The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1906-06-27
Brilliant Pebble Had Variety
of Experiences.
children Played with II hnd Neigh
bors Admired Stone Worth Many
Hundreds.
SOUTH AFRICAN MINING LAND.

"The first diamond in South Africa
king Boer named Daniel Jacobs"
said Gardner f. Williams. recently
manager of the De Beers diamond
mines. "He was a poor farmer. who
made his home in squalid love on
tho banks of the Orange river near the
little settlement of Hopetown. II
was roughly partitioned to form bed
room and kitchen. and It's earthern
floor was smeared weekly with a poi
ishlng paste OF fihh and water. Faith
or. mother and children slept together
on a rude frame oyerlaeed with raw
hide strips Here the children were
brought up with little more care than
the goats and sheep that browsed on
the kopjes. When the herds were
turned ont OF the kraal the children
ran after them and roamed over the
pasture land all day long like the
focks. but the instinct of childhood
Will find play things on the face of
the most barren karoo. and the Ja-
cobs children were close to the edge
OF river which was strewn with I'M
commonly pretty pebbles mixed with
coarser gravel.
"a heap of these parti-eolored
stones was so common sight In the
yard or on the floor OF a farmhouse
on the banks OF the Orange or the
Vaal that none OF the ploddlng Beers
gave II second glance. But when
the children tossed the stones about
little white pebble was 50 sparkling
In the sunlight that II caught the eye
OF the farmers wife. She did not care
enough for Il TO pick IL up. but spoke
OF II as curious stone to a neighbor.
schalk van Niekerk. Van Nlekerk
asked to see Il, but Il was not In the
heap. One OF the children had rolled
fl away In the yard. After some lit
tie search II was found In the dust. for
such trife when Van Niekerk
wiped the dust OF the little stone gilt
tered so prtttily that he offered to buy
H. The good vrouw laughed at the
idea OF selling pebble You can
keep the stone II you want II. she said
SO Van Nlckerk put " in his pocket
ard carried IL home He had only
vague notion that It might have some
value. and putting the hands OF
travelling trader. John ORelliy. who
undertook TO find out what kind OF
stone the little crystal was and
whether It could be sold.
"He showed the stone TO several
Jews In Hopetown and in. Colesburg.
settlement farther up the Orange
river valley. No one of these would
give penny for It. II is a pretty
Stone enough they said. probably
topaz. but nobody would pay any
thing for IT,
Perhaps O'Reily would have
thrown the stone away IL IL had not
come under the eye of the acting civil
commissioner at Colesburg. Lorenzo
Boyes. Mr. Boyes found on trial that
the stone would scratch glass.
81 Believe It to be diamond he
observed gravey.
"O'Rcllly was greatly cheered up
You are the only man have seen.
he said. who says II is worth anything
Whatever It is worth. you shall have
share In IT,
Nonsense broke in DR.. Kirsch.
private apothecary of the town. who
was present. I'll bet Boyes a new
hat Il is only a topaz
"T'll take the bet replied Mr.
Boyes. and at his suggestion the stone
was sent for determination to the fore
most mlneralogist of the colony. DR..
w. Guybon Atherstone. residing in
Grahamstown. II was so lightly
valued that II was put In an unsealed
envelope and carried to Grahamstown
In the regular post cart
''When the post boy handed the ct
ter to Mr.. Atherstone the little river
stone fell out and rolled away. The
doctor picked up and read the let
ter of transmission. Then he examined
the pebble expert,y and wrote to Mr..
.Boyes: I congratulate you on the
stone YOU have sent to me. 1t is q
workable diamond, weighs twenty-one
and quarter carats. and Is worth
$780,"
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Westmoreiand. Kan, May 8. 1902:
Ballard Snow Eminent Co Your