Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-05-10

London, May 3-Now that Cecil
Rhodes is dead, the richest millionaire
in Europe, and perhaps In The world Is
coming out from under cover His name
is scarcely known to the general reader
and his remarkable personality mas
been quite overshadowed by the colos-
aus although he was far richer than
Rhodes. But he will be In many re-
spects Rhodes successor, and the hefee
light that beats upon a throne "ill
soon make him one Of the most taxed
about men Of the time.
His name is Alfred Belt short ana
ugly as II is, that name could MAKE an
otherwise worthless bit Of paper me "a
check that might be used to snake VA.
street and Lombard street 10 tnTll
foundations. Whether be Is leauS
rIcher than John Rockefeller y ques,
tion that Belt himself propaDB Coum
mai answer. Two men who have Detn
cloaely associated with him In widey
dlnerent WAYS have told me In the last
few days that this imancier could pr0U0oo
ahlv NOT scrape more than SlW'VUVVVV
ar so lust now, although II mas peeh
stated in print that he has that many
nounds--or half billion OF dollars
Roth of these authorities agreed, now
ever that the end OF the war IN south
Africa. where this vast fortune mas US
roots would assuredly bring a prodlsl-
Gus increase In the Belt wealth
m he keeps on at the rate OF the last
ron wears. the world will not have 70
yalt much longer before getting us
Hryt sight Of a Millionaire.
Heretofore he has been content 70
,vorahp Rhodes and to pick UP mil
lions but a man who has been conspic.
rn,is in the operations of the chartered
company ever since the first Matabeie
war said last night TO the writer
venture To predict that Belt VINO mas
been known only as the iinancier up
10 now. viii be found before long TAX
ing up and carrying 10 completion sonIe
on the empire building work Rhodes
left well begun, hut only half done |
have reason to believe that Belt caught
some of Rhodes enthusiasm for I'M
neriaiiqn 10 such an extent that ne VIII
Eventually put money into II without
thought OF getting Il back, Just as
Rhodes aid. SO far as investments IN
the De Beers company, JOHANNESBURG |
and In Rhodesia 60 Belt Is the DIE |
man In Africa already, and u ne SHOWS
administrative power equal to ms IL |
nanclal ability his future Is gong 70
hold the worlds attention. His friend
shin for Rhodes was something more |
than an alliance for business purposes
He fairly worshlped the man.
This mysterious tl-milonalrf |
was born in the same year. 1858 as the
man into whose shoes ne Is expected TO |
stem. Like Rhodes, he Is a bachelor, and |
for the same reason that Rhodes and |
Kitchener got the credit of being Wo-
man -haters--hecause they were TOO |
much engrosed In their ambitions TO
have time to give attention to domestic |
affairs. Like both OF these men, too
he cares little for society, although |
there Is plenty Of exclusive peers who
seem glad TO accent an invitation to
dine with him at HIS beautiful house In |
Park lane, and although many a Titled !
mamma IL said 10 have tried 10 capture
him for O son. in-law.
Like Rhodes again he gave no indi-
cation In youth OF being anything I'M
usual. lie was born in Hamburg ~
Years ago, coming OF an old, solid He
brew family not vastly wealthy but
rich enough 10 give him good educa-
ton In the German schools and get
him good place in banking house.
His luck began when he was % and
was drawn TO South Africa by news OF
the diamond discoveries. He got there
a little before Cecil Rhodes arrived
there IN the hope OF keeping out Of
the early grave to which his physician
had surrendered him
Belt made money az a diamond mer-
chant at Kimberley and invested II In |
mines, which brought him into
close touch with young Rhodes, who
was laying the foundations OF his for
tune by his scheme for consolidating ,
the diamond lnterests--a scheme that
proved godsend to Belt In fact. Belt
seems to have been Rhodes chief help
or In the business.
Belt branched out In the banking
business, becoming partner In the firm
pf Jules Porges & CO., predecessors OF
the present great firm OF Werner, Beit
& Co. When gold was discovered In the
Belt was on the ground
foor again, and with his johannesburg
Darner, Herman Eckstein, soon became
,ne OF the great captains Of the South
African gold industry. He IN credited
With having transformed South African