond con
panies contained a clause permittlr
Rhodes to employ the surplus funt
of the syndicate for developing ne
territory.
Rhodes first planned 4 railroad fro
Cape Town through the Orange FRI
States and the Transvaal and on in
the heart OF Africa. Kruger refused
grant a concession to Rhodes, but I;
Vorcd the Netherlands company, whiC
agreed to build a line from DelagC
Bay TO Pretoria. In 1889. howeve
Z Rhodes secured a concession from Il
Orange Free State. Rhodes was
, build the line TO the south border
the Transvaal, entirely through Il
Orange Free State, at his W eXpens
The Orange Free State was to be pa
one-half the net profits derived fro
working the line.
The action Of the Orange Free Sta
forced Kruger to cepitulate and
finally gave Rhodes a concession
complete the line through Transva
territory to johannesburg. n distan
Of forty miles, with the provision tn;